Minshuku Fukabe

The seafood was fresh and tasted good!

The hot springs were lovely, and the water was great. The food was the real highlight, though. Everything tasted amazing and made the stay feel relaxing. The building is quite old, but it's well kept inside. The shared bathroom and toilet are new and very clean.

That trip to Usami is still a fond memory. About 25 years ago, I was a junior high school student living in northern Saitama, and I suggested a beach trip with four friends. I don't recall all the details, but I'm pretty sure I searched online, saw that Usami had strong waves, and thought that sounded interesting. So I looked for a hotel, and we ended up staying at Fukabe. I can still clearly remember calling to book and asking, “Can a junior high school student stay here on their own?” They cheerfully reassured me that it was totally fine. I sent my friend the Fukabe URL, and his parents checked that we'd be staying there. We took a string of trains from Saitama to Usami and Fukabe, where I stayed with just my friends. I hope everyone who came along remembers it too.

We had read that the food was good and the baths were surprisingly nice for a guesthouse, so we booked a stay for a big family celebration. At just under 20,000 yen per person on a Saturday, we did feel the arrival was a letdown. The outside looked run-down, the parking lot was awkward to get into, with a low ceiling and odd shape, and the entrance led to a dim staircase and lobby. Inside was dark, the room door was broken, and its lock didn't work. It reminded me of an old dormitory. I felt bad for the people who had made the reservation. Age is one thing, but brighter, cleaner, tidier spaces would help. The indoor bath was open all day and night, so everyone could go when they wanted, even late at night. It was stylish and clean, and the water was excellent, which was a surprise given the exterior and room atmosphere. The staff are laid-back and tend to leave you to yourself, so it suits people who like a relaxed place without much attention. The banquet meal was generous and delicious, though the prepared dishes were cold, which was disappointing. The boat-shaped sashimi platter was impressive, and my father loved the simmered splendid alfonsino. We'd shared our seating preferences beforehand, but perhaps they weren't understood. Instead of sitting in a circle and chatting, we were spaced apart like at a company banquet. They turned the leftover food and rice into rice balls, though, which made a great late-night snack. We had the place almost to ourselves, so we played bingo in our room and stayed up talking. We could bring our own food and drinks, and there was a large refrigerator. Those things, along with the meal, the bath, and time together, made the stay worthwhile and let us do what we'd come for. Visited December 2024.