Kominato Ryoshi Ryori Umi No Niwa

We’d talked about staying here since January, and we also wanted to try golden-eyed snapper. After going from Ibaraki to Shizuoka and then Chiba, we finally settled on Katsuura. We found several hotels there online, but the reviews led us to this one. We considered a nearby major hotel given this place’s rank, but chose it because of its focus on food. The hospitality was incredible. They offer small free drinks, including beer, coffee, and tea. If you like beer, you can pour it from the tap, which alone makes the stay feel like great value. There are only six rooms, so it’s very quiet. We booked the last room listed online that day. It didn’t face the ocean, but it had a 12-tatami room with two TVs and air conditioners, plus a separate 4-tatami room. There was only a shower in our room, but we were given 50 minutes of free use of the private open-air bath on the fifth floor, which we were very happy about. Dinner started at 6 pm and was a kaiseki course with an elaborate range of fish dishes: a huge sashimi platter, including amazing namero, grilled fish, fried fish, boiled fish, splendid golden-eyed snapper, fish soup made with sea bream head, and dessert. It was so delicious that I ate three bowls of rice. The service was fantastic, and I’m really glad I chose this hotel. The description of being right in front of the ocean is fair, but the sea is beyond the parking lot, where there were lots of fishermen. It’s not an uninterrupted ocean view, though that can’t be helped. Since food was our main reason for staying, it was more than enough for us. I’d definitely come back.

This little hotel sits in a fishing port. Its exterior looks a bit dated and didn't give me much confidence at first. But I had asked JTB for delicious food, a relaxing bath, and a room with an ocean view. Inside, the place was clean, peaceful, and stylish, and seemed to have been renovated recently, which made a very good impression. The food was delicious, and the semi-open-air private bath had a lovely ocean view. Our room combined Japanese and Western styles with a pleasing color scheme that felt calm and relaxing. The proprietress and staff were wonderfully considerate, both in their manners and the way they spoke to guests. My wife and I stayed just one night, but it became a memorable visit. I'm very satisfied. Thank you very much.

We stayed for two days and one night. I looked over the website and reviews before booking, and the stay lived up to them. The food was delicious, the bath was just the right temperature, and the staff were very helpful. My mother was very happy too. Some reviews mention generous portions, but even with a little less food, this is still an inn I'd want to return to. In fact, I'd feel bad leaving anything uneaten.

This was my first visit to this small, upscale inn in Kominato, which feels like a tucked-away retreat. There are only a few rooms, and the service is attentive and thoughtful. I highly recommend it! After spending the afternoon at Kamogawa Sea World, I took a train to Kominato Station, where I was picked up in a Mercedes-Benz minivan. I was welcomed with a drink on arrival. The first-floor minibar offered complimentary beer, coffee, and other drinks. While I was there, my luggage was taken to my room. Once I had settled in, I went up to the room. The room was lovely, facing the ocean, with a cypress bath and plenty of amenities. Roller blinds covered the windows, but when I raised them, the whole ocean came into view. At night, I could watch fireworks right outside through the glass, making it a fantastic spot. The large public bath is on the first floor, with iced Pino available to enjoy afterward. It was a great way to cool down, and everything felt well taken care of. The bathing areas are separated by gender, and the tables change between the evening and morning. Meals are served on the second floor. We took our time over dinner for about two hours, timed around the fireworks. Nakai-san brought each course at just the right moment on beautiful plates. The portions were so generous that we wondered if we could finish everything. We ended up saving the simmered golden-eyed snapper for the next morning. We enjoyed the beautifully presented, delicious food and had a wonderful time. After dinner, we returned to our room, and then it was time for the fireworks. There were 150 fireworks that night, which I initially thought might not be many. Seeing them so close was exceptional and moving, almost as if they had been arranged just for us. The next morning, breakfast was another table full of delicious dishes, so filling that we couldn't even eat lunch. We were grateful for every moment from check-in through check-out, and wanted to return again. The next morning, we visited nearby Tanjo-ji Temple, enjoyed the foot bath, and took a ride on the Tainoura sightseeing boat. The experience was more than worth the price. I'll be back!