Ryokan KANAMARU

We had a lovely spot to watch the sunset, and the staff were super friendly. The food was wonderful too.

My family was really happy with the squid and kept saying how amazing it was. We chose Kanamaru Ryokan because it was nearby and worked well for an early morning trip, and my family loves squid. I told them ahead of time that I don't eat raw food, so they served tempura instead of live squid sashimi. But I had expected something grilled or another replacement for the other raw sashimi dishes with the meal. Nothing came in their place, and two raw dishes simply weren't served. That had never happened to me before, so the time just passed. It wasn't exactly a bargain, either.

The best part of dinner was the fresh squid sashimi, and even the tentacle tempura was delicious. All the rooms look out over Yobuko Port, though a huge construction ship for the pier expansion was floating right in front of us and spoiled the setting a bit. I stayed on a Sunday, so there were few guests and I had the bath to myself, which was very relaxing. The old inn's interior has been renovated and was clean. After checkout, I walked about five minutes to the morning market and the innkeeper let me leave my car in the parking lot. We had spear squid this time, and I'd like to return when bigfin reef squid is available.

The views from the rooms and large bath are lovely, and the old fishing village atmosphere feels relaxing. It's also an easy walk to Yobuko Morning Market. The inn's building is quite old, and the in-room amenities weren't especially clean or convenient. The TV was one of the smallest I've seen in years, though Wi-Fi was a welcome extra. The okiki sweets, Ikkuchiko, have a simple traditional flavor, neither hard nor soft, sweet nor salty. I wonder whether kids and younger people like them too. The bathhouse seems to have been added above the five-story inn. I expected a newer, clean and convenient large bath, but it wasn't like that. The tub is narrow and feels about half a century old, though that didn't bother me much. Younger guests may not be used to the shower temperature adjustment system. The elevator only reaches the fifth floor, so stairs are needed to get to the bath. Dinner was generous and delicious, especially the live squid sashimi, which was impressive for its size, freshness and taste. I wonder if the squid size depends on the number of guests and what's available fresh. The tentacle tempura, squid shumai and grilled turban shell were good too. Breakfast was a hearty, typical ryokan meal, with so many rice accompaniments that I ran short of rice, but a second helping is part of the fun. The horse mackerel dried in mirin was tasty. I saw the same fish hanging from a Christmas tree at Yobuko Morning Market and took one home. Parking is free across from the neighboring Saga Bank. There's a spot marked with a Kanamaru Ryokan traffic cone, but it's shared with Saga Bank, so I assume any space is fine.