Nature Cottage Akabeko

We've stayed here several times with our dog, room-only, and a kitchen cottage works really well for that kind of trip. It's a long way from town, but the starry sky is beautiful and the tap water tastes great. The facilities are a bit old, though the heating works well. They provide dishes and cooking utensils, but the knives aren't very sharp. If you're planning to cook for yourself, bring your own knife. The staff's hospitality is heartwarming.

We stayed several nights with one person and one dog. The dog run was spacious, and our room had plenty of space for one person, with both wooden flooring and a tatami room. The building is old, as we'd heard, but the interior was clean and didn't bother us. Since dogs can't go on the tatami, bringing a dog bed for the wooden floor worked well. There was a kitchen, so we bought horse sashimi and did a little cooking. We made our own beds. The main problem was the heating. It only came on once the temperature reached a certain point unless we paid extra, and its loud ignition sound happened several times overnight, making it hard to sleep. There was also some kind of cleaning or other work going on outside early in the morning, which disturbed our sleep. The stay was good otherwise, and I might come back in summer when heating isn't needed.

On another visit with my wife and dog, we had Fukushima beef shabu-shabu, and it was delicious. The ramen at the end was especially good, as were the little squid and carrot side dish and kinpira burdock. We also visited with our dog and wife for spicy pork hotpot, which was very filling. There are two dog runs. The rooms are a little old, but we didn't find that particularly problematic.

A good fit for families and young people. You can order meals ahead, so there's no need to bring food. The owner was friendly, and the welcome drink was a nice surprise.