Hotel Kosaka Gold Palace

The adjoining restaurant, Seidokan, serves a breakfast that’s a cut above what you’d expect at a typical Japanese business hotel, and the rooms are bigger too. JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation) and the Institute of Mining Research are right next door. The lobby and room layout give the impression that the building may once have been a staff dormitory. I was told that even now, around 90% of guests are business travelers and researchers, with tourists making up the other 10%.

Finding somewhere to eat nearby wasn’t easy, though the hotel is handy for visiting Lake Towada by car. It’s also close to the old mine administration museum and a kabuki theater where a troupe comes through each summer. The hotel seems to have ties to the mining industry, and people connected with it stay here. My room was clean and quite large by Japanese standards, and the price was reasonable. Breakfast at the attached restaurant was decent. I stayed in early August 2010 while riding my bicycle across the country.

It was functional, nothing more. There’s no breakfast, and it’s close to the old mining office building.

The spot is great for sightseeing, and I stayed in a Deluxe Twin Room in the annex, a one to two minute walk from the main building’s front desk. The bathroom was roomy enough for two people to sit side by side. There was also a unit bath, though I didn’t use it because I went to the hot springs in Kazuno. The pajamas were a waffle-fabric dress. I checked in at 7 PM in early October 2025 and had planned to eat at the on-site restaurant, but a sign said it was reserved for private use. A restaurant the staff recommended had stopped taking orders by 7:30 PM. Other places I found were either closed early or already shut, but I eventually found an omakase restaurant and had a delicious meal. Kosaka Town has few restaurants and they close early, so I wish the hotel would post when its restaurant is privately reserved on its website.