Oyado Zen

I was worried before arriving because check-in is automated and there’s no staff at the property, but everything went smoothly. It’s a lovely place, about a 10-minute walk from the bus station with a convenience store nearby. Kusatsu is walkable, so the sights aren’t far away. For a low price, I got the ryokan experience and really enjoyed it. The Japanese-style room was nice and warm with the heater provided. The property is very quiet and sits in a residential area. I saw a couple of other guests, but there wasn’t really any interaction. It doesn’t have the usual hostel atmosphere. The shared washroom was always clean, and there were towels to take to the onsens around town.

Oyado Zen is a great value for Kusatsu, especially if you’re traveling solo. It’s clean, well stocked, and thoughtfully set up. In winter, the heated table is a real comfort, and there are plenty of supplies in the bathroom areas. Extra heaters, hair dryers, kettles, and other basics make it feel capable without being bare-bones. Lawson, 7-Eleven, and one of the local public baths with extremely hot water are an easy walk away. I’ve visited Kusatsu several times and stayed in different kinds of accommodation, and I liked the unstaffed setup here. It feels less managed and performative than a full-service ryokan, which suits independent travelers looking for the baths and some privacy. My two nights were very different. The first was calm and restful, and I would have happily given five stars based on that night alone. On the second, a large group checked in and used the hallway as a place to socialize and meet late into the night. Doors slammed, people ran up and down the corridor, and they talked outside rooms instead of inside them. With no staff on site, there was nobody to step in and restore quiet. For a place that seems aimed at solo travelers, that kind of hallway behavior undermines what makes it work. It can be an excellent, thoughtfully designed place when the guest mix is compatible, but the experience depends a lot on who else is staying. If quiet matters to you, it may come down to luck. I’d stay again knowing one disruptive group can change the whole experience.

There’s no one at the property, so check-in and checkout are self-service. The place and bathroom were very clean, but there’s no bathroom in the ryokan itself. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Yubakata, which could be awkward with large luggage. I booked at the last minute and paid 6k for one night, which felt expensive. There was no air conditioning in the room. In September 2024 the weather was pleasant, so that wasn’t a problem, but the rooms can get stuffy because there’s no ventilation. The walls are thin, and you can hear neighbors; it was noisy until 10pm.

Worst stay in Japan. There’s no staff on site, and check-in is on a tablet. If you have a question, there’s nobody there to answer. They’re supposed to have a phone number available until 9pm, but no one answered from 6pm onward. The moment we entered, there was a strong musty smell of damp and mold. The old futons and tatami mats were uncomfortable and had absorbed that same unpleasant odor. There are no bathrooms with showers, and our room was beside the toilets with poor sound insulation. All that for an unreasonable $110 (16k yens) for one room for one night. Scandalous!