HARUYA Higashiyama - Hostel

The location is handy for the market, bus stops, tourist spots, and the train station. Inside, the room felt homely and was really spacious for the two of us. I loved the tea the owner gave us, and we looked forward to the porridge at breakfast. A great place if you want to stay in an old Ryokan. Highly recommended!

We loved staying here and would recommend it if you're looking to try a traditional Japanese place. Don't skip the breakfast porridge, we really liked it. The bus and train stations are close, and there's a croquette stand near the hotel run by an elderly couple. The croquette tasted superb! One thing, keep your voice down after 10 pm, since everyone can hear you 😅

I had an unfortunate and unpleasant stay after losing my camera here. I left it with my bag on a bench near the entrance when I had to rush out early in the morning to catch the shinkansen for fujiyama. I contacted the hostel soon after I realized it was there, but guest relations said they hadn't found it. They also told me the CCTV was broken, so they couldn't see who had taken it. I believe another tourist staying there may have taken it.

The heated kotatsu was a lovely new experience for me, though it left very little room for the two futons. The common room was nice, and I thought the place was kept as clean as possible. The staff seemed kind, but we only happened to see them at checkout. You collect your key from a box and there's no room service, as far as I know, though the room was cleaned and rubbish taken out daily. The courtyard has one shower and two toilets, while the downstairs room has its own toilet and sink. The biggest problem for us was the noise. With the wooden structure, every movement upstairs or on the stairs carried through. We could hear neighbors talking, watching videos, and even farting. During the first half of our week, they were up and moving past 1 am, then awake before 7 am. We didn't get one peaceful night's sleep. I can only recommend staying two days at most if you really want to try a traditional place.