Matsuzaki Onsen Robatakan

I booked a room with breakfast, but I’m now uneasy about eating it in case the old woman who runs the inn is preparing it. When I arrived, she acted as if she wondered why I was there. Later I found there was no hand soap in my room and called the front desk, but no one picked up. I thought she might be ignoring me because of how she’d acted, so I went downstairs. She was in the kitchen behind the front desk, but ignored my knocks and calls. I’d spoken to her earlier, so she didn’t seem deaf. A girl who seemed to be her daughter came over from a distance to help, but this is a terrible inn. I’ll never return.

The spring water is clear, smooth, and has very little sulfur smell. The indoor baths are separated by gender, and there’s just one, naturally hot bath. It’s a good idea to stir the water with the provided stirrer. It feels hot at first, but you get used to it, and my son in third grade managed fine too. We went as a family on a weekday in August, and the attentive service made the stay comfortable. After dinner, staff came to lay out the futons. Our room had a sink, toilet, safe, and pod, but no refrigerator. You can leave a modest amount of cold food at the front desk. I’d definitely go again.

At this price for one night with two meals, I’d happily come back. The room was clean, with a toilet and sink, though no bath. There’s a coin laundry and convenience store nearby. The shared bath is about the size of one at home. One person fits best, two is manageable, and I’d avoid three. The water runs a little hot but is still usable. Dinner filled me up even after running about 60 km and feeling completely famished. You want sake with it, not beer. Breakfast rice is filling too, and although I don’t usually eat much in the morning, the endless lineup of side dishes made it easy. It sits somewhere between a ryokan and minshuku, and is quite reasonable. That bath, though... (lol)

The food was delicious, and I was really pleased with the thoughtful service and all the little extras. The bath is a bit small, which is a shame. I stayed while on the trail, and having a bus stop right outside was very convenient. I’ll definitely stay here again.