Katsuragi

It’s a small, old-style place, but I thought it was worth it and a good way to experience a vintage Japanese building and facilities. The meals were big and luxurious. You don’t need to pack pajamas: the bedroom has a yukata, geta, bath towels, tabi socks, and a toothbrush. There’s a safe, futon set, TV, fridge, vending machines, and hot and cold free tea dispensers. It also has air conditioning and an air purifier. The hot spring facility has a hair dryer and shampoo, conditioner, body gel soap, cleanser, and body lotion. There are billiards, ping-pong, relaxation services, and esthetician options, plus a living room in the lobby. The drip coffee maker serves genuinely nice coffee, available to take away for 200 yen. Much better than the 7/11 coffee, in my opinion. There’s no shower in the bedrooms and not many amenities, but guests have full access to the main hot springs. There are lots of stairs and no elevators, though that’s part of the vintage feel. It isn’t fancy, and the opening hours are 15:00 to midnight, then 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. In 2022, guests with a COVID-19 vaccination got a huge discount. Our initial price for six people, including two children, was 80,000 yen. With the discount we paid 5,000 yen per adult for four adults, and 3,000 yen for one child. The other child was too young to get vaccinated. You had to bring proof of vaccination. The final price was 58,000 yen, and we also got 6,000 yen in coupons to spend around Okayama or town. The kids had a blast. The town is basically a ghost town, with many abandoned buildings, some of them beautiful and full of renovation potential. It’s a shame. The city is remote but not bad, and everything is within walking distance. There’s a large 7/11 not far from the hotel, along with small local museums, other museums and tours, outdoor foot baths, a karaoke and bowling building, coffee shops, bakeries, and pottery and glass-making workshops. In spring there are cherry blossoms, and fireflies in June. It’s small and quiet, a place to step back and take a deep breath without anyone bothering you. There are plenty of other hotel choices, but I’d recommend the Katsuragi for the vintage experience itself. Bring personal items such as a hair iron, hygiene products, cotton pads for removing makeup or applying beauty products, and your own hairbrush and razor if you need them.