Minshuku Urashima

Bring your own towels, definitely. The shared toilet and bathroom are old but clean, and don't feel dirty. There's no washlet, and having to lift the trash can lid yourself gets a little annoying. The room is old too, and it doesn't lock. Is that typical of guesthouses? Even a temporary, simple lock would be appreciated. The bath is in a separate building and didn't feel clean to me. It gets so hot that you quickly end up drenched in sweat. It's deep and the water is hot, so it doesn't seem suitable for families with children. We only tried one of the two baths, so I can't speak for the other one. I know guesthouses are a good deal, but taking everything into account, I don't think we'll stay here again.

The roads are as narrow as people say, though the parking lot is spacious, and the owner kept a comfortable distance. We went as a family and had the place to ourselves, with no other guests. Dinner was picked up on the first floor and eaten in our second-floor room. The shared bath and toilet were fine. The natural hot spring was just the right temperature and left my skin feeling silky smooth. Dinner was delicious, especially the simmered golden-eyed snapper, sashimi, and other home-style dishes. The Labrador retriever guard dog was full of energy and adorable. Hand towels, hair dryers, and yukata robes are provided, but there's no refrigerator. I'd recommend this inn for families with small children too. You make your own futon, rather than having everything done for you at a luxury inn, so I think Urashima works well if you have kids.

The room has a keyhole in its sliding door, but it can't be locked because another guest lost the key. There were also noisy neighbors late at night. I contacted them about the disturbance and got no response. There's a private bath, but no bath towels are provided. The bathroom has no bidet toilet, and there's no hand soap by the sink. For stays of consecutive nights, amenities aren't replenished or cleaned, and the bedding stays the same. If you ask, they'll give you a hand towel and toothbrush. The place has a certain freedom and distance, for better or worse. If you don't mind there being no door lock, even over several nights, it's cheap and decent. Even so, I didn't feel it was worth the price. I'll never go back.

I stayed the night before heading to Hirizo Beach. I booked room only, so I didn't have any food, but for somewhere to sleep, it was definitely worth it. The owner, an older woman, seemed nice 😊. It came with towels, toothbrushes, pods, a TV, and a futon. There was no refrigerator!