Le Port Awashima

Dinner was lovely, and the dishes kept arriving after I thought the set on the table was all there was. The bed wasn’t as comfortable as I’d hoped, but I could still sleep okay. I also thought the remains of the Taisho-period school on the premises were pretty cool. Probably the best option for a stay in Awashima.

We stayed as a group, and the senior staff were unfriendly and did little to help us. They also control access to the naval school, opening and closing it at erratic times, so a visitor may arrive expecting it to be open and find it closed. The hotel itself didn’t impress me much, though the facilities are simple.

I stayed in a cabin, but there was a dog cage right in the room. It felt kind of unsanitary, and I couldn’t get used to it. I wish the cabins that allow dogs were kept for guests traveling with pets.

There was a sea firefly event just for guests, where we learned about their ecology and environmental issues. We were lucky to see lots of them in the wild, though apparently their visibility can depend on the season, tide level, and weather. In the evening there was bingo, and we won the first prize, a pair of accommodation vouchers. Thank you, we’ll definitely come again! We stayed in a twin room because the cottages were full. The accommodation has cottages and twin rooms, which can sleep up to three with an extra bed, and dogs are apparently allowed in the cottages. Dinner had a generous range of local fish. The sea bream sashimi and fried pufferfish were especially good, and the portions were just right for me, since some inns serve far too much. My second son, a high school sophomore, and my third son, a middle school junior, were still a bit hungry, so we ordered extra udon and fried cartilage. The staff were very kind and accommodating. The warabimochi dessert was delicious too, and barbecue is another dinner option. Breakfast was lightly seasoned Japanese food with the balanced nutrition I like. The large public bath was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Private family use would have cost 3,000 yen, so I missed having a bath this time, which was disappointing.