Guest House Umikaji - Hostel

I’m glad I got the Japan futon room on the third floor for my last day in Okinawa. It was very spacious, with the toilets and showers on the same floor. The staff let us check in early so my husband could rest because he wasn’t feeling well. Once they knew what was going on, they cleaned our Muchin room right away. Many thanks.

The staff were helpful, and the bathrooms were clean enough. We had a large, inexpensive Japanese-style room with futons near Kokusai street, less than a five-minute walk from Prefectural office Station. The walls are very thin, though. We wore earplugs every night and could still hear people outside and in neighboring rooms. I woke up three or four times a night from the noise.

The staff were courteous and explained how everything worked. There’s a small fee to leave your bag for the day. The common area was well kept, with a kitchen, vending machines, different seating options, and a tatami space with a TV and books. Wi-Fi seemed strongest there. I stayed in a male bunk. The sleeping area was well air-conditioned, my bed was clean and ready, the free locker system worked well, and the showers were clean with decent hot water. Most guests were young solo backpackers, with a few who seemed to be longer-term residents. Nobody caused any problems. For a hostel, management and cleanliness seemed above average. The area was quiet and close to a major bus route and a fairly large monorail station, so the location is superb. In June 2024, shifting construction work made reaching the front door tricky, and I had to take a few detours.

This was the worst hostel experience of my trip to Japan. The room and beds were tiny, with 20 beds in one room and a narrow hallway. Ventilation was poor, the air conditioner ran irregularly and made extremely loud noises, and the warm water was unreliable. At this price, I’d pick grand Naha hotel instead. It’s even cheaper.