Hanamachi guesthouse - Hostel

The room and washroom were very clean, and the hostel had a small common living area. Kujo station is nearby, and you can transfer to Osaka station in under 20 minutes. They give a free, very basic breakfast: two slices of bread and two glasses of juice. The neighborhood is in the red light district, but it felt extremely safe, even as a solo female traveler. The main issue was the heater. Staff controlled the aircon heater temperature, but there wasn't anyone around to manage it. At night the room and pod felt like a sauna. With no air circulation, it was suffocating and uncomfortable to sleep.

Of the hostels I stayed at in Japan, this was one of the better ones. The soft wood floor almost made taking off my shoes worthwhile, though there was very little room to remove them. Luggage storage was easy, and they provided a free towel. I had trouble finding the exact place because the main photo on Google is not the location. It's a red light district establishment, whatever you call those places. The bed cabin was spacious, but the ladder was narrow and hard to climb. The pillow was cheap. They also wouldn't give me a sheet to sleep with, even though the blankets felt too warm, especially with the heat inside when you close the curtain.

Great hostel and service. I booked two nights, then extended my stay several times once I realized how well located it was. Osaka city, Nara, and Kobe were all easy to get to from here.

My boyfriend and I spent two weeks in a mixed dormitory. We were in room A, though I’d suggest staying upstairs since those rooms seem to have proper lockers. The kitchen is easy to miss. It has a microwave, a little “oven” for toast, a free Nescafé coffee machine, water dispenser, basic fridge, washing sink, one stove, spoons, and Hashi. There’s no cutlery and not much for cooking, but it’s workable. Breakfast is toast, strawberry jelly, soup, and apple juice. If you’ll check in late, message the day before or call as early as you can. They can’t be reached after 10 pm. It gets pretty noisy until midnight, and people start packing in the room around 7am, so bring earplugs. The beds are quite worn out. Towels, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are supplied, and there are enough showers and towels. The hostel is in an area with sexual services, which makes coming and going a bit annoying. Kujo Trainstation is a five-minute walk away, and taking the train is the easiest and fastest way to get around.