Osaka Guesthouse Tsuruhashi

I found this a good fit for a quick Osaka stay. Korea town is busy and lively during the day, then settles into a peaceful spot in the evening. There are plenty of late-night eateries about a 10-minute walk away.

We only spent one night here, but the low room price felt like good value. The area of Osaka was fairly quiet, while Namba and shinsaibashi's shopping area were just a short train ride away. It was handy being near the JR loop line too. The room was fairly spacious by Japan standards, and having a private bathroom and shower was good.

[Tsuruhashi House] For an affordable stay, the owner was patient in guiding us to the guest house and gave excellent service. It's under a 10-minute walk from Tsuruhashi station, with free wifi, a first aid kit, a place to relax, read, chat, or have a drink, and an umbrella available to borrow for free. Garbage bags for the room are also free. The room had a queen bed with sheets, a cover and pillows, a three-section cloth cabinet with hangers, and an empty two-tier refrigerator with freezer and chilled sections. There was a TV with a control, with local channels available, and a controllable round downlight over the bed with adjustable brightness. The air conditioner also works as a heater. Standard Japanese two-pin outlets are easy to spot. The compact kitchen has a basin, tap, separators, liquid dish cleaner and two mugs, but no cutlery. There's a kettle and electric stove. Be careful not to get the area around the stove wet, especially under the kettle, or you may hear a scary metal-expanding sound. The stove takes a while to cool. Steam from the kettle can set off the fire alarm. At 7 in the morning I was jolted awake by the alarm after another guest housemate left the stove on while the kettle had been steaming for a while. The water heater reacts with a delay, so watch for temperature changes or you could get scalded. Other room items included rubber shoes for the lavatory only, a hair dryer, towel, hair conditioner, shampoo, body wash, hand soap, two toilet paper rolls and one tissue box, both refilled on request, plus bins in the lavatory and room. Newspaper is optional and can be requested from the owner. Bring anything else yourself. There aren't basic extras like a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand towel, coffee or tea packets. The toilet bowl partition has no drainage, so water collects and can go stagnant. I bought a towel at a nearby Lawson convenient store just to clear it. There's no concierge until checkout. Some apartments, like in SouthYarra, clean the room every two days. Sound insulation isn't good, so be quiet with your partner *winks*. To dry clothes, use the nearby self-operated Momodaniten Coin Laundry. The shared washing machine comes with laundry powder, and I recommend leaving it on the default setting, otherwise you'll regret it.

The host was so nice and gave us lots of information for getting around, which helped make our stay really great. The place itself was neat, comfortable, spacious, and convenient. Tsuruhashi Market is just a few minutes away, and Hane no Yu is nearby, about a 3-minute walk. Absolutely fantastic place to stay in Osaka. I highly recommend it for a few nights if you're visiting.