Jugetsukan <Sadoshima>

I booked two nights and arrived at 3pm to check in, only to be told they’d made a mistake and had no room for me. I was worried about reaching them by phone, so I called two days beforehand to confirm, but they still said no. They said everyone could sleep in the dining room after meals. If I didn’t want to sleep there, I was told to find somewhere else. I honestly wasn’t sure if this was real. I didn’t stay after all. The outside and entrance looked plainly deteriorated and completely unmaintained, so I’m glad I left. It doesn’t seem suitable for children or travelers.

The freshly cooked rice was delicious, and the hot spring bath flowed freely. I also liked the towels and chopstick wrappers with the inn’s name on them. I spent two nights here with a friend from my student days. Having read lots of negative reviews on different sites beforehand, I found it to be a charming place with a Showa-era retro feel. I think it’s more suited to a group of friends than to families.

There are plenty of better places on Sado Island for the same price, and I wouldn’t recommend this one at all. At 3 PM the lights were off, so I wondered whether it was even open. An elderly man greeted me in pajamas, lying in bed in the office. He seemed hard of hearing and spoke unclearly, perhaps because of dentures, so it was very difficult to communicate. Rakuten Travel said there was Wi-Fi, but there wasn’t. When I asked, he just laughed and said, “There’s no such thing.” I felt cheated, especially since smoking was allowed in the room and that wasn’t mentioned on Rakuten Travel either. I didn’t have much data, so I spent some time at nearby Ryotsu Port, which has free Wi-Fi. There was a lot of limescale floating around in the bathtub. Green mold covered the place, and there were lots of insects on the futons and in the hallway. If he’s too elderly to manage things properly, he should hire someone or close down.

I left most of the food untouched. It may have tasted good, as other people said, but the smell and the dining conditions put me off, and imagining the state of the kitchen killed my appetite. The whole place felt filthy and smelled so bad it made me gag. I woke up crying several times and hurried home. I managed to bathe the first night, but the dirt, mold, and odor were so bad that I didn’t want to wash in the morning. I left without even washing my face, hair a mess, and am going to Niigata City to find a super sento. The floor was dented in places, and I couldn’t tell if it was termite damage or something else, but the building seemed very run down. I really don’t recommend it. There didn’t seem to be anywhere to eat nearby. Dinner was required, and this was the only place within my business trip budget. I regret not getting dinner at a convenience store and choosing a slightly different place without meals instead.