Kanazawaya Ryokan (Sadogashima)

The owner stayed up to welcome us when we arrived on the last ferry at 10pm, and had the onsen ready for an evening soak. It’s only about a 10-minute walk from the port, which was great for our first night on Sado Island. My friend and I found it a nice, affordable way to try a traditional ryoakan. Our room was clean and comfortable, with separate dining and washroom areas. The sleeping mats were comfy and the comforters huge and fluffy. There’s no central heating, though the living area has a gas space heater, and the bathhouse is shared, as you’d expect in a traditional ryoakan. I’d recommend it for the experience and as a clean, comfortable place to stay.

The owner was really kind and did his best with some English when I explained my Japanese wasn’t very good. He even took me behind the house with some food to feed the sea gulls and take pictures of the sunset. There were old things all over the house, and he told me part of it was over 1000 Years old. Some of it seems like the sort of thing museums would want to get their hands on. It’s a very old house that could use renovation, but I liked it for that reason. There’s a lot of charm and history here, though it definitely isn’t comfortable in every way. The stairs are small, especially going down in Japanese sized slippers that only fit half my feet. The toilets were so tiny they were hard to use. You could hear everyone inside and outside, and on the second floor you could feel the whole ground shake when someone walked past. If you want a comfortable bed in a modern place, don’t come here. If you’d like to sleep in a historic building with charm and nice people, then come.

The building is old but still comfortable, and it’s a traditional Japanese inn with plenty of character. There’s a yard behind it with a view of the lake. The grass was unfortunately overgrown in summer.

The staff were amazing, and the place felt extremely traditional. It’s a 120 year old hotel with so much history inside, almost like staying in a museum.