R230 Guest House

Everything was spotless and comfortable, both the room and facilities. Checking in was a bit of a hassle because I had to call a phone number to get someone to help, but I enjoyed my stay very much.

My family had been looking forward to our summer vacation, so this was a huge disappointment. We booked a campervan seven months in advance and waited for the bank details so we could transfer the deposit. When we contacted the company two months before the reservation, they gave us a perfunctory apology and said that because they hadn’t heard from us since February, they had marked it cancelled two months earlier and their system already showed another booking. Anyone planning to use this company should keep in frequent contact. I hope another family doesn’t have to go through the same thing.

The prices were a plus: the cheapest drinks and food were 1,000 yen with change, and refills were reasonably priced. I waited until there were no other customers because an acquaintance who’d visited the cafe had described its atmosphere as intimidating, saying it was “not a place for a woman to go alone, it’s a place for crab people.” There was no water, and coffee was the only hot drink. That was disappointing, since Japanese restaurants usually provide water and cafes and coffee shops have more hot drink choices. It seems easy enough to offer customers water and drinks, so please consider it. In summer, I also saw someone loudly honking their motorcycle on the premises. It may be hard to tell whether they’re a customer, but please don’t do that. It scares residents at the intellectually disabled facility across the street. There’s a temple next door, too, and some people want to pray quietly.

The price was a bargain. I couldn’t resist paying 20,000 won for a room during the Snow Festival, and there were four beds in one room. It smelled like real men in there. The owner seems to keep a bike and other gear on the first floor. If you’re only going to Sapporo, the location is a little out of the way, but if you’re going all the way here to visit Jozankei, it’s great value. Haha. Getting here from downtown Sapporo costs about 500 yen!