Masuya Ryokan

Staying here feels like coming back to your childhood home. There's a manju shop attached, and the buns are delicious, so give them a try.

Right in front of Sasaguri Station, with a parking lot in the annex. This inn is probably over 100 years old, and I like staying in retro buildings, so it suited me. It's a Japanese-style room with tatami, a futon, and both air conditioning and heating. Breakfast is included, and the cleaning was spotless. The welcome was warm too. They also have a manju shop where you can buy delicious manju. There are no baths or toilets in the rooms, and the toilets are shared.

The cats were adorable, and I was very happy with the manju I stopped in to buy. They use only natural ingredients, and the flavor was simple and delicious.

The couple running the inn were friendly, and the cat really was cute, as the other reviews said. They had lovely personalities, but then there was a shock that overshadowed all of that. The bathtub had leftover bathwater, and the shower stayed cold all day with no hot water. I was told about this after my stay, and wish they'd mentioned it when I booked. Gas was available only until 9:30 PM, so after that the bathtub boiler couldn't heat water. If I bathed later, I could only take a cold shower. I caught a cold after I got home. The bathtub was like a family bath and shared by men and women. The restroom was also unisex, as in old-fashioned inns. I stayed multiple nights, but my bath towels, face towels, and yukata were never changed. It seemed the room was cleaned only every two days. The hair dryer and mirror had been put back in their original places. The futon was old-fashioned, and maybe it was the time of year, but I found it hard to get used to having a towel blanket instead of a comforter. There were some useful things: WiFi, air conditioning, and a TV in the room, plus free use of the washing machine, hangers, and drying area. There were also several disinfectant sprays and wet wipes in the room. Being able to do laundry with detergent I'd brought was helpful. I think fixing the bathtub would make this more like staying at grandma's house in the countryside for people who enjoy old houses. This was my first time in Fukuoka Prefecture, and when I asked a local whether this was what a Fukuoka ryokan was like, they said it wasn't. So I guess my idea of a ryokan was right. ¥6,000 for a room only was a shock.