Okuyama

It's an older place, but pretty decent. The air conditioning was acting up, so I could use the kerosene heater instead, which was nice.

I booked through Rakuten Travel and stayed without meals. The building has some age, but my room was clean and did what I needed. I had a Western-style room with its own toilet, and the bath area was fairly spacious too. There seems to be a daytime use fee if you stay several nights, though leaving luggage there is free. The lot beside the hotel was full when I arrived, so they pointed me to a fairly large parking area behind the building where a minibus was parked.

The food was so good, and the room so clean, that I was surprised after seeing the outside and assuming this was an old Japanese inn. If I'm back in Shinjo, I'd stay here again. Honestly, I'd come back to Shinjo just for another stay.

This place has an old-fashioned feel. My single room had its own sink and toilet, though the private toilet didn't have a washlet. The shared toilet did. The big public bath was a comfortable size for a few people, and it was empty when I went, so I had a relaxing soak alone. I also found lots of manga aimed at men and took one to my room to read. The bed was softer than the usual business hotel kind, and I slept well. Breakfast suited me as a middle-aged guest, and afterward I sat watching TV with coffee. The building is older, but the staff are cheerful and the cleaning is thorough. I'd recommend it to foreigners and anyone wanting to experience a bit of Japan.