Hutte Kirigamine

There was so much fog when we reached the mountain peak. Still, it's a beautiful spot.

This was my third stay here with my black Shiba Inu. While other hotels keep getting more expensive, this place lets the two of us stay one night for under 10,000 yen, including two meals, a hot spring, and free parking. That's a real help. We always get plenty of sukiyaki with a slightly strong seasoning, along with white rice, and it's great. The rooms are old, but that adds to their charm.

The price was reasonable, the food delicious, and the hot spring bath was great. I'd pictured a mountain lodge with no amenities, but the room had a yukata, towels, and a toothbrush. It's an old building, so the wooden corridor and stair floors creaked, the windows made noise when opening and closing, and sounds from next door carried. For the price, though, that was acceptable. It's also well placed for sightseeing, within walking distance of Kirigamine's main attractions.

The hot spring is nice, but that's about all I liked. Unless you're going to Kirigamine, I wouldn't recommend staying here. The walls are very thin, there's no toilet, the corridors get noisy, and some rooms are slanted. Don't expect much from breakfast. The photo shows dinner.