Takamatsu Guesthouse BJ Station

The place felt unsafe from the start. There were no locks on the doors, the property was completely unattended, and there were no lockers for bags. The key we were given didn't lock the dorm room at all. It turned out to be for an old, crusty shoe-box locker, and I could open the lockers with my nail. I didn't feel safe leaving anything in the room, so I locked the dorm door while I showered. Bags could be taken by anyone, with no storage or security. The building was run down and creepy. I thought it might be an akiya. It looked like a horror-film squat, with things that seemed pulled from a trash cart or skip. All the windows and doors were open, so it was colder inside than outdoors. The seating area was tiny and cramped, and we had to make our own beds. The duvet and pillow smelled of old sweat. It was also really noisy. Someone kept knocking on a door; it sounded like the dorm door, but was actually next door. There were noisy Korean guys, constant door knocking, and people upstairs frequently jumping and walking heavily on the ceiling. The building carries sound badly. The woman next door had a dodgy lock that made too much noise. Better to sleep in a manga cafe.

The staff's response when I raised concerns about cleanliness and safety was rude and frankly scary. When I was assigned a room worse than the one I'd booked, they offered to move me only after I pointed out the mistake, without even apologizing. If another room was available, why wasn't I put in the right one to begin with? I suspect they may have been holding better rooms back to sell later at a higher price, though that's just my guess. At best, it seemed shady; at worst, it felt like a scam. The advertised "capsule beds" are bunk beds with broken curtains. The lower spots are just thin futon mattresses on a dirty floor. There was small white dirt on the sheets that looked like bed bug eggs. The hostel was dusty and dirty, with loose nails and wood splinters around, and the floor looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in months. The pictures don't match what I found. There are only two luggage lockers, and they were full. The alternative is a chain at the entrance staircase, an area anyone can access, including non-guests, and there are no security cameras there. Anyone could take belongings, and the hostel can't be sued for it. None of the toilets had hand soap, which is below an acceptable service standard in 2025, especially after the pandemic. The shower was moldy and had other guests' hair in it, so it didn't look like it was cleaned daily. I would not stay here.

The one good thing was the location, close to both the station and the harbor. The accommodation cost about 34 USD, which felt inappropriate for this level of service. The bed was too short for me to sleep with my legs stretched out. The stairs were narrow and steep, with no handrail. I had injured my left arm during the trip, so they were especially dangerous for me. There was no security. The locker keys didn't work, since I could open every locker easily with my nail. When I asked the host for a replacement key, he threw it into the key box, clicked his tongue loudly, and shut the door with an incredibly loud bang, which seemed deliberate. I've never stayed in such an awful guest house. Maybe it's the worst in Japan. Would you still want to stay here?

A warm bed is all I need, and they provide that. It's less than five minutes from JR station, and probably about the same to Kotoden station. No complaints.