Okunoseko

The room was clean and had plenty of space, and I even caught fireworks from the fishing port a few minutes away on foot. That made a lovely finish to my summer holiday. I chose the inn because I wanted good seafood, and this was my first time staying at a guesthouse. The meal was far more lavish than I'd expected, and the seafood spread left me completely satisfied.

We came to Toba/Osatsu for spiny lobster and abalone, and both dinner and breakfast were rich and tasty. The shrimp all-you-can-eat deal includes two small spiny lobsters per person, served so fresh they're still moving. For two people, there's also a lovely boat platter with a large flounder. The next morning's miso soup had spiny lobster in it, and the broth was exquisite. It felt very much like a ryokan, though our room had neither a toilet nor Wi-Fi. The landlady was beautiful and very gentle.

We've stayed here every year, and the landlady is kind to children. But one time, while my wife and daughter were in the bath, two male guests came to the bathroom door and looked inside. I couldn't tell whether they'd done it by accident or on purpose, but it was very upsetting. Apart from that, we think it's a great inn. I hope they improve how the baths are separated by gender.

We were four older men on a rare trip together at Okonoseko, from November 14 to 15, 2024. We went in thinking it might be our last outing as a group of four. Dinner was so fresh and plentiful that we couldn't finish it: the boat platter had live spiny lobster sashimi, flounder, red sea bream, abalone, and more. We finished with sea urchin rice and dessert. We've eaten and stayed in plenty of places over the years, and we all liked this one enough to agree we'd come back for what could be our final four-person trip next year. The menu may vary by season, but I'm sure the food will be good.