Irou

The view was lovely, though I had to stand in an awkward spot to see it. The hilltop setting was nice, but the place was extremely hard to find and surrounded by abandoned, rotting properties. The beds were old, used, and in bad shape. The owner’s service was terrible, and they wouldn’t provide even basic things. There weren’t any cups to drink from either. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

A terrible stay.

The beach below the hill was a highlight, quiet and beautiful, only about a three-minute walk down, though there are no toilets or other facilities there. From the room, you can see the Seto Inland Sea above the dense pine trees that cover the lower part of the window. The area itself is peaceful. Finding the inn was a challenge. Google Maps directions were wrong, but I’d read that aiming for the Olive Forest Creation Association was the way to get there, and that worked. I’d suggest arriving before sunset. There are no streetlights nearby, so at night you’re basically stuck unless you have a car, and a car is essential anyway. I had one, so that part didn’t affect me. I was in IROU2. When I drained the unit bath, the water spilled onto the floor and soaked the toilet area, bath mat, and slippers, which was inconvenient. I also found what looked like instant ramen on the ceiling by the window, with something like a piece of green onion stuck to it. No idea why. I knew there’d be no tea, so I brought my own, but there were no cups either. I ended up buying paper cups at a nearby supermarket. Bottled water was provided, but tea leaves and cups would have been nicer. A microwave would have helped too. I stayed two nights in late April. It was chilly, and even with the single air conditioner set to 27℃, the room still felt cold. There was an extra comforter, so sleeping should be okay, though I’d want warm clothes indoors in winter. They didn’t replace the towels during my stay. Traveling alone, I had two sets of bath and face towels, so I managed for two days, but I wish they’d changed those and the bath mat. They only collected the trash from the outside bin. At about 10,000 yen a night, I suppose there’s only so much to complain about. The beach is wonderful and you can see the sea from the room, so I put up with the drawbacks. I’d thought I might relax in the room during the day, but it didn’t feel like a place where I wanted to spend time. Would I stay again? I’m not sure.

The room was huge, with an amazing view through the floor-to-ceiling window. The scenery was lovely. It’s quite remote and secluded, and very quiet at night.