Oyado Tsuruya

Simple and cozy hotel, but that dinner was awesome!

For the price, this was the best value we found in town. Few places in this price range give you a private bathroom in the room. It's only a few minutes' walk from the bus stop in front of the medical clinic. The male owner is very helpful and speaks some English. You can order hiking bentos the night before, and they'll be waiting at the front desk when you set off. Ours were delicious.

The owner is approachable, friendly and provides excellent service. It's a little away from the main Awa district, though there's a supermarket and a popular butcher shop nearby, and you can walk to the restaurant area. The Jomon Cedar tour bus stops here, which is handy. There isn't an elevator, so the stairs may feel tough after a day of walking.

The innkeeper was incredibly considerate while we were stuck on Tanegashima. Since the ferry wasn't running in bad weather, we ended up there for three nights instead of making our planned day trip. He packed our belongings and luggage so we could collect them when we got back to Yakushima. He also helped book a restaurant for dinner, arrange a rental car on Tanegashima, and reserve our round-trip ferry tickets. We'd booked two nights at the inn before all this. Our twin room was fantastic, very clean and comfortable.