It is just a few minute walk to the bus station and train station. It was exceptionally clean, comfortable. The staff were beyond helpful giving us tip as to what to do considering our short amount of time. There are some restaurant next door and nearby. It is within walking distance to the Open air museum. the dinner is a must for a great price and a great social time with other guest. Brian our bartender was awesome. We stayed in a bedroom not the dorms and I must say they were perfect for our purpose. If I come back I will be staying here again!

Everything was great

- Staff were very friendly and helpful - Loved the amenities - Bathrooms, shower room, and common areas were all very clean - Shoes off in the whole building and slippers were provided. Felt like a home - Luggage storage before and after checkout

- Walls are not soundproof. I could hear people talking in other rooms and woke up in the middle of the night because of creaking noises from the heavy wind. - No hot water at the sinks - The building does not insulate heat well. Constantly had a cold breeze coming from the window area when it was closed.

I thought the hotel was fantastic for the price. The whole hotel is excellently designed, their "capsule" rooms are like a whole room not just a pod. I can stand inside of it and walk around, that's how much room you get. The location is great! It's only a 2minute walk to the Open Air Museum which is nice and 3-4minute walk to the nearest train stop. The lobby was fantastically designed as well with a fire pit in the middle so you can have family dinners with other guests and staff. They also have a bar that's opened until 10pm. Honestly, can't ask for much more at it's price. I was going to use the toilet and the toilet paper role was almost empty but even then, the staff still folded it in a triangle shape. Thats attention to detail! Checkout was smooth. You put keys on the front desk, put linen sheets in bin and leave.

The toilet could be renovated a little, it looks a little old. To be honest, this is a very minor detail though, not a big deal. Super clean regardless. The walls are pretty thin, I can hear people talking in the room next to mine. But it's fine, people are usually quiet.

Very nice staff that trult connects with their guests. Well done! Aesthetics of the common lounge is great. Good value for your money.

The rooms were fine but a little stuffy. Absolutely no ventilation. We stayed in a double, these are private but there is another double room on top of yours, bed bunk style but completely separate. The first night we stayed here, our upstairs guests were moving in and out of their bunk the entire night, causing us to get barely any sleep as these bunk doubles are noisy. Replacing the sliding doors for silent versions would be a great help!

Good location. Located right beside the Open Air Museum and not too far from the station, convenience stores nearby. You're already on the loop to start with, so you can choose to start in Gora which is one station away or take the bus to the lake and start that way. Common area and kitchen are nice. The dinner was really fun and a great chance to chat with other guests staying in the hostel too so I would recommend booking the dinner for sure! Staff were also friendly too, and always up for chatting. No onsen but Yunnesun/Morinoyu is not that far away and if you have the Hakone pass you can get the bus there for free. Earplugs in the dorm which is always appreciated!

Lockers are a bit small, so just be aware if you have large luggage it won't fit in the locker - it's about large backpack size.

Go for the irori dinner at 1000 yen. Simple yet decent with a chance to interact with fellow international guest. Bring your own drinks or get it at the bar. The kitchen is fully equipped and accessible 24hr. Shower facilities are provided, including towel. Laundry including dryer is paid per use. Free coffee, tea available for those in need of caffeine. Lawson is within 500m walk. Bus stop to Gora is just outside the guesthouse. The walk to Gora is about 1.2km. Lights out by 10pm.

The smell post irori dinner around the guesthouse. It enters the room and everything smells like barbecue party! Don't bother washing your hair for the party. Some form of exhaust may help minimise the smell. Bathroom is shared between male and female with only 3 cubicles. Only 1 male and 1 female toilet. Good luck if nature calls urgently.

It’s even better than the photos. Great value for what you get. The staff are super friendly and helpful and there is a great atmosphere. Facilities all great. We didn’t book in time for the communal meal but the staff recommended a fun restaurant round the corner serving home cooking Japanese food.

The only slight challenge we had was finding an onsen which allowed my husband because he has tattoos - the nearest public one is a good 45 mins on a bus from the hostel. We were there during the New Years national holidays so outside of holidays there might be one closer or it might be possible to book private onsens though.

The room was great, comfortable and sufficiently private for a dorm room. The whole building has wonderfully relaxing atmosphere, both calming and superbly stylish, the kitchen is lovely and approachable, and the bar is well stocked! Having an open fire was great especially in winter an brought all the guests together organically. It was a really lovely stay and I would have happily stayed there a lot longer!

I missed dinner order time, but that was my own fault! It is a bit out of the way to get to if you do not have your own transport, but well worth it.

The atmosphere was very good, staff are friendly (some of them are foreigner as well) the room have enough space for medium size luggage (and large but will have less space to walk). For anyone staying in the upper dorm( that you need to clim up) just be careful of the beam. The share dinner is great, there’s fish and vegetable for us to grill on a traditional japanese grill (not a lot but you can get more rice and miso soup). The guest here is nice and its good to talk to other people here.

There’s a mosquito, I’m not sure if it’s just me or everyone have it. Climbing up and down the stair every time getting in or out is annoying (but I already expected that).

The shared dinner was a fantastic experience - highly recommend, great value and a nice wind-down from the day. The location is super close to the train station, an easy walk from the local bus, and right next door to the art museum. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the design of the property's shared spaces was cool.

I prefer a softer bed and didn't find the futons in the traditional mat rooms comfortable - but that would apply to any traditional accommodation, and it was still a great experience to try.