Third time at this hotel. room is quite small but it is clean. Dinner is super good. my top 5 favorite in Japan. Owner is super friendly guy. Free onsen next to the hotel which has inside access.

A simple cheap and reasonable guesthouse for 3580 yen. You can choose from European or Japanese roomsrooms. There are shared bathrooms and toilets and a common room to sit in the evening. You can use their small kitchen, refrigerator and hot water. The lady seems okay. Downstairs there's a small snack restaurantrestaurant. More restaurants, onsen plus konbini round the corner.

They have a cafe open for meals even if you don’t stay there. Wasn’t busy but went for dinner and was so yummy. 唐揚げ提唱(karaage meal set) wasn’t on the menu but they made it when I asked :) 900yen. Was delicious! Super friendly staff. Would go back again for another meal

(Japanese translation is below) I stayed here for two nights, but the experience was very unpleasant. Throughout these two days I kept asking myself: why am I "punishing myself" by suffering through a stay here? If it weren't for the booking terms that are non-refundable and non-cancellable, I would have moved to another place immediately on the first day. My friend and I each booked one room through じゃらんnet (and following the accommodation's instructions, we also clearly entered our arrival time on the platform, for example which bus I would take, that I'd arrive around 18:57 and check in around 19:00.) But after we arrived, there was hardly anyone in the whole place, nobody waiting, nobody contacting us, and the check-in location was completely impossible to find. There were no clear signs on the basement and first floors, and the signs were confusing: some said to check in at the dining hall, but when we got to the dining hall we were told to go back to the main entrance; back at the main entrance, there was still nobody. Finally, after asking other people, we found out we had to go to the onsen counter. At the onsen counter, the staff even looked surprised, like "why would anyone be checking in?", and only then called the person in charge. We waited there for about 5–10 minutes before the person in charge finally arrived late, looking at a loss as well, and the whole thing was already utterly dumbfounding. What's even more outrageous is that both of our rooms were booked and paid for, yet the person in charge said he "didn't know we had booked two rooms", and there was only one vacant room left on the spot, so my friend was forced to stay somewhere else. This is not a small matter, it's a very serious management error. And what shocked me most is that throughout the process I hardly heard a single formal apology, and there was no reasonable compensation; only at the end did he suddenly seem to realize, and said that because he had caused us trouble, he would waive the 500 yen heater fee for one night for one of us. Apart from this, I didn't hear a single apology. I've been to Japan 11 times and stayed in no fewer than 40 hotels and minshuku. This is the first time I've encountered a case where I booked a hotel through the proper procedure and clearly stated my arrival time, yet the person in charge forgot and there was no room. And I've never met a hotel manager who, after making such a basic mistake, offered no apology and no reasonable compensation. In fact, at that moment I really wanted to cancel the hotel and stay at another hotel nearby. However, this hotel's booking rules are strict (credit card prepayment, no cancellation or refund from several days in advance), and it doesn't confirm the online booking system, which in the end left guests facing a "no room" situation, putting us in a dilemma. We really had no choice and could only be forced to accept the arrangement, resulting in the two of us staying separately, our itinerary being disrupted, and my friend having to move luggage one more time, which was very troublesome. The communication was also very uncomfortable. I had already taken out a translation tool at the time to explain things clearly and confirm the arrangements, so it had nothing to do with a language barrier. But the other party's reaction and look made me feel like a bother: sighing, looking aside, an impatient atmosphere was obvious, giving me the feeling that I was keeping him from going off work. As a guest, this feeling is hard to bear. In addition, the accommodation itself is more like a "dormitory" than a hotel, and many things have to be done yourself. For the price I paid, the value for money is very poor: the room rate is about 6500 yen/person/night, plus a separate 500 yen/night heater fee. The point is that even after such a serious mistake as "one of us having no room", my heater fee was still charged at first, and only after later negotiation was the heater fee for one of my nights waived. I saw that under the reviews, others who booked by phone had very good stay experiences. Could it be that I used the online system and so faced this risk? I don't know, but frankly, from now on my impression of Sounkyo will always be associated with this unpleasant experience. Still, I hope everyone is careful. If your budget allows, especially with more than one person, I'd really rather pay more and choose another hotel. At a price of 7000 yen (including the heater fee), having this experience truly made me wonder whether I had done something wrong. At this price you can already stay at a really nice hotel elsewhere. I stayed here for 2 nights, and it was a very unpleasant experience. Over these two days, I asked myself again and again, "why am I staying here?" If it weren't for the non-cancellable booking conditions, I think I would have switched to another inn right on the first day. My friend and I each booked one room through じゃらんnet. Following the inn's instructions, we also clearly stated our means of arrival and arrival time in advance (e.g., arriving around 18:57, checking in around 19:00). However, when we actually arrived, no one was there, and there was no greeting or contact. We had no idea where to check in at all; we searched the 1st and 2nd floors but there were no clear signs, and the notices were confusing. Since it said to check in at the dining hall, we went there, but were told to go to the front entrance, and when we went back to the front entrance there was no one. Eventually, after asking someone else, we were directed to the onsen reception. The staff at the onsen reception also looked surprised and asked, "Check-in?", and from there called the inn's person in charge. We waited about 5–10 minutes, and the person in charge finally arrived, but did not seem to grasp the situation, and honestly I was very surprised. What surprised me even more was that although we had officially booked and paid for both rooms, we were told they "didn't know that two rooms had been booked", and that only one room was available that day. As a result, my friend had to stay somewhere else. I think this is not a mere small mistake but a very serious management problem. Moreover, in the process there was almost no formal apology and no reasonable compensation. In the end, saying it was "because we caused trouble", they said they would waive the heater fee (500 yen) for one person for only one night, but other than that there were no clear words of apology. I have visited Japan 11 times and stayed at more than 40 hotels and minshuku, but this is the first time an inn didn't know of my reservation and had no room despite my having completed the proper reservation procedure and notified them of my arrival time in advance. It was also the first time there was no proper apology or compensation after such an elementary mistake. Honestly, I wanted to move to another nearby hotel on the spot. However, this inn has strict rules: credit card prepayment and no cancellation from several days beforehand. Meanwhile, online reservations were not confirmed, and as a result guests being put in a "no room" situation is something I cannot accept at all. We effectively had no choice and had no option but to accept it as it was. As a result, my friend and I had to stay separately, our plans were disrupted, and my friend had to move their luggage an extra time. The communication also left an unpleasant feeling. I used a translation tool and explained and confirmed the situation as accurately as possible, so it was not a language issue. But during the handling there was an attitude of sighing and looking away, and I felt as if I were being a nuisance. It is very regrettable to be made to feel that way as a customer. In addition, the lodging environment gave the impression of being closer to a dormitory or self-service type accommodation than a typical hotel. Many things assume you take care of them yourself. The rate was about 6,500 yen per person per night, with a separate 500 yen heating fee. Even though there was such a serious problem this time, the heating fee was initially charged as usual, and only after discussion was it finally waived for just one night. Looking at other reviews, those who booked by phone seem to have had good experiences; is there such a risk because of online booking? I don't know. But honestly, this incident was so unpleasant that it has become tied to my impression of Sounkyo. If you have room in your budget and are staying as two or more people, I strongly recommend choosing another hotel even if it costs a little more. Having had this experience at about 7,000 yen including the heating fee, I couldn't help wondering whether my choice had been wrong. In this price range, there are plenty of other good enough hotels.

The minshuku's manager was very polite, and provided a free onsen bath ticket (one-time only, with entry fixed until 9 p.m.). If you return right after watching the fireworks at the ice waterfall festival, you'll just make it in time for the onsen's last entry time. Despite the blizzard weather, the room was properly warm, and I was very grateful. The reasonable price is also a recommended point!

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