Kussharo Genya Youth Guesthouse

The rooms are a bit old, but the beds are comfy. The walls are very thin, which can be a problem at night or at dawn when tours start. There is a shared bathroom with a onsen. I would give 3 stars overall, given the room situations, but the food is phenomenal, we had dinner and breakfast there three times and always looked forward to it. Staff is very friendly. There are however three cats living there, which is a problem if you're allergic, which I am.Even in the rooms there were clearly cars at some point.

I enjoyed the location of this guesthouse very much as it’s a 5 minute drive from Kotan Onsen. The guesthouse itself also has a lot of character, and there is breakfast provided and dinner upon request (will have to pay extra). The deer stew was delicious and the apple cinnamon some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I guess I was just a bit surprised that the hosts didn’t have a very welcoming energy towards me, which surprised me for a place that seems to receive foreigners quite often and has many socialising areas, and dormitory rooms. Even though I arrived at around 5.30, the host seemed bothered when I asked if I could order dinner, thinking I’d been generously made a special request, only to see the other Japanese guests had also ordered dinner without a problem. Also, I spoke mostly in Japanese to them, so it’s not like I couldn’t have had a short conversation with them. All in all, I’d still definitely recommend staying here as it’s the only accommodation in the area with a great price and location.

the guesthouse & room need major maintenance & cleaning. if you leave room open you find cats on your bed/luggage! breakfast is nice & typical, position is Ok to visit arround but need ~30 min by car to local store7restaurant. Photo on web are dated and do not show reality at all.

The house design is beautiful, but the location is a bit far unless you have a car. The guesthouse serves food, and you can mingle with other guests. You can also play with the cats, though be careful with the three-legged one. The room is clean and comfortable.

The hostel is in a location that could be described as either remote or scenic. Surprisingly, the service is rather indifferent, although the price is very reasonable. At check-in, the male receptionist warned: "Depending on the weather and time of day, the Wi-Fi may not work and there's nothing we can do. The next morning, while connected to Wi-Fi, I couldn't access any websites. Even using mobile data, the problem persisted, probably due to the location. This hostel is not ideal for those who need a stable connection for work or important tasks. If you're here to disconnect, it might not be a problem, but be prepared for unreliable internet. As you would expect from a hostel, you will be lucky to avoid noisy groups. The facilities show signs of age and lack of maintenance, with careless guests frequently banging luggage against walls and stairs - an unfortunate reality for the owner. The atmosphere is spiritual, as reflected in the selection of books.

Good location, ~15 minutes to downtown Teshikaga, and 15-20 minutes to nearby volcanos and lakes (can dig own onsen on the beach). Quiet little hostel. Onsen. Laundry is $300 Yen, drying is $100 yen (30 minutes), and detergent is $100 yen.

Rooms are basic, common areas are nice, the bath area is quite simple, the staff was not very friendly.

I stayed two nights, and I’d say I had an overall pleasant experience and might come back. I was by myself without a car and wanted to explore the area. For people like me a guesthouse which offers transfer to the station and meals is the only option to see lake Kussharo without breaking the bank. The guesthouse is a family business. Very nice architecture, good food. However could be cleaner and rooms in summer get really hot. No shops or restaurants around, if you’re on foot walking everywhere takes a long time. Some English around but not too much. Staff won’t spoil you with attention. Morning tour to the sea of clouds is very beautiful.