{"id":31358,"date":"2017-12-10T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-12-09T23:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=31358"},"modified":"2020-07-30T14:30:01","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T05:30:01","slug":"eastern-hokkaidokoshimizu-stay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/eastern-hokkaidokoshimizu-stay\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Stay in Koshimizu-cho, Eastern Hokkaido"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sponsored by Koshimizu Tourism Association<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n
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Tucked away along the Sea of Okhotsk<\/strong> in eastern Hokkaido<\/strong> is the perfect\u00a0rural escape<\/strong> for outdoor enthusiasts<\/strong> and nature lovers<\/strong>. This is the\u00a0small coastal town <\/strong>of Koshimizu-cho<\/strong> (\u5c0f\u6e05\u6c34\u753a), renowned as a\u00a0bird-watching<\/strong> mecca for migratory summer and winter birds<\/strong>.<\/div>\n
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View Towards Koshimizu-cho<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0You may have heard of Shiretoko National Park,<\/strong> commonly regarded as\u00a0one\u00a0of Japan’s most serene\u00a0national\u00a0parks, but, unless you’re from Hokkaido, you probably haven’t heard of Koshimizu-cho before. Koshimizu-cho is only 100km away from Shiretoko National Park and, despite its outstanding seasonal beauty, it\u00a0still remains an inconspicuous location; even more so for foreigners.<\/div>\n
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Lake Tofutsu next to Koshimizu-cho<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0So, for those of us\u00a0who do make the journey to Koshimizu-cho, where on earth do we rest our heads at the end of the day!?<\/strong> <\/em>Fret not. I’ve got you covered! In this article I will introduce the two accommodation<\/strong> types that I experienced during my two nights in Koshimizu:<\/div>\n
1) An Airbnb<\/strong>\u00a0accommodation called “Tida House” just five minutes drive from central Koshimizu.<\/div>\n
2) A business hotel<\/strong> called the Fureai Centre<\/strong> (\u3075\u308c\u3042\u3044\u30bb\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc), bang in the town centre.<\/div>\n
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1) Tida House: Airbnb Accommodation<\/h2>\n

Tida House<\/a><\/strong> is unlike any place I have stayed before in my life. It’s a handmade, old, Native American, straw-bale house, constructed with meticulous attention to detail. After spending almost a year learning how to design and build these houses, and even more time\u00a0travelling the world, the owners used the best of their knowledge and travel inspiration to make Tida House with their friends.<\/p>\n

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The accommodation is easy to find, has ample off-road parking and is located next to an intersection about 5 km from Koshimizu centre<\/strong>. It consists of two buildings: the living\/sleeping area, which has some basic kitchen amenities; and the bathroom\/toilet area located next door.<\/p>\n

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Entrance to the Living\/Sleeping Area (Front) and Bathroom (Right)<\/p><\/div>\n

The owners mention in the Airbnb description that the passing traffic can be quite disruptive because of its location alongside the main road. To combat this, I would recommend sleeping early and rising early.\u00a0I\u00a0arrived at Tida House at around 19:00 and only experienced the noise for the first time at 06:00. \u00a0I certainly wouldn’t let this put me off from staying there again because\u00a0Tida House\u00a0is truly a magical place. Also, in fall, the sun sets and rises early in Hokkaido (at around 16:00 and 05:30 respectively), making it easy to adjust your rhythm.<\/p>\n

Room<\/h3>\n

The room’s d\u00e9cor and layout make it instantly inviting. \u00a0With its log fire, wooden beams<\/strong> and atmospheric lighting, Tida House radiates warmth and cosiness. The sleeping area is in classic Hokkaido style, complete with futons, thick duvets and fluffy blankets<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Around the room you can find all manners of trinkets and animalesque shaped things. From frog-shaped instruments, koalas hanging from decorative branches and even a hand-carved Totoro. There was some storage space available in the various drawers and baskets around the room but no wardrobes, which may prove to be challenging if you plan to stay for a longer period of\u00a0time.<\/p>\n

Food<\/h3>\n

As with most Airbnb accommodation, the room is self-catered<\/strong>. However, there are some basic food-making facilities available, including a toaster oven, fridge, microwave, rice cooker, plates, bowls and cutlery. The owners of Tida House also run a caf\u00e9 next door serving a range of Asian cuisine, but that is only open during the first half of the year.\u00a0Koshimizu centre is only a 7-minute drive away though. You can buy groceries there or eat out\u00a0in one of the restaurants.<\/p>\n

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Facilities<\/h3>\n

The room doesn’t have wi-fi but if you need an internet connection, you can ask the owners to assist you. There is a washing machine available to use next door if you need it.\u00a0Outside the room is a seating and\u00a0barbecue area. You can even pick some of their fruits if they are in season.<\/p>\n

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Even the bathroom received the same creative treatment as the living area. Hand-painted elephants and\u00a0a unique wooden toilet cover are just a few of the interesting things to peak your curiosity.<\/p>\n

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Bathroom Elephants<\/p><\/div>\n

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Fureai Centre (\u3075\u308c\u3042\u3044\u30bb\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc): Hotel<\/h2>\n

The Fureai Centre<\/strong> lies in the heart of Koshimizu and offers a different experience to Tida House.\u00a0Whilst Tida House seems\u00a0more suitable for a romantic getaway or a solo country retreat, the Fureai Centre seems better suited to business professionals,<\/strong> or anyone looking for practicality<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0convenience.<\/strong> \u00a0I stayed in a w<\/strong>ashitsu (Japanese style)<\/strong> room but there were also Western style rooms<\/strong> available. This accommodation also has an onsen<\/strong> (yay), open to both\u00a0day visitors and hotel guests.<\/p>\n

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Room<\/h3>\n
The guest rooms<\/strong> are on the second floor and can be accessed from the stairs at the back and front of the building, or via the elevator next to the front desk.<\/div>\n
The room at the Fureai Centre was typical of a Japanese style room<\/strong>\u00a0for this price,\u00a0and had all of the ameneties to be expected. The entrance hall connected the toilet to the bedroom and the room had an area for shoes, and space to\u00a0hang your clothes.<\/div>\n
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My room was completely tatami’ed and overlooked a small water feature in the centre of the building. Inside the room were tea making facilities,\u00a0zaisu (legless) chairs and a large table perfect for working or reading. The room was so peaceful, I slept like a log there for nine hours straight!<\/div>\n
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Facilities<\/h3>\n

Similarly to minshuku<\/strong> (the Japanese style guest house) and ryokan<\/strong> (Japanese style hotels), the Fureai Centre\u00a0had the shared\u00a0onsen<\/strong> (hot springs). The onsen was located downstairs past the front desk, and there was a yukata<\/strong> (robe) available to use as you shuffle to and from your bath!<\/p>\n

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There were two different baths<\/strong> available to use here: a rock bath<\/strong> and the large, main bath. The onsen water here is simple alkaline, which is\u00a0said to improve your skin’s appearance and alleviate muscle pain. The onsen\/bathing area is not available 24\/7, \u00a0so be sure to familiarise yourself with the opening times before planning your day or evening.<\/p>\n

On the ground floor, you will also find the restaurant<\/strong> and a couple of rest\/common areas. The second floor has\u00a0laundry and drink facilities available.<\/p>\n

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Ground Floor Hallway<\/p><\/div>\n

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Restaurant – Breakfast and Dinner are Served Here<\/p><\/div>\n

Food<\/h3>\n

A traditional Japanese breakfast<\/strong> and dinner<\/strong> are available at an additional fee in the restaurant. The breakfast included egg rolls, potato salad, miso soup, steamed vegetables, natto, boiled rice, nori and grilled fish. I would recommend having breakfast here and starting your day the right way!<\/p>\n

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Bookings\/Enquiries<\/h2>\n

To make a reservation at Tida House<\/strong> visit their Airbnb page<\/a>. The hosts speak English, Chinese and of course, Japanese. \u00a0Prices vary throughout the year but my stay cost \uffe57,500.<\/p>\n

You can find English information available at the\u00a0Fureai Centre<\/strong> but\u00a0their website<\/a> is only in Japanese. For bookings<\/strong> and enquiries,<\/strong> send an email to\u00a0the Koshimizu Tourism Association<\/a>. \u00a0Rooms cost from \uffe55,300. Breakfast costs \uffe5800 for adults and \uffe5600 for children. Dinner is also available\u00a0for \uffe51,500\u00a0or \uffe51200\u00a0for\u00a0children. \u00a0For day visitors, the onsen\u00a0costs \uffe5400 or \uffe5150 for children.\u00a0The full price breakdown is available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To find\u00a0out more<\/strong> about Koshimizu,<\/strong> please contact their Tourism Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Access<\/h2>\n

By Car<\/h3>\n

From Memanbetsu Airport,<\/strong>\u00a0 take Route 39 north, and then jump onto Route 246<\/strong> until Koshimizu-cho.\u00a0<\/strong>Duration: 45 minutes. Distance: 35 km.<\/p>\n

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By\u00a0Public Transport<\/h3>\n

The average journey time between Memanbetsu Airport<\/strong> and Koshimizu<\/strong>\u00a0is approximately two hours including connections.\u00a0The nearest train station to Koshimizu-cho is Hama-Koshimizu<\/strong> (\u6d5c\u5c0f\u6e05\u6c34), on the JR Semmo Line. However, there isn’t a rail connection from Memanbetsu, so you will need to take the Airport Limousine Bus<\/strong> to Abashiri City<\/strong> (\u7db2\u8d70\u5e02) and then take the train<\/strong> from there.<\/p>\n