This is a review of a guesthouse in Ahakn where I stayed because I didn't have a budget for a hotel. It seems to be quite popular. There is one lady running the place, but an older lady helps out when it gets busy. The hot spring bath is available 24 hours a day and the water is around 45 degrees Celsius, so you need to dilute it with water before getting in. The bath is really nice, but the bathroom is not very spacious, so it's not comfortable for more than two people. The rooms have a nostalgic Showa era feel, so it's not suitable for those who are very particular about cleanliness. There is a shared refrigerator that is kept very cold, and the freezer in the dining room has frosted mugs for ice-cold beer. The meals are home-cooked and satisfying. Overall, it's a recommended place for those who enjoy guesthouses and want a unique experience.

I visited Lake Akan and stayed at the same hot spring inn, Yamaguchi, as before. The inn was the same, but the people were different this time. I asked and found out that the lively old lady had passed away, and her daughter is now running the inn. The meals were served in a regular inn style, not like before where the staff ate with the guests. The food was delicious, just like everyday meals. The hot spring water was very rich. Other guests included construction workers, and as long as there is good food for under 7,000 yen and a nice hot spring, they were satisfied. I felt nostalgic for the lively night with the older gentlemen who stayed there before, who seemed to be experts at enjoying themselves.

I visited to climb Mt. Ashibetsu. The inn run by an elderly couple had a small but natural hot spring, which was really nice. The meals were simple, with grilled fish and fried chicken as the main dishes, but the miso soup made with fuki, wild garlic, and local mushrooms collected from the nearby stream was deeply delicious. This is the charm of staying at a traditional inn. The innkeepers also ate with us, giving a sense of staying at a friend's house. The other guests were all middle-aged men, mostly single, with hobbies like skiing (especially backcountry skiing), fishing, and painting. It felt more like staying at a middle-aged hostel than a youth hostel. I had to leave at 5 am the next day, so I didn't have breakfast, but the inn was accommodating to guests who enjoy fishing or mountain climbing. Unfortunately, all the photos of the meals were deleted due to a camera operation error...