Hashima Hostels

I was heading from Osaka to one of my host families near Nagoya central station when I happened to find this rather peculiar place to stay on the way. It is a small stop at Gifuhashima station. A small town with indoor skiing and not far from monet's Garden. The hosts at Cocone are a wonderful and friendly couple that seem to want nothing but the best for their customers. I first tried the capsule area for a couple of days, which by the way is divided by gender. There I met rather interesting guests. For instance a boyband group and various bloggers. We all had some chat in the shared kitchen and living area. The owner also told me that there are private rooms for those who want to stay more discrete or need more personal space. I would also suggest the private rooms if you need a good sleep and dont want to hear others snore or if you dont like to share bathroom and shower facilities with up 15 other guests. Unless you travel with many friends or your whole family. I felt tempted and had to try at least one night in their private rooms. There one can relax taking a hot bath after their shower or cook in their own secluded kitchen space. There are beds for at least 4-5 people in each private room and space for dining or study. They even have a wa****su (Japanese room) style area, with tatami (Japanese straw floor coverings) and a private TV. There is both a landromat and a ticket vendor for discounted Bullet-train tickets on the first floor of the same building as the Guest House. So no worries about either dirty clothes or future travel plans. If your stomach screams empty, there are both a conveniece store and a medium-sized grocery store at a walking distance from where you sleep. The conveniece store is, as always in Japan, open all hours of the clock everyday. When I needed to leave, I just walked to the high-speed-rail station, which is a few minutes away. It was a great stay and I hope more people will find this calm and relaxing place for a short or long period of well earned rest before their next destination.