Fushioukaku

“Solidly Japanese onsen hotel! Book dinner ahead to eat in”

This is a well appointed old-fashioned Japanese onsen hotel.Not the most glamorous place you'll ever stay, but the surrounds, atmosphere and the price is excellent. The rooms are large tatami w futon. But we were provided with bid stand i'm asked , and with the futons out of the cupboard , we manag… more

This is a well appointed old-fashioned Japanese onsen hotel.Not the most glamorous place you'll ever stay, but the surrounds, atmosphere and the price is excellent. The rooms are large tatami w futon. But we were provided with bid stand i'm asked , and with the futons out of the cupboard , we managed to have a really comfy bed. Worth noting is the buffet breakfast -huge and the Korean masseuses excellent price and service. Probably need to book the restaurant in advance for dinner as we missed. Instead we walked 10mins through a country village to a lovely japanese traditional old family run restaurant near the Kyuanji shrine , but it's only open till 5PM

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“Japanese Onsen Experience”

The hotel has a shuttle bus with a dedicated stop at the Ikeda train station (come down the centre escalator, turn left and then when you are outside turn right along the bicycle parking - keep walking until you are at the junction of the overhead road - their green bench and name is there). Our r… more

The hotel has a shuttle bus with a dedicated stop at the Ikeda train station (come down the centre escalator, turn left and then when you are outside turn right along the bicycle parking - keep walking until you are at the junction of the overhead road - their green bench and name is there). Our room was nice. The onsen is also nice. We had 2 different set dinners in our own booth/room. The Bounty of the Sea dinner was mostly sashmi, but there was a little beef. To some in our party, this dinner was not to their taste. The Beef dinner was all about the beef, but the quantity is not the same as you would get in North America. The beef was not melt-in-your-mouth, but it was good. All who ate the beef set dinner enjoyed it. Breakfast had good variety.

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“I wanted to like it, but ...”

Having lived in Japan for 5 years and stayed in a number of ryokan and minshuku throughout the country, I knew that this wouldn't be the same experience. For those looking to dip their toe into Japanese culture, Fushioukaku is fine. The cost is pretty reasonable but frankly, the downsides are numer… more

Having lived in Japan for 5 years and stayed in a number of ryokan and minshuku throughout the country, I knew that this wouldn't be the same experience. For those looking to dip their toe into Japanese culture, Fushioukaku is fine. The cost is pretty reasonable but frankly, the downsides are numerous. As many other reviews have stated, the building is very old and frankly, simply ugly. Looks like an old Soviet style building. Think: lots of drab concrete, parking garage features prominently and block architecture. If you are expecting a tranquil wooden-framed Japanese building, this isn't it. The rooms are "typical, Japanese style" meaning, rectangular, tatami-mats with a large balcony. Ours had a decent ofuro (Japanese bath) on the balcony which was enjoyed by all. However, there is not much view from the bath - either back into the room or of the nearby road (and hillside.) Regretfully, the food was mediocre. One of the highlights of staying in a Ryokan is the local delicacies, crafted with care and typically served in ones room. In this case, the food was so-so and served in the restaurant. (I believe depending on the package, one can get food in the room and possibly also higher quality.) We had the standard and it wasn't memorable at all. That said, the restaurant seemed to offer a la carte dishes that looked better. The "onsen" is really akin to a public bath house in Japan (if one has ever been.) The facilities are spartan and the indoor section mustard-yellow tile. The outdoor pools are a bit nicer, though small, and the surrounding landscaping is refined and peaceful. There is a decent view of the hillside. The staff were cordial enough but not the most gracious. I expect that it is a demanding job given they deal with numerous nationalities as a matter of course every day. IMPORTANT: The hotel is located quite far from central Osaka and also VERY distance from the (new) Kansai Airport. It takes at least 90 minutes and several trains, etc. to get to the hotel from KIX Airport. We took a taxi ... for US$250 one way. The hotel IS relatively near to the old Osaka Airport. If you are a family, have luggage and are not familiar with Japanese or the transport network ... I wouldn't recommend staying here. If you are a young, adventurous couple with small backpacks and plenty of time, go for it. POSITIVES: The breakfast. It was simply fantastic. Wide variety, some local specialities and endless supply. We extended our departure time just so to enjoy the breakfast on our last morning. Close to the CupNoodles Museum. The inventor of Cup Noodles - the Taiwanese-born Momfuku Ando - lived in Ikeda/Itami-shi where the hotel is located. The museum is well worth a visit. Plan to stay for a few hours ESPECIALLY if you book to make noodles yourself. This can be done online and should be booked MONTHS in advance. None the less, the museum is a great stop. Easy to walk from after drop off from the hotel shuttle bus. I oscillated between giving Fushioukaku 2 or 3 stars and gave them 3 in the end given the value and the breakfast.

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