Kinoe Onsen Hotel Seifukan

The island’s unique appeal is that it can only be reached by boat.

The journey from Imabari was wonderful, with views of islands and bridges along the way. On the day we arrived, we were lucky to have great weather and could fully enjoy the spectacular scenery from the terrace. When I looked back at my photos the next day, I realized I hadn’t taken a single picture because it was so beautiful. On our way back, we were kindly driven to the ferry terminal for Takehara; there were many people there and ferries ran very frequently, which made me feel this island is quite familiar to people in Hiroshima. The twin Room felt quite dated, and there was such a big step up at the toilet entrance that you couldn’t get in without a step stool. The price has gone up significantly after being featured on TV as a “hotel with spectacular views,” so it may be best to think of it as “island pricing.” I really appreciated that we could stay one person per Room—my companion wanted air conditioning while I wanted heating on the same day. Since many Onsen Ryokan do not accept solo stays, it’s great that solo travelers are accommodated here. The most disappointing part was that the samue loungewear was very rough—so much so that it hurt and felt extremely uncomfortable. There were no tabi socks provided, and they said there were no other yukata options either. I stay at Onsen accommodations almost every month, and some places provide everything—pajamas, yukata, and samue. Even casual accommodations sometimes provide socks or let you choose between samue and yukata. Since this is an island, I wondered if they try to avoid generating too much laundry in various areas. If you have sensitive skin, I recommend bringing your own loungewear. The foreign staff worked very hard, but they couldn’t respond beyond what’s in their manual, so it was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t ask about ingredients or about the island itself. Instead, I asked many questions at the front desk and really enjoyed hearing about local industries and people on the island. Thank you very much for your courteous help despite being busy. At breakfast, the Japanese male staff member who guided guests at the entrance was excellent—he paid close attention to everything around him. When he saw guests being told to choose any seat they liked, he immediately let them know about available window seats and cleared tables efficiently. The views from both the bath area and terrace were amazing. If prices become more reasonable, I’d love to stay for about two nights and explore more of the island. It may be difficult to arrange, but I think it would be even better if there were tours or small talk sessions where guests could learn more about life on the island.