Nanauraso

I stayed at Nanuraso three nights in the end of October. I didn't find any reviews of the place in English, but ended up taking a wild shot, and boy, did the risk pay off! To sum up: It's clean, relaxing, comfortable, has amazing food, an unassuming (though not cheap), personal (but not intrusive), and highly welcoming atmosphere and service. For a more detailed breakdown, see below: Facilities: This is not really a hostel, but it's not really a standard hotel either. Inside the building you wear slippers provided, which you take off when entering the dining room and your own room (partly because of this, the place is really clean and nice). My room was simple, with a straw-mat-floor, mattress bed that you roll out, a small television, a table with a pillow on the floor to sit on (seating in Nanauraso is mostly on the floor, as is customary according to tradition), and a balcony with a great view of the seaside just below the place, with it's beach, jagged rocks sticking out of the sea, and a fantastic view of the sunset. The bathrooms are shared, but are very clean and never far away. For showering/bathing, there is a traditional japanese bath with showers and a good-sized bath with hot water in polished stone. Very relaxing and comfortable. High speed wi-fi provided in the lobby, and in some of the rooms (the ones just above the lobby). Food: The food is a truly amazing experience. I got breakfast and dinner every day included in the room price, which was ridiculous, considering the low price I already was paying in addition to the quality of the food – excellently prepared and completely fresh seafood of every variety. Much of the raw goods for the food appears to be local produce and catch, and much of it will have been fished the same day. One meal like this would set you back at least $100 anywhere else. Breakfast is from 07 to 08, perhaps a little early for some, but I didn't mind. Dinner from 18-20. Transportation: Buses on Sado Island are few and far between and the bus service that drives by Nanauraso is even less frequent. 8 km away there is, however, a more frequent service, and if needed the staff were very willing to drive me there. You could also rent a car or a bicycle in one of the nearby villages. Service: The service I got made a really good stay in a good place into an even better experience. The couple that owns and runs the place gave me a truly warm and heartfelt welcome and took great care in making sure I had everything I needed and were very helpful e.g. when driving me to and from the bus stop upon arrival and departure.