This was the best hostel I’ve stayed at so far! The location is perfect, right in a small, charming town with easy access to many amazing hikes. Parking was simple, right at the nearby train station. It’s free until 9 AM and very cheap after that (less than $1 USD for the whole day). The staff were incredibly kind, welcoming, and generous. Since it was a quiet period, they upgraded us to a nicer room at no extra cost. The hostel itself is beautiful, styled like a traditional Japanese home, which made the stay feel very cozy and authentic. Everything was spotless — the rooms, floors, showers, and bathrooms were all extremely clean. The whole process from check-in to check-out was smooth and easy. We also had breakfast there, which was delicious and well-prepared. Overall, it was a peaceful, relaxing stay with wonderful hospitality. Highly recommend!

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Great location next to the train station and close to local onsen. You can receive discounted price at reception if you are interested. Breakfast was simple but fresh and very tasty. Hostel is very pretty, traditional, wooden house and has great atmosphere. 2 common spaces could be used for relaxing. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Castle ruins are close, around 20-30 minutes by walk, highly recommended to visit. There is also tourist Kyushu OLLE: Okubungo trail between train stations Bungo Taketa and Asaji. We didn't have time to visit, but looked interesting.

Excellent staff! They were very friendly and welcoming, while also calm, we had a nice time chatting to them at the bar! Very comfy beds, beautiful old wooden building, tasty breakfast, relaxing bar with nice drinks, clean bathrooms, nice common areas Good location, while not being too noisy but close to restaurants It was quiet even though it's a hostel, since everyone kept quiet after 11 and outside there was very little traffic at night

I got bit by a few mosquitoes in my room The windows in the room would rattle a little bit from wind, so tightening them up would be good The front sliding door would sometimes slam and our room was above it, so dampening the sound of it closing would be good

The best hostel I've stayed. The place was clean and super cozy. The host and staff were very welcoming and really helpful. I went to Taketa knowing almost nothing but they helped me with all recommendations which kept me busy all afternoon. It was a pretty cold night but it was warm and comfortable in the room. The pod is larger compared to normal pod in other capsule hostels, there was enough space for my small luggage plus day pack. The shower and toilet are super clean. They sell a discounted ticket for the bathhouse up the road too. I'm glad I added the breakfast to my booking and it was really tasty. Definitely be back!

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Very clean property, comfortable beds, great atmosphere to relax in the lounge area, feels like home in Japanese style! Staff are amazingly helpful and kind to ensure you have a pleasant stay in the hostel. Their home-made breakfast is delicious, and they speak English which is very helpful. They are truly special and outstanding and I hope to go back one day. Taketa is a perfect location if you want to take day trips. We also had a car which was helpful to get to any attractions in the area.

The hostel is amazing and a real experience with traditional Japanese architecture and facilities (futon beds). The hostel itself is well equipped with a good kitchen (although we didn't use it) and spaces to relax. The breakfast in the morning was very good and the hosts were brilliant. They spoke great English and were very polite.

The traditional architecture means that the building is quite creeky and the windows rattle a bit if someone shuts a door a few rooms down, BUT they do provide ear plugs and it was so cosy and comfortable that we didn't mind this at all!

The amazing facilities, fantastic location and exceptional hosts at Taketa Ekimae make this the best hostel I have ever stayed at! After asking for information on hikes nearby, I was given extensive detail about little-known trails and swimming spots with several maps! The dorm rooms are super comfortable and the breakfast is great too. Highly recommend as a base for hiking Aso/Kuju Ranges and exploring the surrounding national parks.

The staff was super friendly and very helpful. They kindly help me choose and book 2 great local dinner venues and gave me pointers on mt Aso hiking routes. The breakfast was very tasty and coffee was great, thanks for the free refill! The place is really nice and is conveniently located near the station and the local onsen, which I recommend. Ask the staff for the discounted ticket.

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The owner was incredibly helpful and friendly. She gave us a booklet with recommendations of where to eat and a hand drawn map of what to go see. She also helped us make a dinner reservation as many restaurants were already full. The bakery downstairs had a great selection of sweet and savoury goods. The station is only a few minutes walk away. We enjoyed our stay and regretted only staying one night. We hope to come back one pday.

The hostel itself is beautiful, we had the family room which was perfect and there are really nice common areas to relax, take a tea and meet other people. The owner and the staff are just incredibly nice! They also have good recommendations for food and activities in the areas and do their best to help you. We also had the breakfast and it was a great start of the day!