民宿 なぎさ — Hotel in Imabari

This is not a fussy or high-class Japanese inn (ryokan). It's a bit more like staying with your beloved grandparents.

The inn is clean and well maintained. It's also aging and a facelift would not hurt it. The bath is utilitarian.

Food was tasty and nicely presented and came with a warm and genuine smile (many smiles, in fact), although, here also, delivery reflects homeyness over flashiness. The meals are served in a dining room which feels a bit more like an extension of the kitchen; decorations include fading maps, safety instructions, a wall of refrigerators and a microwave oven.

The proprietors have a small and functional English ability plus digital translation that they use with ease. We got along great!

The bedrooms are tatami rooms and with comfortable futons, air conditioning and more. The wifi worked well in our room (#1) but not in the dining room and apparently not in other places, based on the signs.

Toilets and a wash station are down the hall and are also squeaky clean.

The location is fine for the Shimanami Kaido bike route but does not offer five star views (we enjoyed hearing and watching baseball practice in the evening).

So, yes, this is recommended if you want a...

We recently rode the Shimanami Kaido bike paths along the Inland Sea from the Japan mainland at Onomishi all the way to Shikoku Island. Ideally the ride is a 2-day experience, so that you have time to explore the islands you traverse. The perfect place to stay in the middle is the Nagisa Inn. We booked it at the train station tourist office in Onomichi, where you rent the bicycles to start the trip. Omishima Island is approximately halfway for the bike trip. The Nagisa Inn is a traditional Japanese ryokan. You sleep on comfortable tatami mats in a room with A/C (we needed that). We paid extra for dinner and breakfast, which were a real treat. The husband owner speaks more than adequate English. His very gracious, but non-English speaking wife makes up for it with her friendliness and interest in pleasing her guests. Of interest on the island is a museum featuring the oldest samurai swords, helmets, and clothing in Japan. And the bike path that circumnavigates the island is very easy to follow and has spectacular views, making the detour well...

We stayed here for one night while doing the Shimanami Kaido. We had to get a Japanese host from earlier in our trip to call and book for us. At a tourist this is probably the only way to book unless you speak Japanese yourself or have a friend who speaks Japanese. ||We absolutely LOVED staying here. The lady who runs the guesthouse was so welcoming and had phrases written in English in a notebook to help communicate with each other. The rooms were large and clean. There is a family bath which was so good to soak tired muscles in after our cycle. ||Quiet town and nice to walk around. ||The absolute highlight was the food. By far the best we’ve eaten in Japan so far - the freshest sushi, delicious tempura, teriyaki fish, the list goes on!! Enough food for 10 people!! It was very oishi!||Would...