Hotel Furukawa — Hotel in Shiraoi

We stayed at Kokorono Resort Umino Bettei Furukawa for one night during our honeymoon trip in Japan, and it was an unforgettable experience. The only regret we have is not booking a longer stay!

A week before our arrival, I contacted the hotel to inquire about transportation since it’s located in a remote seaside area. The staff were incredibly responsive and arranged a shuttle bus to pick us up from Noboribetsu JR Station, making our journey seamless. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality left a lasting impression.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed at the lobby with a welcome drink and some tasty snacks. The staff member assisting us was patient and thorough, answering all our questions before guiding us to our room. To our delight, we were upgraded from our original booking—a Japanese-style twin room (和風ツイン, 38.5㎡) with a cozy window nook overlooking the sea—to a special room with a fireplace (暖炉付特別室, 48㎡). The upgraded room featured a bioethanol fireplace.

The wardrobe was thoughtfully stocked with various styles of sleepwear, yukata, and warm jackets—perfect for the chilly seaside location. The room also came equipped with two types of Japanese tea, as well as beans from the Hokkaido coffee brand Meirei, a manual grinder, and a dripper. As a coffee lover, I truly appreciated preparing a hand-brewed cup in the morning while gazing at the ocean view.

The room had two spacious single beds, plus two mattresses that could each fit two people—one facing the sea and another on the side. There was also a massage chair offering full-body relief (head, shoulders, hands, back, hips, and feet), which was a fantastic touch. The bathroom was spacious, with dual sinks, a standing shower, and ample amenities.

Our room’s fireplace was a highlight—we called the front desk, and a staff member promptly came to light it for us. Using eco-friendly fuel, it burned for about four hours. Above the fireplace was a CD player with three discs, one of which featured nature sounds. Lighting the fire, playing the sound of flowing water, and gazing out at the endless sea view from the window felt incredibly serene.

It was hard to decide between relaxing in our room or spending time in the lobby, where the view and atmosphere were equally spectacular. The hotel regularly provided snacks and drinks for guests in the lobby. From 5-7 AM during sunrise, they offered apple smoothies made with fresh apples and the sweetest Noboribetsu milk I’ve ever tasted. From 7-9 AM, there was a juicer with a basket of oranges for guests to make fresh orange juice. In the afternoon, they served homemade barley wine, and at 9 PM, there was hot wine and house-made smoked potato chips. Honestly, you’ll never go hungry here!

The hotel also keeps two lively, friendly white dogs that love interacting with guests. We learned they’re pet-friendly too, allowing guests to bring their own dogs.

This stay was a perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and warm hospitality—an absolute gem for...

This is the best onsen hotel I had ever stayed in Japan. Not only excellent service, superb meals, clean and nicely set up onsen but the view is magnificent. ||||Once you entered the lobby, you have the water front of Pacific Ocean view.||||Staff are friendly and I was able to communicate in English.||||The Japanese style suite I stayed was excellent. Some people may prefer western bed, they do have, however, why not try everything traditional Japanese while we are there.||||Hotel has meal options, I do think you should select full board as there is nothing much around the areas even though it is accessible by public transport or hotel shuttle bus to train station.||||The meal we had was the best ever, it looks good but taste delicious. Those are things that I do even know how to order in restaurants. Once you booked full board, they will ask you what time is the best for you to start. It really takes 1.5 hour or 2 hours to finish the whole course. If I remember correctly, restaurant closes at 8pm. ||||Besides the meals, onsen is another highlight. It has both indoor and outdoor onsen. I was there in winter, so I tried outdoor onsen too. Not many hotel has this Pacific Ocean View outdoor onsen without anyone able to see you or walk in front of you.||||People will ask what can you do if dinner finished so early. Well, it is about the same as everywhere else in Japan except big cities like Tokyo. You still can enjoy onsen after dinner before you go to sleep.||||Make sure you wake up early to see sun rise. They have information at the front desk telling you the exact time for sun rise next morning. Must see.||||You will also discover there's a panel at the front desk telling you about how much electricity generated by solar power of the hotel at that time and how much from power energy company. While I was there, it's between 95% to 98% generated by hotels own solar power. Pretty green.||||To choose room, must try Pacific Ocean View. Regardless floor level because nothing...

This is the best onsen hotel I had ever stayed in Japan. Not only excellent service, superb meals, clean and nicely set up onsen but the view is magnificent. ||||Once you entered the lobby, you have the water front of Pacific Ocean view.||||Staff are friendly and I was able to communicate in English.||||The Japanese style suite I stayed was excellent. Some people may prefer western bed, they do have, however, why not try everything traditional Japanese while we are there.||||Hotel has meal options, I do think you should select full board as there is nothing much around the areas even though it is accessible by public transport or hotel shuttle bus to train station.||||The meal we had was the best ever, it looks good but taste delicious. Those are things that I do even know how to order in restaurants. Once you booked full board, they will ask you what time is the best for you to start. It really takes 1.5 hour or 2 hours to finish the whole course. If I remember correctly, restaurant closes at 8pm. ||||Besides the meals, onsen is another highlight. It has both indoor and outdoor onsen. I was there in winter, so I tried outdoor onsen too. Not many hotel has this Pacific Ocean View outdoor onsen without anyone able to see you or walk in front of you.||||People will ask what can you do if dinner finished so early. Well, it is about the same as everywhere else in Japan except big cities like Tokyo. You still can enjoy onsen after dinner before you go to sleep.||||Make sure you wake up early to see sun rise. They have information at the front desk telling you the exact time for sun rise next morning. Must see.||||You will also discover there's a panel at the front desk telling you about how much electricity generated by solar power of the hotel at that time and how much from power energy company. While I was there, it's between 95% to 98% generated by hotels own solar power. Pretty green.||||To choose room, must try Pacific Ocean View. Regardless floor level because nothing...