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Yamaichi Bekkan – reviews, photos

1162-3 Miyajima-cho Miyajima Sanbashimae, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Hotel amenities
Yamaichi Bekkan
Ranked #5 of 19 Hatsukaichi B&B and Inns
4.0 of 5 stars 42 Reviews
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42 reviews from our community

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Traveller rating
    23
    11
    0
    5
    3
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Bristol
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“A professional opinion - good value, warm welcome, fabulous food”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 December 2011

The Yamaichi Bekkan is a simple Japanese Inn located opposite the pier where the JR and Hiroden ferries arrive. The owner, Shinko-san, offers an extremely warm welcome. She speaks good basic English and makes you feel part of the family. As owner of specialist Japan travel company InsideJapan Tours, I first visited here in 2003 as part of a trip to find accommodation to recommend on Miyajima. I didn't stay the night on that occasion but Shinko-san sent me away for my late night train back to Kyoto with a delicious Grilled Eel bento.

The inn only has 4 rooms. There are three Japanese style rooms at the front of the inn with a view towards the sea - not as good a sea view as other more upmarket ryokan on the island but certainly a bonus. The Japanese rooms are a good size and have small attached bathrooms. The western style rooms with beds are at the back of the inn and are in my mind not as appealing. However, if you are looking for an affordable bed then this is still a great option.

The restaurant on the ground floor is superb and if you are staying here I highly recommend eating in at least once. A variety of set course meals are available for a range of prices from 3,000 to 7,000 yen. There is also a full a la carte menu. Being Japan and an island location it is not surprising that the fish and seafood is amazing! Do try the oysters especially if you happen to visit when in season (best from October through to the end of February).

What the Yamaichi Bekkan is not is an up-market classic ryokan. It is much more akin to what the Japanese would call a 'minshuku' or 'people's inn'. There is no large communal bath and no hot spring (onsen). Food is served in the small restaurant not in your room. It is a modern building rather than the classic old wooden building that many people imagine a ryokan to be. However, the price reflects this. There are fabulous ryokan on Miyajima but these are out of the budget of many travellers. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, Miyajima is not a cheap place to stay. However, I feel the Yamaichi offers very good value.

My company has been booking clients into this inn for 8 years and it continues to receive glowing feedback. Shinko is a treasure and the fact that so many reviews we receive mention her by name shows what an interest she takes in every single guest. It seems that some reviewers on TripAdvisor have had experiences of their reservation being lost. I have to say we have NEVER experienced this and my company has made nearly 300 reservations here in the past 4 years. And I have never had a client complain of the inn being dirty or poorly maintained.

So my advice is for any traveller on a fairly tight budget the Yamaichi Bekkan offers an amazing experience. However, if you are looking for a classic ryokan stay then the Iwaso or Jukeiso are perhaps more appropriate. Just be prepared for the significantly higher price tag. Personally I would definitely recommend this inn and would gladly stay here again.

Alastair Donnelly
Director
InsideJapan Tours Ltd.

Room Tip: I would highly recommend the Japanese style rooms at the front of the inn rather than the western st...
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  • Stayed September 2011, travelled on business
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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St Albans, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
“Lovely place to stay, perfect welcome”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 October 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Across the road from the ferry terminal, we had a very warm welcome from Shinko-san, the owner. Her English is good and she will help you with maps and directions to make the most of your time on Miyajima. The room was a good size, clean and comfortable - nothing fancy but good enough.
We didn't eat in the ryokan and chose to go out for dinner - be warned that almost everything on Miyajima shuts by 7pm. We struggled to find somewhere to get a meal and would probably have eaten here if we had known.
Would definitely recommend this ryokan if you are staying here.

  • Stayed September 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask 501places about Yamaichi Bekkan
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“Lovely inn on magical island”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 June 2011

You couldn't hope for a bigger welcome or fresher seafood. Our room was large with a sea view, own bathroom and traditional layout. The meals were great - loved the oysters - and it seems as good a location as any on such a small island. Very friendly and memorable

  • Stayed June 2011, travelled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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eric_rubiks
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“SHOWED ME THEIR TRUE COLOR”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 July 2010
1
person found this review helpful

My point is clear: please avoid this hotel (can you even call that a ryokan?).
There are many reasons such as tiny rooms, dirty bathrooms and no common bath (not to mention hot spring) to make up for it, the necessity to come back before 12 midnight, the lack of comfort, the position right next to the ferry arbor, the price, and so on...
But then again, it is Miyajima, so it will fatally cost you a bit to enjoy a good stay.
However, there is one reason above all others to avoid that place: they are ugly people.
I have been in Japan for a long time, so I have learnt to read deeper than the nice smiles and the very courteous dialogues. Most people are genuinely good-hearted, but they are not. I shall explain myself: When I arrived at Miyajima, I went to the ryokan I had reserved, a hotel called Momijiso. The place was very beautiful and the employees very welcoming. However, around 6pm, I got a phone call from Yamaichi, asking me when I would arrive... You can imagine my confusion. As I did not intend to spend the night at two hotels at the same time, and furthermore, I was already at the hotel I had wished for, I tried to somehow cancel it. They flatly refused, telling me that I had to pay 15000 yen per person anyway. I should mention that never before someone had been so rude to me in Japan, not to mention coming from an employee... (I was really shocked) On the other end, the tenant of the Momijiso was so kind as to let us cancel WITHOUT charges, and if that was not enough, made sure that a car would come fetch us. Once arrived at the crappy tourist trap called Yamaichi, we learnt that the agency that happens to manage the reservation for both hotels made a mistake and filed two reservations, one for Momijiso and one for Yamaichi. Despite the circumstances, they did not let us choose which hotel we wished for, and instead, made us pay FULL PRICE for a hotel we had been forcefully assigned to. Last but not least, they put us in the crappiest room they had.
I hope I was clear enough. There is a good moral for this story: One should never forget that he or she is a client, and the client in Japan is treated like a king. Employees being nice to you does not mean they are good intentioned, just that they mean serious business. However, while Momijiso just want you to have a nice time in Miyajima, Yamaichi doesn't even mean business, they just want your money.

  • Stayed May 2010
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Zurich, Switzerland
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Lovely place”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 June 2010
1
person found this review helpful

This place was the highlight of our trip: we had a huge ryokan-style room, nice view, were served very nice food and the lady at the reception was so friendly!
I can understand that one can be misled by all these positive sounding reviews. We had not been influenced by it, just booked the room two hours in advance in a tourist information in Hiroshima. So we did not know what to expect and were so positively surprised.
Like someone mentioned: the place is not new at all and not perfect, but it's really run with love. You have fresh flowers in every corner and the people are sooo nice.
I think I have never slept as good as on these futon beds there!!

  • Stayed May 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about Yamaichi Bekkan

1162-3 Miyajima-cho Miyajima Sanbashimae, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Price range (per night):* INR10,979 - 17,611

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