Even Existing Hotels in Nishinari Get Refreshed: Business Hotel Kaga [Hantsu Endo’s Osaka Nishinari C-Class Hotel Exploration (23)]

Every month, when I head to Osaka for work and stay in Nishinari, I witness the remarkable increase in foreign tourists. This might be due to Japan’s low prices and the weak yen, but it feels like there are more tourists compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors in April was 3,908,900, which is a 28.5% increase compared to the same month last year. It surpassed the previous all-time high of 3,781,629 in January, breaking the single-month record for the first time by exceeding 3.9 million.

However, while there are many on the main street where Osaka Metro’s Dobutsuen-mae Station is located, entering the south side of the old Abeno Center area sees a sharp decline in numbers, with people who seem to be day laborers or welfare recipients still living there. Still, it’s much more refreshing compared to before. You can spot older individuals sitting in the corner of the road drinking canned alcoholic beverages even in the morning, but they exude a generally calm aura.

This time, I’m staying at Business Hotel Kaga located in such an area.

The cancellation fee starts 2 days prior (50% 2 days before, 100% for the day before, on the day, or no-shows), and checking in until 10 PM, which is quite late for hotels of this kind, is convenient.

I have a Priority Pass from the Saison Rose Gold American Express Card, which allows me to enjoy unlimited food and wine for an hour at the Osaka Airport Winery in Itami Airport. I arrived at the airport at 6:10 PM and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

I arrived at the hotel past 9 PM. Shoes are forbidden inside the building, so one must change to slippers at the entrance. Guests need to carry their shoes to their rooms. The main entrance closes at 10 PM, but you can enter or exit through the next iron door 24 hours.

I received the key at the front desk and headed to the fifth floor where my assigned room was via the elevator. The hallway was dimly lit but felt clean.

The room was a three-tatami-mat-sized Japanese-style room. Of course, the bath and toilet are shared. This time it cost 2,800 yen (tax included), but booking a few weeks in advance can get you prices starting from 2,185 yen. There are non-smoking and smoking types, and although I don’t smoke, I chose the smoking type because it was cheaper. This time, it didn’t particularly feel smoky.

The room came with an independent air conditioner, TV, and refrigerator.

There were only two hangers.

One must note there are no amenities whatsoever (though available for purchase). There wasn’t even a toothbrush or a face towel, so I brought my own.

Alright, let’s start the customary exploration of the premises.

The hotel had both internal and external staircases in addition to an elevator.

I’ve never encountered a fire either in trips or in private life, but I certainly felt that checks in case of emergencies are necessary. A friend of mine said he checks emergency staircases first thing when arriving at a hotel. He’s absolutely right.

Each floor had a sink and a toilet. An IH stove was also installed by the sink, making it possible to prepare simple dishes.

Most surprising was the presence of a Western-style toilet with a bidet, despite it being an old hotel in Nishinari. I stayed here once before the COVID-19 outbreak, and back then it only had Japanese-style toilets. Although the building overall looked old, you could see that they were gradually renovating it to match modern standards. They were even recruiting LINE friends!

Back on the first floor, there was a lobby with tables and chairs available, as a space for relaxation.

There was also a vending machine, a microwave, and a water server. Apart from cold water, hot water was available too for things like cup noodles.

Going further, there were washing machines and dryers. The laundry is open from 8 AM to 9 PM.

The large communal bath (male-only, none for females) was already closed by 9 PM, so I checked the shower room, which was equipped with shampoo and body soap, giving some peace of mind.

The sense of cleanliness was sufficient. The shower room’s hours were from 8 AM to 10 PM from Sunday to Thursday, and from 8 AM to 2:30 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. Approaching 10 PM already at this point, I decided to use the shower the next morning and returned to my room to sleep quietly.

The next morning was also blessed with fine weather and a refreshing atmosphere. After taking a shower, I took a look at the large bath. It had a small dressing room leading to the bath area. The term “large bath” felt a bit off, but nevertheless, it was a bigger tub than expected. The water was drained, indicating that it was cleaned daily.

Check-out is by 10 AM. I left my room around 8:40 AM. It is a system where you leave without locking the key.

There were dust boxes neatly organized in the hallway.

Each floor also seemed to have a balcony serving as a smoking area. I was a bit surprised that the balcony was larger than expected.

There was no one at the front desk yet, so I returned the key into the return box and checked out independently. Outside, people were still walking or sitting quietly. When I got to the main street, the old Abeno district center was closed off, and many people who seemed to be foreign tourists were walking around. It felt like experiencing the flow of time.