ILHA / ACCOMMODATION

Takashi-san ist der perfekte Gastgeber für Ausländer, die Arita und Umgebung für mehr als eine Nacht kennenlernen wollen. Die Unterkunft ist eine wunderschön gestaltete kleine Wohnung über seinem Porzellan-Handel mit traditionell japanischen und modernen Elementen und kleinen persönlichen Noten. So begrüßte uns z.B. köstlicher Eistee in wunderschönen Porzellanbechern und ein von ihm gestaltetes Blumenarrangement im Schlafzimmer. Auf Anfrage gibt es Frühstück, auch das war sehr besonders und lecker und wurde wunderschön angerichtet serviert. Zudem haben wir sehr von seinen Restaurant-Tipps profitiert.

Leider war unser Aufenthalt viel zu kurz...

It is pretty artistic. Close to train / bus station - 5 min walk- and there are some eateries and ceramic shops nearby. The AB&B itself has a ceramic shop with decent quality stuff. Owner is a friendly and responsive guy. We didn’t eat breakfast there but it can be ordered.

The stairs to bedroom is quite steep and slippery as it is wood - with socks and no shoes allowed once entering the front door, you have to be very careful. My husband slipped the stairs and had wound all over his arms - luckily no broken bone - we were really lucky, as it could be worse. it is a potential hazard, especially for older folks. Be careful.

ILHA is the kind of place you dream of finding when travelling in Japan. The place feels more like a complete apartment than just a room. It is beautiful, decorated with taste and yet traditional. The host Takashi is extremely helpful. He runs the small café and ceramics shop downstairs so he is always available. He has very good advices on things to do in Arita and around, and has very good connection in the world of ceramics, the main attraction of the region. He even took us to his favourite Onsen in a town nearby. It was a fabulous experience. We even decided to extend our stay.

For our interests, the location was fantastic. It is close to the Kyushu Ceramics Museum and several food options, one of which was recommended by our host.

We found sleeping on tatami mats okay but some people might find it challenging if they have back conditions.

Most beautiful stay I’ve stayed in thus far. Very thoughtful design. Can’t believe it’s already 10 years old. Beautiful Arita-yaki for use in the kitchen. Coffee shop and curated porcelain shop at the 1st floor really made this a great stay. Takashi-san provided great suggestions and even accompanied us to some Arita sights!

I hope we could have stayed longer an overnight! Hope to be back! Body lotion would be a great addition in the toiletries :)

Cosy clean accommodation above a cute cafe/pottery shop - conveniently near to the station. It was better in real life than the photos! Super spacious too. Takashi-san was so friendly and warm - even sending us off with little gifts the next day. (PS: all the bakes at the cafe are homemade) We enjoyed our stay so much we didn't want to leave!