Hostel Wasabi Nagoya Ekimae

Great location, right across from JR Nagoya Station. There's a 7-Eleven nearby with plenty of food and other things to buy. I highly recommend the yakiniku, ramen, and unagi. The hostel is a bit old, but still quite clean. Nagoya isn't a traditional tourist city, so it's not too crowded, perfect for those who enjoy peace and quiet.

Although the last renovation was in 2015, the facilities, cleanliness, and service are still quite good. The public area on the first floor is small but includes a microwave, and free hot water and Miso soup are available all day. The location is excellent, very close to the train station. I recommend visiting Atsuta Jingu Shrine and Osu Kannon Temple; Nagoya Castle was just okay. For getting around, the 24-hour subway pass is a great deal, especially since passes in other cities are usually day passes that expire the next day.

I stayed for 3 nights at the Wasabi Hostel Nagoya. I took the Nohi Bus from Takayama, which took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach its final destination, the Meitetsu Nagoya Bus Terminal. The fare was 3600 yen. Using Google Maps, it was about a 700-meter, 10-minute walk to the hostel. Actually, getting off at JR Station would have been closer, but I wanted to check the Meitetsu train schedules to Atsuta Jingu and Chubu Centrair International Airport, as well as the Meitetsu bus to Matsumoto. Being my first time in Nagoya, the different lines and companies were quite confusing and disorienting. _The hostel is located near a transportation hub, surrounded by various shopping malls, restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets, making daily life very convenient. It's also relatively easy to get to attractions like Osu Kannon, Oasis 21, and Nagoya Castle by subway. I stayed in a female-only dormitory on the fifth floor, which had about 30 beds. The beds were spacious, and the bedding was soft and comfortable. Each bed had a safe with Chinese instructions, as well as an outlet, a bedside lamp, and a small TV. Due to the overall space constraints of the hostel, the aisles between the beds were very cramped. There was a small luggage room. On the fifth floor, there were 3 shower rooms and 2 toilets, providing facial cleanser, shower gel, shampoo, and body lotion. There was a self-service coin-operated washing machine for 200 yen per wash and a dryer for 100 yen for 30 minutes. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, bath towels, and slippers all had to be purchased separately. There was a common lounge area on the first floor where everyone's shoes had to be placed in shoe lockers. The first floor also had a refrigerator, microwave, and oven, and complimentary miso soup and tea were provided. The staff were gentle and friendly, providing thoughtful and enthusiastic service; despite me not knowing English or Japanese, they patiently explained everything to me. What confused me was that having traveled to Japan multiple times and stayed in many hostels, guesthouses, or hotels, this was the only place where the shower water pressure was low. I don't know if it was only on the fifth floor during peak water usage hours at night, but for me, this was the biggest drawback. Overall, if you're traveling solo in Nagoya and looking for an affordable and convenient place to stay, this hostel offers good value for money.