The house is situated in Odaka, 15km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. It offers traditional Japanese rooms. Come and experience the town and the zone. I will take you on a tour into the evacuation zone(for an extra fee) and show you cultural venues, a nice sushi restaurant, we’ll meet friendly people who once were forced to evacuate. Feel the vibrant atmosphere for yourself!
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Karin is the epitome of "above and beyond," offering lovely, elegant and entirely gracious lodging mere steps from Odaka Station. Check out photos posted by other guests and you'll get a sense of what to expect: traditional Japanese rooms with all the accoutrements that Western tourists will appreciate. Beds are inviting, bathrooms are pleasant, the robes are comfy, and the wifi is really good. Oh, and breakfast is scrumptious. Most importantly, though, Karin exceeds all expectations in her genuine desire to ensure that guests are well attended. Want some really good local sushi? She'll help you find the perfect place - and even help you order. Need help figuring out the train back to your destination? She'll coordinate with the stationmaster to ensure you get on the right track. Best of all, she enjoys conversation with her guests, sharing insights about culture, history, and even philosophy. Whether you're touring the region to better understand the Fukushima incident or just want a pleasant respite from the hustle and bustle of Japan's bigger cities, you can hardly hope for a better stay than Lantern House.
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Date of stay: March 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Walking distance from the train station, close to the few restaurants in town. A place where you can feel and experience the traditional Japanese culture (In the modern way). Karin the host is an amazing person who goes out of her way to help. This guest house is totally recommend.
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Date of stay: December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amazing host and excellent accommodation. Karin is fantastic and is very accommodating. She showed us a local restaurant and cooked an amazing breakfast for us. The sleeping accommodation is much better than the pictures show and I had an excellent night sleep. I fully recommend this location for a stay to visit the Fukushima nuclear plant. Karin will also arrange a value for money tour which is very comprehensive and the tour guide is excellent. I can not recommend this original Japanese experience with exceptional and educational tour enough. Don’t delay - book now!
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Date of stay: April 2018Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karin-san is a very patient and kind host for someone who showed up very early, extremely picky eater. Her place was very clean and I really liked Karin as a person and also as a tour guide who showed me the Fukushima exclusion zone. I was homesick and she took me to eat the local Mos Burger and catered the tour to me who needed some stomach medication while in the middle of the tour which I greatly appreciate. She has incredible patience and the tour itself was a tour unlike anything I've seen before. The communication was great and I had no issues chatting with Karin from everything like politics to life philosophies and about the local community.
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Date of stay: April 2018
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karin-san was a fabulous host who speaks fluent English (quite rare to find this particularly in a non-tourist part of the country), and her home is beautiful. All rooms are spacious, comfortable with heaters, and the kitchen area is large and modern. I felt at home and as a solo traveller felt extremely comfortable. Karin cooked a delicious breakfast (eggs, toast, sausages, fruit, yogurt, coffee and more), and she was kind enough to take me to the local community centre to meet with people affected by the Fukushima disasters. This was a moving and inspiring trip and also fascinating, if that's the right word to use. I was also able to have a tour of the surrounding towns (Namie, Okuna and more), and learned a great deal about local life in the area since the disasters. A truly humbling and eye-opening experience. If you're in Japan and looking for somewhere to go off the beaten path to gain a real insight into local life of a wonderfully brave community, this is the place to go.
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Date of stay: March 2018
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As a filmmaker and journalist who has been working in Odaka and the affected regions I've greatly enjoyed meeting Karin and seeing what she is doing now with her project to share the stories of people affected by the meltdown of 2011.
I drove with Karen a few times into the affected areas and I was impressed with her knowledge, but also was impressed with the understanding approach that she takes to places and people who have hard stories to tell. Even though I've been traveling to Odaka for years I entered into conversations with townspeople that I would not have experienced had it not been for her introductions.
I stayed one night in her lovely ryokan and was so glad I did. After working long days and with exhausting travels I got a good nights rest followed by a lovely morning of conversation over breakfast and coffee.
If you are looking for an experience that transcends mere tourism and want to get a first hand understanding of the realities facing those who survived the tragic events of 3/11 I highly recommend staying with Karin.
Jake Price, director of The Invisible Season and Unknown Spring
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Date of stay: October 2017
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karin is a wonderful host - extremely welcoming, kind, and knowledgable about the local area. The house is beautiful & the community members are awesome!! Highly recommended - Unforgettable experience
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Date of stay: July 2018
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I visited the Lantern house because of the Real Fukushima tour. The lovely house immediately felt like home and was easy to get to (it’s on the other side of the local train station). Karin is a very friendly owner who spraks excellent English. She is always there to help and think along with anything you need. The beds were of very high Quality, making the Lantern house an excellent basis for the Real Fukushima tour or your own adventures in the region.
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Date of stay: May 2018
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Lantern House is a convenient place which is very close to train station. Every facilities in The Lantern House is clean. It is very comfortable to stay at there. In addition, the breakfast prepared by Karin san was delicious, I felt very full! Apart from the hostel, The Lantern House is one of the member of the project called "Real-Fukushima" which is a tour project to guide people to know more about what's happening now in the area just next to the nuclear power station in Fukushima. Karin san also was the guide and explain in details to me. This tour was a great meaningful tour and I did learn a lot via this tour. Thanks Karin san and Mr Sasaki !
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Date of stay: January 2018
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a great place to stay, and Karin is a terrific host. Very close to Namie and located right on Odaka train station (30 second walk). The room and guesthouse were spacious, clean and modern. Breakfast was delicious (Karin catered to my vegetarian requirements). Radiation levels in this part of Fukushima are on par with Tokyo, so don't stress too much about that. Karin provided some fascinating insights into the nuclear crisis, recommended places to visit, and assisted me in hiring a bicycle to ride around on for the day. I even got the chance to eat in a local restaurant, chat with some locals and other guests staying in Odaka. Highly recommend coming to The Lantern House and exploring the small towns nearby. Will definitely be returning.
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Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Minamisoma area.
LOCATION
JapanTohokuFukushima PrefectureMinamisoma
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
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