Better than I imagined. The place was clearly designed with passion and creative vision with lots of cute Japanese toys and trinkets decorating the halls and rooms. The staff and service were fantastic; also great company to have casual conversations with at the downstairs bar even if your Japanese is scrappy like mine. It's a short walk from Zeze station and easy access to Lake Biwa. Car rentals are also nearby for those who want to go for a drive. If you're looking for a place that is genuinely warm and welcoming with character, Koke Musu Inn is a must visit!

Koke-Musu Inn was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. The Japanese-style modern room was beautifully designed, combining traditional elements with a contemporary touch that truly blew us away. The attention to detail was remarkable, with miniature sculptures and unique decorations scattered throughout; even after three nights, we were still discovering hidden gems tucked into small corners. One particularly striking feature was the warriors hanging from the ceiling, adding to the enchanting atmosphere. The inn’s designer (and likely owner), Mr. Takayama Takusuy, has created a space that masterfully captures Japanese aesthetics in a fresh, modern way. Location: Koke-Musu Inn is conveniently located about a 15-minute walk from Zeze Station, where a quick 11-minute train ride (just three stops) takes you to Kyoto Station. We enjoyed these walks, as they allowed us to experience authentic Japanese daily life, far from the typical tourist areas. It’s also just a 2-minute walk to Lake Biwa, perfect for a serene morning walk, and a 5-minute walk to Valor Otsu store, a fantastic supermarket where we found a wide variety of prepared and fresh meals. Having already sampled many Japanese dishes in Tokyo and Osaka, we enjoyed gathering our meals from Valor and focusing our budget on unique sweets. The room was perfectly sized for two people, thoughtfully designed, and made excellent use of space. The facility itself was spotless and tranquil – far exceeding our expectations and even better than the photos. Myyu kindly dropped us off to the Zeze station on our check out date. Highly recommended for a memorable and authentic Japanese experience!

We had never been to Otsu before, and we were so happy to have booked this place. It's steps from the lake, and there's a lovely little cafe just about immediately beside the place. They also serve food in the downstairs portion of the inn. We stayed in the One Piece room, which is a marvel of nerdery and engineering. These people love their fandom, food, woodworking, and moss gardening, which is all the better for their guests. Our room was designed to house one or two people comfortably, and though small, it is delightful and very comfortable. The room even has a (very) small kitchen! Amazing. We passed a lovely night in this place, and we will definitely be back when we're in Japan again. It was a break we needed after several days of wandering around mountains and doing research. Loved it! Hosts were flexible and personable.

The hotel was so interestingly designed there was a lot of interesting manga figurines everywhere and small compositions of water fish aquaria and plants. You discover new things all the time. it’s a little bit like a museum. I especially appreciated the velociraptor dinosaur coming out of the restroom. This is a truly special place that I will remember as long as I live. Very friendly staff.

There were lots of pretty decorations , every detail was well thought out. The hostess was very kind.

Half of the bed in my room was under a wooden platform. There was not a lot of space between the bed and the platform. It’s ok if you don’t turn a lot in your sleep but I hit my shins a few times during the night.

Great location for the Sunshine Beach parkrun which was the purpose of our one night stay - right across the road from it. Very individual and interesting property which was very clean and had lots of extras. Quirky decor! We had a lovely welcome from our host

Some road noise but that can’t be helped

The design and layout of the room was creative and comfortable. Such attention to details - hooks conveniently located, lights at all the right places and all of them are dimmable from a remote control. Very clever use of space to fit in all the amenities. I enjoyed spending time in my room! The common spaces are wonderful too - a brand new pool table at the dining area. Miyu and her husband are very hardworking and talented. I feel so lucky to have been their guest. Highly recommend Koke Musu:Inn to all travellers with a sense of adventure. The inn is a short 15-min walk from the station and is just across Lake Biwa. There are many eateries nearby, as well as convenience stores and supermarkets. Perfect place to spend a few days.

Nothing

Once located, relatively simple to check-in and check-out. Staff was nice. Decor is lively and interesting.

I wouldn't consider myself fat, but here in Japan some places can seem narrow. This hotel has charm, but the bathroom area of my room was a quite narrow and required moving the chair out form the vanity area to get to the sink and shower.

My teenagers loved the stay. Each room was curated museum of Manga themes. The common area was decked out in manga /pop culture based art work and the interior decor layout made very ingenious use of space. Our host was fluent in English and very supportive, helping us check if there was snow on Biwako valley and giving us a lift to the train station

Space was limited but not unusual for Japanese inns.

A lot of delightful small decorative figures throughout the place, very glad that the owner is willing to share the collections. Although the owner keeps emphasising that the rooms are small, I'd rather say they have very efficient space management. Safe parking space for bicycles.

Nothing in particular indeed.