㉑宿KUKAI 新今宮

㉑宿KUKAI 新今宮 Overview

So I ended up at KUKAI in Shinimamiya after originally booking somewhere else fell through, and honestly? Best travel mistake I’ve made in a while. This place sits right in Haginochaya, which I’ll admit sounds intimidating if you’ve read anything about Nishinari-ku online, but here’s the thing – it’s actually this fascinating pocket where old Osaka meets the new wave of budget-conscious travelers who know a good thing when they see it.

The building itself is this sleek, modern cube that feels almost defiant against the neighborhood’s weathered charm. You walk in and there’s this immediate sense that someone really thought about the design – not in a sterile, chain hotel way, but more like staying at an architect friend’s place. The rooms are compact but clever (we’re talking Japanese efficiency at its finest), and the common areas have this understated vibe that makes you want to linger. What really got me was how quiet it stays inside despite being so close to the JR station – I mean, you can literally hear the trains if you listen for them, but it’s more of a gentle urban lullaby than anything disruptive. The staff seems genuinely glad you’re there, not just professionally polite, which makes a difference when you’re navigating a new city.

Location-wise, you’re about a three-minute walk from Shinimamiya Station, and I know that area has a reputation, but during my stay it felt more gritty-authentic than sketchy. There’s this fantastic little ramen joint two blocks down that stays open until 2 AM, and the convenience store right around the corner stocks better onigiri than some places I’ve paid three times as much for in Shibuya. You can get to Dotonbori in maybe fifteen minutes on the train, but honestly, some evenings I found myself just wandering the local streets instead – there’s something magnetic about how real everything feels here. The nearby Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine is worth the walk if you’re into that sort of thing, though most guests seem to be using this as a base camp for hitting the more famous spots. One small thing that bugged me – the elevator can get slow during check-in rush, but that’s pretty minor considering you’re getting legitimate 4-star comfort at prices that would barely cover a business hotel room in central Tokyo. The 8.3 rating feels right; it’s not trying to be the Ritz, but it absolutely nails what it is trying to be.

㉑宿KUKAI 新今宮 Accommodations

Reviews of ㉑宿KUKAI 新今宮

• Azizan from Japan – 10 December 2023 (9/10)

  The staff/owner response to our message very fast.
  The rooms are spacious and they even have washing machine with dryer, easy for us to wash and dry our clothes.
  Foreigner friendly since the owner also provide some guide books on how to use the equipment properly.
  Pocket (portable) wifi available for us to use.
  Projector also available, and upon our arrival, the owner switch it on for us.
  Near the train station (Haginochaya station) which can easily connect to Namba station.
  You can actually use the train station (Haginochaya station) to go to Rinku Town (premiun outlet here) or to Kansai airport (KIX) but you need to switch train at Tengachaya station.
  
  What could be improved: There are 2 rooms with 2 beds provided, it would have been better to have some clothing rack on the room on the 2nd floor because we had to go to the 3rd floor to hang the clothes.
  The place slightly sketchy because can see homeless and drunk people around, but if you don't mess or just leave them alone, should be fine.

• K from Japan – 22 May 2023 (8/10)

  部屋が広かった。
  オートロックで安心
  スタッフの人のメッセージのレスポンスが早い
  清潔だった。
  wifiがある。
  あいりん地区の端にあるため、好奇心はあるがど真ん中で泊まる勇気が無い人にはおすすめ
  
  What could be improved: ビルの外見と入り口が怪しいので、なんの不安もなく泊まりたい人にはおすすめできないかも。入ってみると中は快適。
  オートロックで締め出される可能性があるので注意

• Sylvie from France – 3 May 2023 (8/10)

  l’intérieur est joli, le logement bien équipé, les lits sont vastes et confortables
  
  What could be improved: le quartier est très bizarre et un peu angoissant, et il y a les trains qui passent juste en face, ce qui entraine bruit et vibrations

• 恵 from Japan – 17 November 2022 (8/10)

  広くてとても綺麗でした
  
  What could be improved: 西成の割にお値段が高めでした。

• 恵美子 from Japan – 9 October 2022 (9/10)

  スタッフがとても、親切です。ベッドが快適。駅が近い。駐車場も、隣にある。

• Hayashi from Japan – 24 April 2025 (8/10)

  滞在時間は少なかったが家感があり満足
  
  What could be improved: シャワーの油圧

• Lan from Vietnam – 19 February 2024 (9/10)

  Phòng ở rộng rãi, đầy đủ tiện nghi. Gần đó có nhiều siêu thị nên cũng tiện mua đồ về tự nấu, đầy đủ chén bát và gia vị. Ngay cạnh nhà có ga Haginochaya thuộc tuyến Nankai, lưu ý là nếu sử dụng tuyến tàu này phải để ý kĩ giờ xuất phát của tàu trên google map vì không phải tất cả các tàu đều dừng tại ga này. Nếu không thì có thể đi bộ thêm 300m để ra ga Yotsubashi thuộc tuyến Osaka metro thì dễ tìm và dễ dùng hơn. Giá cả nói chung là rẻ. Giao nhận và trả phòng không phải gặp mặt trực tiếp.
  
  What could be improved: Chỉ có một nhà vệ sinh ở tầng trên cùng nên hơi bất tiện một chút.

• Takashi from Japan – 5 May 2023 (8/10)

  とても清潔感があり安心出来ました。
  
  What could be improved: 線路のそばで、電車の音、振動は思ったよりありました。

• Cat from Vietnam – 4 April 2023 (8/10)

  Chủ nhà rất nhiệt tình và tốt bụng. Căn nhà đủ rộng cho 1 nhóm 5 người chúng tôi, cũng rất đầy đủ các tiện nghi cần thiết.
  
  What could be improved: Ga gần nhất là ga Haginochaya, ga thuận tiện nhất có lẽ là ga Hanazonocho. chủ nhà rất tốt bụng, khi muốn đi đến địa điểm nào đó bạn có thể nhắn tin hỏi chủ nhà thay vì search theo google map bởi theo chỉ dẫn google map để tìm đến nơi ở mọi người sẽ thấy phải đi bộ rất xa (khoảng 500-700 met)

• Sugiura from Japan – 19 March 2023 (8/10)

  ベットがとても広くてよかった。思ったより広くて使いやすかった(^^)
  
  What could be improved: 電車の音と振動、早朝から人の話し声が気になった。治安が悪そうな感じがして少し怖かった。

Surroundings

Facilities