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My Review

There are plenty of great budget hotels in Osaka, but you’ll love Waqoo Shitaderamachi if you’re looking for something well-priced and with a little more than the bare minimum. My husband and I were drawn to this hotel primarily because it’s a shukubo (Buddhist temple lodging) that offers guests a chance to participate in several unique experiences. 

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted warmly. The staff is kind and polite, and the lobby smells wonderfully of incense. The lobby also operates partially as a gift shop. You’ll see items for sale – tabi socks, incense holders, coin purses, art, notebooks – and you can peruse them at your leisure.

The rooms at Waqoo Shitaderamachi are larger than most rooms at Japanese hotels, and we loved that we were able to spread out a little more. The bathrooms are basic and very compact, but everything was sparkling clean. The rooms are partially carpeted, and tatami mats cover the other half. There’s a volume control nob in the room, which lets you turn on or off peaceful background music in your room during the day. 

The furniture is minimal and basic, and the room has a spacious desk, an air filter unit, and a comfortable (but low) bed. One downside of the room was that there was essentially no view. The hotel was sandwiched between two buildings, and our window had a sign asking us not to open it completely as it faced a private residence. 

I did love that we were provided with plenty of water for our stay (about a bottle per person per day) and that the hotel provided socks and slippers that you could take with you when you leave. The provided clothing (samue) was comfortable for lounging around the room and for wearing while we tried some of the fun experiences.

Since the hotel is a Buddhist temple lodging, they allow guests to participate in some Buddhist experiences. On weekends, monks come to the hotel, and guests can do a zazen (sitting meditation) with them. On other days, you can do your meditation in the hotel’s zen room with a recorded teaching by the monk. The monk wasn’t there in person for part of our stay, so we did the latter, which was still a very cool experience to try. 

You can also try out shakyo (sutra transcription). After doing it, you can take your copy home as a souvenir or leave it with the front desk so that one of the monks will bring it to the temple for prayer. We tried this experience as well and enjoyed how relaxing and meditative it was, although it took a minute to get a handle on writing the unfamiliar characters.

Finally, the hotel’s breakfast is shojin ryori, a Buddhist cuisine that is entirely plant-based. Neither my husband nor I are vegan, but we were both surprised by how much we enjoyed it. It’s a little on the pricey side, but I’d still recommend trying it at least once. It was filling and nutritious (and great for anyone who loves tofu).

One thing I do wish was that the hotel was better soundproofed. We could often hear other guests talking and walking around the hallways, along with doors slamming. The hotel wasn’t particularly busy, so it wasn’t constant, but light sleepers might find it annoying.

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Pros & Cons

About the Location

Waqoo Shitaderamachi isn’t in the prettiest location in Osaka, but it’s relatively well-situated. It’s located in Osaka’s Tennoji Ward, about a 10-minute walk to the Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka and Ebisucho stations. It’s a doable but long walk to Dotonburi (about 30 minutes), so we preferred to use the train.

There are several convenience stores in the area, the closest one about a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Though there’s a lot of traffic around the hotel in the daytime, it clears up at night, and you really can’t hear any of the outside noise inside the hotel, anyway.

It is a fairly short walk to Shinsekai and the Tsutenkaku Observation Tower. So, although there aren’t many food options in the immediate area, you’re not too far from a lot of izakayas, street food snacks, and souvenir shops (including a store dedicated entirely to Pringles).