As the first stop of my birthday trip, I chose Aso. Having previously worked as a hotel management professional, I had high expectations for the hotel’s facilities and services. My stay at Kakuman Hotel, along with my traveling companions, was thoroughly enjoyable—from check-in to the overall amenities, everything exceeded our satisfaction. The staff we encountered were exceptionally friendly, whether at the front desk or in the restaurant. Additionally, experiencing hot springs for the first time left us feeling deeply relaxed. Thank you to Kakuman Hotel for adding color to my journey.🙏🏼
While every aspect was highly satisfying, there was a minor shortcoming: the majority of diners in the restaurant were Korean tourists. On my second night, a small incident occurred during dinner. The server assigned me a seat where only tableware and a departure-time notice were placed. After I retrieved my food, I found three Korean guests (two elderly individuals and a middle-aged man) preparing to sit there. I was confused whether I had taken the wrong seat or if there was another reason, so I asked the guests. Unexpectedly, the man loudly called over the female server who had arranged the seat and sharply questioned her in Japanese. The server later found me the correct seat, which was at the table adjacent to the three guests. I felt deeply sorry for the female server being unjustly scolded, and I also did not understand why the Korean man needed to accuse her in such a loud tone—I would have been happy to apologize for my misunderstanding.
Regarding the above incident, I would like to offer a suggestion: the tables in the restaurant are each equipped with a bucket of tableware and wet wipes, but there are no numbers or markers to identify the assigned seats. Guests can only rely on placing their own items or memory to remember their seats. I believe I am not the only one who has encountered a similar issue, and the hotel may consider adding markers to each table to make it easier for guests to recognize their assigned seats.
