Boutique Hotels Imabari

Welcome to Ōmishima! Benton Guesthouse is a former abandoned 'akiya' which is now our beautiful Shōwa-era private full-house rental. It's furnished 'natsukashii' nostalgic style, conveniently located in the middle of the Shimanami Kaido. Many of the vintage belongings were carefully restored and used to decorate this house. We hope guests will enjoy stepping back in time, with a few modern amenities. The furnishings are simple, era-appropriate, and true to the history of the home. Our goal was to create a 'living museum' for guests to touch and explore. PRIVATE RENTAL HOUSE: We only rent to one group of guests at a time. There are no "shared spaces". You have private access to all living spaces: 1 Western-style bedroom suite, 2+ Japanese-style bedrooms, 2 living rooms, full kitchen, bathroom (toilet room, laundry room, bath and shower room), 'doma' entrance room, and traditional 'engawa'. BEDROOM: Western-Style Bedroom Suite (Downstairs): Sleeps 2 in a 'double' size western-style bed. YES, air conditioning and heat. BEDROOM: Japanese-Style Bedroom Suite (Downstairs): Sleeps 6 on Japanese floor mats, with tatami mat flooring. This room is next to the 'engawa' sunroom. YES, air conditioning and heat. BEDROOM: Japanese-Style Bedroom (Upstairs): Sleeps 4 on Japanese floor mats with tatami mat flooring. Large wooden windows can be opened for a breeze. YES, air conditioning and heat. FULL KITCHEN: We have a 2-burner stovetop, cookware, rice cooker, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, blender, dishes, glasses, silverware. Also, a Keurig coffee maker and instant hot water kettle, with complimentary coffee pods and tea bags. YES, air conditioning and heat. BATH & SHOWER ROOM: We now have both a bathtub and a shower. TOILET: We now have one full-bathroom and one half-bath. The second toilet has a bidet. COOLING: For the summer, we have air conditioning in all bedrooms, living rooms, and throughout. HEATING: For the winter, we have a mix of modern electric and kerosene heat. In traditional Japanese style, we have a cozy 'kotatsu' heated table, 'hanten' house jackets, and slippers. For extra warmth, the bedding closet has more blankets than you could ever need. TV: We have a vintage TV with a classic Shōwa-era gaming console (Nintendo Famicom), plugged in, and ready to play! There is no broadcast or cable TV. RECORD PLAYER: We have a vintage record player. The controls are simple, and we trust guests to carefully enjoy our record collection. NEIGHBORHOOD: The Kamiura-cho Inokuchi neighborhood is located on the east side of Ōmishima island. It's close to both bridges, which makes it very conveniently located for guests cycling the Shimanami Kaido. We have one grocery store (closed on Sunday) and a handful of delightful restaurants. OUTSIDE: You have access to our semi-private side yard, and our vegetable garden. You're welcome to walk through our flower and vegetable garden! Please, enjoy some veggies, if they're in season. YOUR HOSTS: We’re Evan & Dani Benton. We're American; we both grew up in Oregon, then lived in Louisiana, then Mexico. Now we've planted our roots permanently on Ōmishima island. We live in Japan as two foreigners thanks to the Startup & Business Manager visa, which is based entirely on the success of our small business, Benton Homestead: honeybees, guesthouse, and natural farm. We're also renovating our own house, a former ryokan abandoned for 40 years!