Experience the perfect blend of budget-friendly comfort and authentic Japanese hospitality at Towadako Backpackers (十和田湖バックパッカーズ), a cozy lakeside retreat in the heart of the Yasumiya district. Just a 5-minute walk from the shores of Lake Towada and the JR Bus terminal, this family-run hostel is a favorite among hikers, solo travelers, and nature enthusiasts exploring Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Whether you are relaxing on the wood-cabin balcony with mountain views, fueling up with complimentary breakfast, or using their free rental bicycles to scout for photography spots along the Oirase Stream, Towadako Backpackers offers a warm, “home-away-from-home” atmosphere. With easy access to the nearby Towada-so Onsen and the ancient Towada Shrine, it is the ultimate base for experiencing the raw beauty of Aomori without breaking the bank!
Tip: For a fancier stay at Lake Towada, Towadaso (十和田荘) nearby is a good option.
About Towadako Backpackers
Towadako Backpackers is a family-run business that has offered budget-friendly accommodation for many years. Because the hostel receives many foreign guests, there are more English signs than the Japanese ones! But note that the staff speak only basic English. We recommend downloading one of the Translation Apps before arrival.
The hostel has a couple of different room types, including twin rooms, mixed and female-only dormitories, triple rooms, and quadruple rooms. You can also bring a tent and camp in its huge backyard.
If you are interested in water sports such as boating and canoeing on Lake Towada, the staff can assist you in arranging tours. When we arrived, the staff called Guriland RIB Tour on our behalf to reserve our spots, as we hadn’t made a booking beforehand and there weren’t any public payphones.
The Facilities at Towadako Backpackers
The hostel has two floors, each with a communal kitchen and toilets. The two shower rooms are located on the ground floor. As it only costs 500 yen to utilize the hot spring facility at Towadaso nearby, most guests won’t shower at Towada Backpackers.
Tip: It is cheaper to rent a bath towel and a face towel at Towadako Backpackers than at Towadaso.
The washing machine and dryer are on the second floor. If you want to use it, remember to put coins into the money tin. The cost is written on the machine in English. It was 200 yen per use per machine when we were there.
Moreover, bicycles can be rented for free. But as they aren’t electric-assisted, cycling back to the hostel will be tiring. We ended up pushing the bicycles back (´▽｀*).
Overall, the building and the facilities are old. While the room and beds are clean, it would be helpful if the staff could tidy the kitchen, toilets, and bathrooms. Also, the soundproofing is poor. You can clearly hear the sounds and footsteps from the hallway. Keep this in mind if you are a light sleeper. That said, we found the beds to be comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep.
Important: There are no lockers at Towadako Backpackers. If you stay in the mixed dormitory, keep your valuables with you at all times.
Arriving and Checking in at Towadako Backpackers
Because we didn’t want to use the luggage forward service, we took the first JR Bus, Mizuumi-go, from Aomori to Yasumiya and dropped off our belongings at Towadako Backpackers around 11 am. As it wasn’t the typical check-in hours, there was no staff at the reception. But fortunately, the family’s grandma was in the living area in the office.
That said, somehow it didn’t appear to her that we were hostel guests, even though she saw us with our luggage from the window.
Nevertheless, she came around after we had a two-night booking. Interestingly, the hostel got our name wrong on their register, making it hard to confirm our reservation. But everything was resolved after the grandma called the young staff down. He explained what we need to know about staying at the hostel and gave us a brief tour of the property.
Luckily, the young staff have finished cleaning our room. So, we were able to check in early. Otherwise, we would need to leave our belongings near the reception that wasn’t secured. The young staff even helped us move the luggage upstairs!
We paid the first night with our Wise Card, and were asked to check with the owner for when to pay for the second night when we see her. The owner didn’t seem to care much about when we made the payment, as her response was, “Oh, just whenever it is convenient for you” (´▽｀*).
Dinner at Towadako Backpackers
Bara-yaki (バラ焼き) set meal provided by Towadako Backpackers to its guests. The staff will check if you need dinner upon check-in. It is currently priced at 1,000 yen per set. The set comes with two side dishes and soup. Rice is self-serve, and feel free to get more if one bowl isn’t enough.
There are also self-brewed sake and a few other alcoholic options for a small extra cost.
Bara-yaki is a popular, savory Japanese dish from Aomori Prefecture consisting of beef short ribs and a large volume of onions marinated in a sweet soy-based sauce and grilled on a hot iron plate.
Tip: Towadako Backpackers was able to replace the main dish with stir-fried vegetables for us.
Towadako Backpackers’ Communal Kitchen
If their dinner menu doesn’t appeal to you, there is a small grocery shop near the hostel where you can source ingredients to cook at the communal kitchen. The fridge is small, though. So, don’t buy too much as others might need some fridge space, too.
Towadako Backpackers have one communal kitchen per floor. The kitchens aren’t the cleanest, but at least the utensils and crockery are all there, including dishwashing liquid. There is a stove-top kettle as well.
Even if you choose to self-cook, you are welcome to dine in the lounge and dining room.
Tips:
☛ If you can’t find the utensils/crockery you need, the other communal kitchen might have them.
☛ We were only charged 130 yen for the unlimited rice from Towadako Backpackers.
Breakfast at Towadako Backpackers
A complimentary breakfast is provided to all guests at Towadako Backpackers. During our stay, toasts, boiled eggs, corn flakes, coffee, milk, butter, jam, and margarine were provided. While nothing fancy was provided, we were grateful to have free food to start our day.
When the hostel is fully booked, the dining space/lounge can fill up quickly as soon as breakfast time starts. As there were only two toasters, there was always a queue to use them when we were in the lounge room. Thus, if you plan to head out early, it is best to head to the lounge at around 6:45 am so you won’t be stuck in the toaster queue.
As we don’t eat eggs, we used the communal kitchen to boil tofu for ourselves. It is perfectly fine to bring your own food to the lounge to enjoy alongside what is provided by Towadako Backpackers.
Tip: If something has run out, let the staff know. They will bring out more.
Our Room at Towadako Backpackers
We stayed in one of Towadako Backpackers’ twin rooms. The room is rather spacious, and there is a small area at the entrance where we can spread out our luggage without any problems. While it didn’t come with a lakeside view, the magnificent mountains of the Hakkoda Mountain Range were visible through the window.
There was a clothes rack and a couple of hooks on the wall, which was the perfect setting to dry our laundry. Moreover, the air conditioner not only made our stay warmer during Lake Towada’s chill autumn but also dried our clothes faster (´▽｀*).
A clean flat sheet and pillowcase were left on the bed for us to make our beds. As the fitted sheet had been put onto the mattress for us, it didn’t take long before we could comfortably lie on the beds. Since the beds aren’t futons, they were comfortable enough for us.
As it is a hostel, you will need to make your bed with the sheets and pillowcases provided. Before checking out, please leave the used bed sheets and pillowcases in the collection box in the hallway.
How to Get to Towadako Backpackers
Towadako Backpackers is a 7-minute walk from JR Bus Towadako Station (JRバス十和田湖駅), the bus terminal in Yasumiya.
For information on how to get to Lake Towada from Aomori Station between spring and autumn and JR Hachinohe Station throughout the year, please refer to our article on How to Get to the Picturesque Oirase Gorge (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
Discover What to Do Around Lake Towada
Now you know a good place to crush for the night, it is time to find out what you can do during the day! Whether you are embarking on a sightseeing cruise from Yasumiya, seeking spiritual energy at the ancient Towada Shrine, or witnessing the legendary “fire foliage” reflecting on the water in autumn, Lake Towada offers a breathtaking escape into northern Japan’s wild interior.
For more information, please refer to our article on Lake Towada (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
