Japan’s Strangest Hostel? Sleeping in a Japanese School in Magome 🇯🇵 (Budget Travel)

Japan’s Strangest Hostel? Sleeping in a Japanese School in Magome 🇯🇵 (Budget Travel)

oh hey Hey Where are you we are in Mome Oh my god it’s crazy We took a train and a bus Honestly very smooth from Kyoto And we’re here We got dropped off like kind of on the side of the road Yeah it’s work in progress I think they’re like rebuilding the bus station is the vibe I get But it’s quiet and it’s like absolutely beautiful We both have just been walking like this It’s gorgeous here Like I love it here But this is what we need We We like the mountains you know like just some cities are fun Oh my god I don’t think we’re going to do a ton here but explore Yeah We only have 48 hours We’re staying in arguably one of our coolest accommodations and we will Yeah Sorry I’m just like look at the back I’m so excited to be here Welcome to Mome [Music] This is just a parking lot We haven’t even done anything We’re just We just walked from the bus station We’ve only been here for about 10 minutes and this is my favorite place in Japan Set it here for It’s incredible I know it’s very popular to hike through here if you do the the post town route but other than that I really don’t think people make it here There’s a couple tour buses but they probably just like stopped through here right yeah Just like a little day lunch spot Wow Just a girl in her shed She likes this shed It’s pretty cool Mome over this town It’s beautiful Wow I’m pumped I don’t even know what this building is but it’s it’s magical This is where we’re staying It’s an old school that still has the shape of a school but they’ve turned it into like a guest house Wow Here we are And view And yeah that’s just Here we are Hello Hello This is the coolest thing ever Literally like shoe cubbies Like you come in and then this probably was like the principal’s office which is now the lounge Wow Oh my god There’s a slide outside There’s a kitchen that used to be a classroom Fellow Canadians have been here Dropped off our bags And the lady at the front desk very helpful Yeah She gave us a little map We said “Where can we eat?” And she said “Well there’s only one restaurant open for lunch and one restaurant open for dinner.” So we’re going to go scope out the lunch spot and then find a coffee as well Yeah But there’s all So many of you say restaurant I I don’t know But the reviews online say that this is true I’m going to believe her But okay we’ll see Okay see you in a minute We are at the only restaurant lunch restaurant in the in the town called the city Honestly looks great Prices are really good Yeah cheap I think I’m going to get duck Classic Didn’t get a video before but it’s We were too hungry So good It was amazing Oh my god I give it like a 9 out of 10 Really really good Honestly I would say Now we’re going to go find coffee We’re going to come back here tomorrow cuz it’s the only thing that’s open There’s a lot of logistics going into our next well this destination and then our next Uh and I just wanted to shout out the tourist information center They hooked us up and helped us book a bus Yeah they were amazing I just like they got me in touch with a guy on the phone and the guy on the phone just like set up the reservation and We have no ticket We’re just showing up But he said that it’s fine and that the bus will be there in 2 days time for us And we will get on that bus And if we don’t we will I’m We will 100% And they were they were such a a nice couple and they’re awesome Okay let’s go [Music] Yes This place is incredible H said this place is incredible That coffee Yeah Just in the mountains Cutest little coffee shop Oh my god So cool Wow I just want to sit here all day as Mount Ena Top of it is little cloud covered but beautiful up here Really not that many people [Music] Wow Shout out to the local sake shop This is going to be Sam’s first bottle of saki And I think we’re going to drink it cold cuz you wouldn’t like it hot Are you supposed to drink it hot it’s It’s either served hot Oh my god I’ve had it when we were in Rebel Stoke with Jake I did not like it But when in Japan I think I want it cold Yeah Yeah I think I had it hot at that sushi place So that’s why she got a walk in a sack Welcome to our old classroom that is now a hostel dorm Pretty cool Sucasa Mikasa Lovely Lots of storage space It’s a locker like in your thing Pretty cool Pretty cool Wow A functioning gymnasium But there is a sports team here and they’re practicing So we’re going to let him practice but I’m definitely coming in here to shoot some hoops Can’t get over it Like every room there’s just an old classroom And I think they people must be sleeping in here just like on the floor Yeah they There’s a basketball team that I showed here this weekend Is it weekend no it’s weekend Whatever Monday Tuesday He said that they’re here for two nights while we’re here But I’m thinking you’re staying like in here on the floor Sorry In English sixth grader’s room Go in Imagine this is your room It would be kind of cool I think it would freak me out a little bit Like there’s too much space I don’t think I’d sleep good at all Yeah but like Yeah How do you turn this into a room i think it’s cool Yeah just a casual walk for dinner One of two restaurants we think We honestly don’t know Yeah we have no idea Maybe there’s no food Maybe we’re eating noodles for dinner I’ll eat anything I will say though that this parking lot worked out very nicely for me ran 6 and a half kilometers in there and these these guys at our hostel saw he running and then when we were all back at the hostel he said they said oh so were you just like running in circles in the parking lot he’s like yep y I did the yoga in the middle of the hostel room I was like I don’t care who cares in one way Good choice Yeah How is the beer we got beef curry with deep fried beef I got a boiled egg for the games Smells amazing It’s beef curry Beef curry man Good afternoon Hi It’s the next day Last night we ended up eating dinner It was amazing We’re going back tonight We made a reservation and then we kind of just hung around the the school and made some friends Shout out to our two friends from Poland and one from Germany Great to meet you and we just had some drinks played some cards and the latest we’ve been up in a long time We normally go to bed so early Yeah I think I was asleep by like 11:30 and I was I was hurting Anyhoo but then we woke up this morning We had a plan to go do a really pretty hike Um but honestly it was raining this morning As you can see it’s very very cloudy So and we had work to catch up on So we just sat It’s what like 12:30 and we’re just getting out now but we got tons of work done We’re going to go get some lunch and walk to the village So we’ll bring you along What a mood Yeah I love it Even though the weather hasn’t been great and we really haven’t done much I I love it here It’s been a nice little chill break Yeah Got a long bus ride tomorrow too So we get kind of two chiller days I will be back for you tomorrow morning parking lot We are back at the same place we came for lunch yesterday and we were remembered to film first So I got the fried chicken and rice Honestly it was just so good And if I like something I’m not going to switch it up Keegan went for a fish platter set So there’s noodles fish cedia set boiled radish other things and other things And it literally smells some duck meat So good It’s going to be good So we’re trying this This is like supposed to be famous in the Mome region Uh go moti I don’t know what it is Mean you really like it yeah Like chicken or is it sweet it’s like a barbecued like moi like dumpling What whoa Now we’re going back to get coffee Hello Oh we have vampire Hello Shout out Hillbilly Coffee Co This place is sweet Yes day Same outfits Much warmer though Much warmer Warmer Definitely more mystic vibes It’s so pretty Yeah Probably one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been in my life There’s bears in there which is crazy to think about Not like black bears from Canada though We met this guy last night who is biking Martin shout out Martin from the UK He um is biking in Japan and he ran into a bear and I was like like very very close Like literally jumped in front of him on his bike Yeah And for a a Brit like never seen Yeah exactly Last time like oh a bear Cuz I’m pretty sure they’re they’re like half the size of like Canadian black bears or North American black bears but still like there’s bears out here You’d be like “What is that?” Crazy Just chilling today Had a cup of coffee No plants Just dinner plans Might shoot some hoops We got a little treat It’s called curry fu Another little local snack It’s like a dough ball with like chestnut We saw yesterday we didn’t get it It’s always funny when he says “You pick the flavor.” And then I said “Okay let’s get chestnut.” And he said “Well actually I wanted the custard cream.” So we got the custard cream Tastes like one of those big tim things that we have Nice This is a little tourist center that really got us out yesterday So we came in because we saw the Well Keian saw these shirts um and has been thinking about them ever since So we came in and he’s buying one He got this one They said only 200 copies and that’s what we ate earlier So we didn’t do much from the time we got back from lunch until we just went out for dinner Went out for dinner with a guy we met here at the hostel And then now we’re going to go play basketball cuz we have a huge basketball court in our hostel which is just so sick I’m out of breath cuz we were already playing but I was like I need the camera So got the camera and let’s see It’s so sick Oh my god That’s so cool Just this entire gym is free to use until I think like 10 or 11 p.m Coolest accommodation ever Oh my gosh it’s so sick Just played basketball for what like got to get my get my hand in the game [Applause] Okay Yeah Anyh who just played basketball for like an hour hour and a half I’m tired with a friend we made and now we’re going to go pack Aspen from Australia Yeah We’re going to go pack up go to bed cuz we’re leaving tomorrow Echo Okay we’ll see you in the morning Watch this Back on the road again Back on Yeah the road again I believe I’m sad to be leaving Like this is crazy But where we’re going next is going to be just as cool if not cooler Don’t jinx it I know but we’ll see Goodbye parking lot Where you ran i think I ran uh 27 laps of that parking lot for 13K in the last three days It’s a lot of fun Amazing No complaints On the bridge we go On the bridge we go On the bridge we go Bridging it Bridging it with my baby Yes You had so much energy for someone who didn’t sleep that good Didn’t sleep that good Woke up at 6:20 Hi Ran a little ran a little 7K Ain’t that right you know what sometimes life gives you lemons And you say “No I want orange juice.” And that was our time in Mon We I loved it here It’s cool A little sad that we couldn’t do like a hike cuz of the weather but honestly we kind of needed the time to relax So we still got like 20,000 steps the first day like 14,00 active and the mountains are just so beautiful But we met some great people the the our accommodation was like the best we stay and it was really fast last night It was fun Um anyh who that’s pretty much it We are on our way to our next destination which will be so exciting and we’ll see you in the next one [Music]

We arrived in Magome, Japan with no plans, no expectations, and a rainy forecast… but what we found was something unforgettable: fresh mountain air, a cozy converted school hostel, and a slow-paced town full of charm.

✨ Here’s what made our 48 hours in Magome so special:
🏔️ Magome Town – A postcard-perfect stop along the Nakasendo Trail
🏫 Magome Furusato Gakkou Hostel – A Japanese primary school turned budget hostel (yes, we slept in a classroom!)
🍜 Tiny-town eats – Two restaurants, both delicious
🫖 Cozy café vibes – Warm drinks + rainy days = pure comfort
⛹🏻‍♂️ Basketball in the gym – The hostel has a full gym (surprise highlight!)
🎒 Wandering with friends – No plan, just exploring
🌧️ Peaceful rainy weather – Made the whole stay feel even more relaxing
🥾 Gateway to the Nakasendo Trail – Perfect base if you’re hiking between Tsumago and Nakatsugawa

📍 Where is Magome?
Located in the Kiso Valley, between Tsumago and Nakatsugawa, Magome is a great off-the-beaten-path stop between Kyoto, Nara, and Tokyo. It’s reachable by local train and bus—totally doable without a car.

🛌 Why stay in Magome?
• Authentic rural Japan experience
• Great for backpackers, hikers, and slow travelers
• Budget-friendly & beautiful
• Unique accommodation in a former Japanese school
• Ideal 1–2 night stop to unwind

This was the refresh we didn’t know we needed. If you’re craving a break from the big cities and want to connect with small-town life in Japan, Magome is it.

🎵 Music Credit:
“Morning Coffee” by Amine Maxwell & Soyb – Free to Use Music
🎧 SFX: Elevator Music via Ultimate Free Sound Effects Channel

📹 Watch for:
• Budget Japan travel tips
• Unique hostels in Japan
• Nakasendo Trail highlights
• Honest travel moments, rain and all

#Magome #JapanTravel #BudgetTravelJapan #NakasendoTrail #RuralJapan #UniqueHostels #SmallTownJapan #MagomeJapan #KisoValley #TravelVlog #BackpackingJapan #HiddenGemsJapan #ConvertedSchoolHostel