On October 20, 2026, Guesthouse Pongyi was featured in the Hokkoku Shimbun, a local newspaper in Kanazawa, with the headline “Japan’s No. 1 Small Guesthouse for Travelers to Connect.”
The newspaper interviewed us after Pongyi was ranked No. 1 in Hostelz.com’s “25 Best Hostels in Japan 2026.”
The article shares our story since opening in 2009 and how we have always valued bringing travelers together.
We received this wonderful recognition thanks to all the guests who have stayed with us and everyone who has supported Pongyi over the years. We are truly grateful to you all.
We hope to continue welcoming travelers from around the world and creating warm connections in our small traditional Japanese guesthouse in Kanazawa.
Since opening in 2009, Pongyi has always valued connecting people and creating warm relationships.
At the heart of this is “Make Yourself Your True Work,” a way of life that our founder, Masaki, believes in.
We would like to share the story of how our small guesthouse began and the values that are important to us.
Read more here:
“Make Yourself Your True Work” | The Story Behind Pongyi