Pension Mermaid

A seaside pension right in front of Hishagaura Beach, with a garden of lawn and palm trees

This is a small pension along Hishagaura Beach in Tateyama, Chiba, with a tropical-feeling garden of lawn and palm trees. It operates with a maximum of 5 guest rooms in use (7 rooms in total), and you can choose between Western-style twin rooms and Japanese-Western rooms, which pair a Japanese-style tatami room with a Western-style space. Hishagaura Beach, right out front, is only about a 2-minute walk away, so the pension works as a base for swimming, beachcombing, surfing and bodyboarding. All rooms are non-smoking, and smoking is permitted only on the outdoor terrace.

All three baths are private-hire, and the second floor has a natural-onsen view open-air bath

There are 3 baths in the building, and because all of them are used as private-hire baths, you can bathe without running into other guests. The private-hire view open-air bath on the second floor is a natural onsen, a sodium bicarbonate spring (black water) that rises at Hishagaura, and it goes by the name Senri no Yu. It has a terrace, so you can soak while looking out at the sea, a sky full of stars and the moon. It is available from 2 p.m., and for the natural onsen a bathing tax of 150 yen applies to adults only. The 2 baths on the first floor are artificial hot springs containing the natural minerals black silica and bakuhanseki, and they can be used 24 hours a day. Staying guests can use the private-hire open-air bath free of charge.

Handmade daily dishes built around that day's local fish

Dinner is original cooking made with local ingredients, served with sashimi of fish caught locally that day. The owners make a point of never serving the same meal twice, however many times you stay, and a dinner is made up of meat, fish, sashimi, salad, gratin or stew, and dessert. Breakfast is American-style, with bread, soup, an egg dish, salad and fruit. Changing the menu for allergies or food dislikes may incur a charge, and the pension states that it cannot accommodate severe allergies, because allergenic ingredients are handled in the same kitchen.

Spending time with children, and the playroom

The pension has a playroom stocked with games and manga, where children can spend a rainy day or a spare moment in the evening. There is also the wide lawn garden to play in, and on clear nights a stargazing session is held (canceled in strong winds or when the moon is full). Children aged 3 and over stay at a children's rate rather than by co-sleeping, and please note that children under 3 are accepted only once they are out of diapers.

Access and parking

By car, it is about 15 km and 25 minutes from Tomiura IC on the Futtsu-Tateyama Road, via National Route 127 and the Tateyama Bypass. Watching for the Seven-Eleven in Fujiwara and turning right there makes it easy to find. By train or highway bus, travel as far as Tateyama Station on the JR Uchibo Line; buses from Tateyama Station are very infrequent and inconvenient, so coming by car is recommended. Parking is free for 20 cars. Check-in is at 2 p.m. (6 p.m. at the latest), and checkout is at 10 a.m.