I thought the place was nice. It's quite the distance away from the closest station and very far from the nearest city but if you like that sort of thing then it's perfect. The room I stayed in looked like it was infested with ladybugs but they don't really bother you once you turn off the lights. Having a car is probably better for this place since everything is so far away. There's no store or restaurant nearby so you'll have to eat at the hostel which I personally did not mind. The staff however, will provide a shuttle service to Mashu station if you let them know in advance. However, it seems like this place would be better to stay at in the summer since there appears to be a lot of hiking trails in the area.