I’ve stayed in hostels in the UK and Ireland and this is different in enough ways to make it interesting and very clean.
Each guest is assigned a bunk, which is actually pretty much a box that you sleep in. However, it is big enough to be really comfortable and easy to get in and out.
Outside of this, each person also has a space to store items and there is room between the boxes and a curtain, so there is space to change without having to go out into the full communal area (there are up to four sleeping pods in any one area, so this space isn’t totally private).
The welcome upon arrival was extremely friendly and the girl who met us spoke excellent English.
The facilities were spotless (two toilets, two showers and a row of sinks) and you can hire towels, but toothbrushes and use the laundry very reasonably.
In terms of location, it is a very short walk from both Tonda Station and Settsu-Tonda (which is on the JR Line between Osaka and Kyoto - remember to get the local train if you want to get off here).
In terms of security, although there is no overnight staff and it is not always manned during the day, we felt it was safe to leave our belongings when we headed out for the day. You need both a four digit code and your fingerprint to get in.
One down side was that you need to climb a flight of stairs to get to the entrance. We had a large case among our luggage, though I’m fortunate that I am strong enough to lift it for that distance.
