関西国際空港から日本にやって来る外国人観光客にとっては、大阪は海外からの玄関口です。また京都・奈良・神戸など、外国人に人気のある観光地にもアクセスしやすい便利な場所です。“食いだおれ”の街として食のバラエティを楽しむことができ、人も親切で、安心してナイトライフを楽しめる大阪は、近年外国人にとっても人気ある街になりつつあるようで、外国人観光客数は年々増えてきています。
　 そうした流れを受けて、在阪のホテルは宿泊客獲得に向けたアピールに力を入れ始めていますが、一方で近年、“ゲストハウス”と呼ばれる、バックパッカー向けのリーズナブルな宿泊施設が大阪に増えてきています。それらは交通の便が良い場所であったり、日本の古民家を活用した和める空間であったり、宿泊者同士の交流が図れたり、長期滞在にも適したサービスを提供していたりと、様々な魅力を提供しています。今回は大阪に増えつつあるゲストハウス事情についてレポートします。

For foreign travelers who enter Japan Kansai International Airport, Osaka is the gateway from overseas. And Osaka is located a convenient place to access Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, the famous sightseeing place among foreigners. Recently Osaka itself becomes to be a popular city for foreigners because natives are kindly and people can enjoy various kinds of foods and safe nightlife. The number of foreign tourists increases year by year.?

　 Responding to that situation, hotels in Osaka began to focus on appealing to foreign guests. On the other hand, the number of the reasonable accommodations for backpackers called “Guesthouse” increases recently in Osaka. These accommodations offer various attractions such as convenient location, comfortable space utilizing Japanese old house, the atmosphere easy to mingle with other guests, the equipments suitable for long-stay traveler. This time we inform you the updated situation of Guesthouse in Osaka.

　大阪のユースホステルは従来、服部緑地・長居公園など、都心からは少し離れた場所に位置していたのですが、2004年に、新大阪駅から徒歩5分のところに｢新大阪ユースホステル｣がオープンしました。大阪市青少年文化創造ステーションの上層階にあり、ドミトリー（相部屋）や和室など計23室に126名が宿泊できます。新しくて綺麗なだけでなく、旅行客をお世話するボランティアスタッフがさまざまなイベントを企画するなど熱心に活動しており、国際ユースホステル協会の「宿泊者評価ランキング」では国内トップ、世界でも５位となっています。門限があるなど、ユースホステルならではの制約もあります。

■The youth hostel located near the center of the city
　Previously the youth hostels in Osaka are located at some distance from the center of the city like Hattori-Ryokuchi and Nagai-Koen, but in 2004 “Shin-Osaka Youth Hostel” was opened at 5 minutes on foot from Shin-Osaka Station. This hostel is located on the Osaka City youth culture creation station, and 126 people can stay in 23 rooms such as dormitory room and Japanese-style room. It won the 1st place in Japan, and the 5th place in the world in the lodgers evaluation ranking by International Youth Hostels Association held this year according to the existence of a new, beautiful equipment and ardent volunteer staffs etc. On the other hand, they have the restriction of youth hostel such as curfew.

Shin-Osaka Youth Hostel
1-13-13 Higashi-Nakajima, Higashiyodogawa-ku Osaka　Tel:06-6370-5427　
http://www.osaka-yha.com/shin-osaka/

　近年外国人宿泊客を増やしているのが、新今宮駅周辺のビジネスホテルです。この地域の簡易宿泊所組合では「大阪の安い宿」というパンフレットを日英併記で発行し、海外からの観光客誘致に力を入れています。
　新今宮駅前には労働センターがあり、日雇い労働者向けの仕事を斡旋していることから、労働者のための簡易宿泊所が集積していますが、90年代以降、バブル経済の崩壊、公共事業の縮小により仕事が減り、また労働者が高齢化したことにより、これらの宿泊所の空室率が上昇していました。地域の宿泊施設では新たな取り組みとして、ウェブサイトの多言語化、フロントでの英語対応など、外国人宿泊客へのサービス提供に力を入れています。関西国際空港から電車１本で来ることができ、京都・奈良へのアクセスも便利なことから、このエリアに泊まる外国人観光客数は年々増えてきています。

■Shin-Imamiya is becoming foreign tourist's base.
The economy hotels around Shin-Imamiya Station have increased the number of foreigner guests in recent years. The union of the hotels in this region issued the brochure "Osaka Shin-Imamiya Guesthouse for Budget Tourists" and introduced 13 hotels by a Japanese-English description. They make efforts to attract the travelers from foreign countries.
The cheap lodging house for the worker had accumulated in this area because there was a labor center in front of Shin-Imamiya Station and mediated the works for daily workers. But after 1990’s,
the vacancy factor of these lodgings rose because of the burst of the economic bubble, work decrease caused by reducing the public works and the aging of workers. The accommodations in the area make efforts to provide the service for the foreigner guests such as multi-lingualization of the website and the English response in the reception desk. The access from Kansai International airport and to Kyoto and Nara are very convenient, so the number of foreign tourists who stay at this area has increased every year. ??

Hotel Chuo
Taishi Nishinari-ku Osaka　 Tel:06-6647-7561　http://www.hotel-chuo.com/

Located in front of the east gate of Shin-Imamiya Station. The charge is \2,600〜.
Equipped with TV set, fridge, air-conditioner, public bath, private shower for individuals, internet.

■If you want communications…
It’ has happened recently that individual owners renovate Japanese old house and start non-large-scale guesthouse about ten people can stay. Most owners used to be backpackers and have traveled around foreign countries, and they wanted to make a dormitory where the backpackers can stay readily and exchange among the guests in Osaka. They offer local information the traveler can’t get easily and provide fine services.

SUMO BACKPACKERS　1-11-28 Nakatsu Kita-ku Osaka　Tel:06-6374-1423　
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/SumoBackpackers-Osaka-6480

The dormitory opened in 2003, renovated old temple house. It is in a convenient place of one minute from subway Nakatsu Station. Number of accommodation : 10. Most guests are foreigners because they send information only in English.

Guesthouse U-en
1-5-8 Uemachi Chuo-ku Osaka
Tel:06-7503-4394　 http://www .u-en.net

Two women redecorated the old house and opened the guesthouse in this July. It is in the 2nd floor of regional exchange space named “Yui”. In the 1st floor is located a cafe and an antique shop and the regional people gathers. Equipped with 2 rooms, the private room and sharing room (by gender). The number of accommodation is 11people.

Peace House Showa
2-8-4 San’ou Tennoji-ku Osaka
Now under renovation. They will start as a women’s hostel in December 16th.

日本には長期滞在者用の、居住型のゲストハウスもあります。敷金・礼金が不要で、気軽に入居できることから、長期旅行者のほか、ワーキングホリデーを活用して日本に来た人たちも活用しています。ここではキッチン・テレビ・トイレ・シャワーなど、生活に必要な設備を充実させたアパート型ゲストハウスを紹介します。

■Resident type guesthouse for long stayer
There is a guesthouse of the residence type for a long-term stayer in Japan, too. The people who came to Japan using working holiday besides the long trip person because they don’t require deposit and key money and easy to move in. Here we introduce the apartment type guesthouses where equipment necessary for life such as kitchen, TV set, toilet, shower are enhanced.

Orange house
1-21-19 Hannan-cho Abeno-ku Osaka　Tel:06-6627-0790
http://www.oct.zaq.ne.jp/orange/topen.htm

The guesthouse for long stayer equipped with compartment established in 1991. The nearest station is Fuminosato, Tanimachi subway line. The room style is four-and-a-half-mat room and three-mat room of wooden floor. Each room equips with kitchen, TV set, air-conditioner, fridge, cupboard, internet cables etc. The number of room : 30 Rent : \55,000 There is a common room of 60-mats on the roof of the building and the stayers exchange mutually.

Lemon House
1-2-2 Nipponbashi Chuo-ku Osaka　Tel:090-5655-1050　
http://www.oct.zaq.ne.jp/orange/lemontop.html

This is the dormitory type guesthouse for long stayer, established in 2006 by the owner of Orange House. It is located in the upper floor of the building where the yakitori shop named "Iccho" exists in the first floor, and there is a common room on the roof of the building. Capacity for one room is 4 people. Lodging expense is \12,000 per week, \39,000 per month. Kitchen, toilet, shower are equipped.