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If completing the Kumano Kodo trail makes up a part of your travel plans, you have probably heard of Tanabe. Tanabe is the second largest city in Wakayama and home to several major stops along the Kumano Kodo. Although during the pilgrimage along this spiritual trail you are most likely to visit only the mountainous areas of Tanabe, we highly recommend you travel further down the city’s urban centre and spend a day or two at The Cue, one of the nicest guest houses you’ll come across while visiting Japan.
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
The Cue is the brainchild of a group of local creatives, who dreamt of creating a space for local creatives and travelers to connect while enjoying the slow pace vibe of Tanabe’s central narrow streets. With the help of a crowdfunding initiative, the group found the perfect location for their dream house in the Minato area of Tanabe and right next to the lively Ajikoji yokocho district, and turned an 80-year old house into a beautiful “hoso backyard house”.
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
From the moment you step into The Cue, you feel its warmth and the welcoming vibe. The white walls mixed with the wooden touches, and the raised tatami rooms create a cozy atmosphere that is complemented with the cute welcome signs in each of the rooms and the friendly smile of the house’s staff. There are three rooms available for traveling guests and also a 2nd floor sharehouse for those planning a longer stay in Tanabe. Past the rooms, a high-ceiling lounge and the kitchen are common areas inside the guesthouse where you can wind down or interact with other guests. The highlight of the lounge is that it connects to the backyard via a wide sliding door which is opened wide during the warmer days of the year, creating an oasis of fun in the middle of the city centre.
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
The fun does not end at the lounge. Sharing the backyard with the guesthouse, is the cafe and bar, and frankly speaking, the place where guests are most like to spend the nights while staying at The Cue. Being open to both overnight guests and to locals, this is where most of the fun goes down at The Cue. Weekends is usually when the crowds gather till the early morning hours but pretty much any night, it is here where you’ll have a chance to mingle both with the staff, and a unique mix of locals and other travelers.
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
But mingling is not the only thing you’ll be doing at the bar. Although not a full-on dinner menu, The Cue does offer several interesting dishes and a generous selection of Umeshu, because you are indeed in Wakayama. One dish that is both unique and delicious is the grilled deer meat, which is becoming a trend in the region and is served with The Cue’s very own salts. If deer meat is not your thing, there are other tasty dishes on the menu also made with local ingredients. And if you want to add even more excitement to the night, step out of The Cue for a bit and explore the Ajikoji streets which are just around the block.
![Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe]()
Stay at The Cue Guesthouse in Tanabe
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