Nihon-No-Ashitaba

We booked the "Kihoshisou" room. We originally thought it would have a Western-style bed, making it easier for my 80-year-old mother to get up and down, but the bed was on the second floor, requiring a steep wooden ladder – a miscalculation! She ended up sleeping on the Japanese tatami mats on the floor, which was very inconvenient as there was no one to help her get up in the middle of the night. The room was also quite far from the restaurant and the hot spring bath, which was really inconvenient. The road was just a wall away, and I had seen negative reviews about this before, but thankfully I didn't encounter any construction noise early in the morning. The overall room layout and furniture had a vintage feel, more like the owner's collection, and weren't very convenient or practical for guests. The large open-air bath, which requires reservations, was truly fantastic, offering a panoramic view of Mount Yufu. The other bath, which didn't require reservations, was terrible – a small, square pool that we immediately skipped. There were also five private, Showa-era style bathhouses, each with its own unique charm – highly recommended! The onsen eggs outside the bathhouses were also excellent! Breakfast and dinner are arguably the hotel's best highlights, with outstanding tableware, flavors, presentation, and service that make up for any shortcomings in the facilities.

The large public bath was the best!! Hahaha. Going at night really made me feel like the Fairy and the Woodcutter, having it all to myself with just my family. I was so happy. The yukatas were so pretty, and the staff were friendly too~!

This was fantastic! It was my first time experiencing full Japanese service and dining, and the scenery was beautiful too! The service was excellent 🥳, and making reservations for the private hot spring was very convenient. The hotel offers a shuttle service, which you can book in advance.

This is one of my dream hotels, and my whole family was extremely satisfied. The hotel owner searched all over Japan for old houses and rebuilt them on this small hill. Each room is unique, an independent villa with a meticulously maintained garden. Our room even had its own private onsen (hot spring bath). The entire decor perfectly fulfilled all my long-held fantasies and dreams of traditional Japanese houses. The service was also incredibly attentive. From check-in, we received professional and warm Japanese service. A staff member knelt down to explain everything to us and arranged our reservation for the forest onsen. The two meals included with the stay were also amazing. One breakfast and dinner were even arranged in their most distinctive tatami room, decorated with artwork by an artist from the University of Tokyo's School of Fine Arts. The dining experience was delightful. The staff member, despite her limited English, did her best to explain everything and even interacted lovingly with the children. The hotel has eight onsen baths, and we booked the Forest Bath four times, which was the most stunning bath of the entire trip. Surrounded by mountains and forests, with views of towering peaks across the way, and filled with birdsong and tranquility, you could easily spend a whole day relaxing here without even leaving the hotel. In addition, there are free hot spring eggs served daily, which you can scoop out and eat yourself after soaking in the hot spring. In short, it was so wonderful that we want to go again.

A fantastic hotel with a huge bathtub. Dinner and breakfast were both excellent.