Yonagoya

The owners were really kind and made sure we had everything we needed. We went for skiing, but the weather wasn't great during our stay. They told us about lots of places we could visit nearby - interesting temples and a fantastic waterfall.

The meals were very good, but I would have preferred a pork hotpot rather than duck. That was my fault for not checking the menu ahead of time.

Room is just beside the river with all the Ryokan amenities. Breakfast & Dinner is delicious.

No English signboard outside the hotel make us have to drive around & ask.

The very best thing about this place is the staff. During all my travels, I have never been met with so much hospitality. It felt like we were being made part of a family. They were so kind and helpful and even drove us to the station and the ATM / Supermarket. The room was traditional Japanese and we had a good night's sleep to the sound of the river that ran below. The tatami beds were comfortable and the rooms were clean. The shared toilets were very clean too. I was surprised to find that the hotel has it's own onsen, which I had all to myself. The communal area is cozy and there's hot water for tea as well as sweets and warm sweet potatoes. There's also a microwave for heating your own food (as well as a fridge / freezer) if you like, but I would recommend the hot pot dinner which was absolutely delicious and filling. We didn't have much snow, but did go skiing for a bit. The ski / snowboard rental (equipment and clothes) is 3 minutes walk away, and the lift up to the mountain is a little further up. You can walk (easy with snowboard boots but less so with skis), but there are convenient mini busses that you can put your skis in that will drive you up to the lift in under 1 minute. If there's no snow, I would recommend going for a hike in the area and taking in the fresh mountain air. Even in winter it's stunning. Golden rice paddies, snow capped mountains and quaint houses dot the roads. When we left we were given a cute photo of our family which the owner took during our dinner, was well as some good bye / thank you sweets. A very nice touch. There is a place to store your luggage after checkout if you want to spend the rest of the day on the slopes or hiking. On top of the above, I can recommend this to travellers looking for an off-the-beaten-track experience. All the people we encountered were locals and few speak English. It's about 3,5 hours from Osaka by train, and there's lots to see along the way.

It would have been better if the ladies toilet was on the same floor as our room. We didn't bring any slippers, which meant we were a bit cold walking around just on our socks. You have to take off your shoes when entering the house. So maybe bring a pair of slippers when you stay over, or bring some extra thick socks.

Need a proper signage is very hard to find the property and need hot water for the basin. our hand is freezing when we wash face or wash hand. overall is a very pleasant and nice stay. owner super helpful and even we arrive late they ready the dinner for us. we feel super warm

is peaceful