Nikko Toyama Forest House

Secluded Nature Traditional japanese house experience Cozy

Can get cold (even with heater on)

In a nice spot right outside of town. Clean, roomy and well stocked. Good kitchen.

The house was unheated when we got there and took quite a while to build up radiant heat. The first night there was too cold.

Spacious for family of four. Very peaceful.

The house was freezing, uncomfortably cold. Eventually the aircon warmed up the house by the second day but the bathroom remained freezing making showering very unpleasant. The house is a long way out of town. We thought we would be able to use taxis but getting a taxi was very hit and miss and we felt quite stranded as there is nowhere to eat close by. It is also a very steep walk back from town if you chose to walk, and a good 45min +. Wouldn’t recommend unless you have a car. Also my son had a major allergic reaction (asthmatic, with sensitivities to mold and dust mite) whilst staying, with the upstairs room causing a greater reaction.

proximity of the house to local attractions are very near. Its a nice 3LDK, 2 tatami rooms on 2F, and a hiroen with 2 beds of 1F, shoji screens along around, an engawa overlooking the garden, beautiful house! It has a huge smartTV with Netflix. Kids loved it. the dining table doubles as my working place. Felt right at home. Bath was amazing! shower pressures good, and the house is fully stocked. It was really like home that we 'knew' where things were, extra tissues, supplies, extra light bulbs, batteries... felt like a family home that we have not came back for a long time. When we came it was end of December, luckily all heating works, and the house was comfortable, and have that cozy warm homely feeling to it.

On the first night, while with my wife at 1F room, there was knocking on the glass sliding door TAP TAP TAP... We thought it was our kids, but my daughter watching TV, my son in tub. We slip the curtain and used the torchlight, it was dark and cold, it could not have been anyone outside. We didnt bother about it until there was a second tapping, there really wasnt anyone outside. We thought maybe its the wind... until suddenly the power went out! gave me chills to the bones... and without doing anything, after a few seconds, everything came back on again. This got my attention. We had dinner and put the kids to bed on 2F. After the kids was asleep, we were doing prayers, and right after we were done, BAM! power when out again! I almost peed in my pants. We texted the host, and was assured its not a problem. This power issue continues happening every now and then for the rest of the 3 nights we were there. In the morning, we opened up everything and aired the house a little, and brought some daylight in. The house had plenty of it. The house seemed to have a huge garden, but we didnt access it, it wasnt kept properly. It also looked like the house once had a terrace decking, which was removed. We could see the planks being stashed on one side of the house. It would have been nice to sit out there and have breakfast. It snowed in Nikko that day, we were out the entire day. When we came back, the gas heater went out. We complained, and was instructed to reset the meter. Something that I never had to do for all the time i've lived in Japan. Probably happens often even when we had nothing turned on the entire day. At the back of the house is a locked parking garage. We could look into it from the bath room and the kitchen window, the space looked creepy. We pretended its not there. We left without any incidents. I guess its just the character of an old house. We'd book the house again, although...we never figured out what made the knocking.

Property is quiet and clean. Just far enough out of town that you don’t hear traffic, but close enough to walk if you need anything.

It was very comfortable

Very clean and well equipped. Cosy and spacious. Decent wifi. Quiet place. Well prepared guide.

Umbrellas would be nice. And US/EU adapters. But those are minor things.

We absolutely loved everything! The house combines traditional Japanese style with modern features. It's situated in a quiet area, just a few minutes walk from Shinkyo Bridge and several other attractions. The host provided us with a detailed map of nearby sights, along with personal recommendations.