Yamamizuki Urara Tsutaya

Good location right across from the train station. Small quaint ryokan run by a nice couple. We did not understand 100% what a ryokan entails so it was an interesting experience. Dinner is at 6 and breakfast is at 8. You get a set meal and you need to show up for meals dressed in the gowns that they provide.   Most of it is delicious but some of it may be too adventurous for certain people. There’s plenty of food and many courses served at dinner, so you can find enough to eat. The small onsen is ok with a nice view of the mountains. Our room also had a nice view. I thought that when we booked it for 4 people, we would get a bigger room. However, I realized upon arrival that it was the same as a room for 2 people.  The living area is the same as the sleeping area and they just converted it by laying out sleeping mats while we were at dinner. There was barely enough room to open our luggage and we had to step on the sleeping areas to get across the room. I should have just booked 2 rooms and it would have cost the same.

The property is located just opposite the train station. We arrived at 9:30 am, did the check-in procedure, and then left luggage there so that we were luggage-free when we went on hiking on one of the section of the Nakasendo. We did not have to explain, the host simply accepted our luggage gracefully. The breakfast and dinner were delicious. The host and staff were very polite and helpful. Some of the staff spoke very good English and explained to us the different types of sauces for each dish. I think the facilities could be made better with some simple adjustments. The room was a bit small, we knew that when we made booking. However, I think the room could be more roomly if not so many furnitures were put in the room. The public bath room was small. If someone is having a shower, the water could easily splash into the bath water and persons sitting in the bath. I suggest the host to change the male and female baths into 2 private baths, allowing prior booking each time for 40 min. Booking can easily be done by self-service. With these minor adjustments, the stay could be more enjoyable.

Absolutely fantastic the best experience of our trip to Japan. Warm welcome , great rooms fantastic traditional food. A must stay if your in that area

We stayed here 2 nights. The hotel is opposite the station and next to the tourist office which is handy. We were here to walk part of the Nakasendo trail so they had loads of information on train times and buses etc. The food was very Japanese, as you would expect, served in bento boxes. the evening meal was at 6.00pm for everyone in a restaurant area. Our room was a good size but there were no chairs to sit on, other than the floor. The bathroom was fine but the towels were too small and thin. The shower was good. The best thing was on the second day's breakfast they served a western breakfast! I am not so keen on Japanese breakfasts. There is a lounge are where you can get a drink or a coffee but it closes around 5.30pm. The woman who runs the place was nice and helpful. It's worth remembering that it's cash only if you have to pay a bill.

An amazing experience and would recommend all travellers to Japan to experience. However, do check what staying in a Ryokan involves before you commit. The sleeping arrangements are unusual as are the dining arrangements. The food is superb with real attention to detail involving many different courses and small plates. Dressing up in a yukata for meal times was fun. We both found the rooms comfortable. It's nice to be able yomopen a window in a hotel room for a change. The Ryokan's location is excellent for the station and nearby walks. We opted for the Yubuhara to Narai walk as transport links are more straight forward for this. The hosts are extremely helpful and gave us a useful guide for our walk as were the local tourist information office . If you have time, the local village has a nice hours or so walk taking in a few sights including the local Konzenji Shrine and garden.