Kawamoto Ryokan

The location is great for visiting the sandankyo gourge, and the owners are a wonderful couple. Really good food and a great place to stay.

Sandankyo Gorge is just across from the inn, and you can park right outside. The hosts are very kind. I booked on Jalan, but payment at the inn is cash only, and you settle it in the dining room at checkout. Since the bath is a hot spring, there's a bathing tax. One thing for families to know, the dining room has no high chairs for children.

The rooms have been renovated and were clean, and the hot springs were lovely. The futons felt a little thin, but the landlady was so nice I hardly minded. Everyone was friendly and easy to talk to, without making things feel overly formal. The food was delicious enough that I'd return just to eat. Rice comes in a traditional container, and you can help yourself as much as you like. It was quiet at night, so they said I could ask for breakfast the next morning. Their son keeps up with things like PayPay and can put them into practice, so it seems the inn has a capable successor.

The bath was a little disappointing because of the hard water, though being able to use it as a family bath made for a relaxing soak. The owners were very kind, as others have mentioned. We also enjoyed the varied, tasty meal, with newly harvested rice, trout, and sukiyaki among the dishes.