Emiya Ryokan

The location was convenient and the parking lot right out front was great. Shared toilets and bathrooms were clean and easy to use, and the basic amenities were provided. The room matched its description. The downside was how clearly you could hear other guests and sounds from inside and outside the inn. If you're sensitive to noise, this may not be the right place for you.

The rooms and the new toilets and bathrooms were clean, with no issues using them. The baths are separated for men and women, but they're quite small. A reservation system or a sign allowing a private family bath would make more sense than having strangers of the same gender use it together. The building has been renovated, though the layout is odd. The stairs, corridors, and walking surfaces felt dangerous. I can understand renovating for barrier-free access, but this seemed rather reckless. Maybe it was done to fit in more rooms? We had no other room option, but six tatami mats was definitely cramped for two people. The TV seemed to be an overseas model and was unreliable to operate. The lighting also seemed foreign-made. It could be dimmed, but even at full brightness it was still dim. There was a veranda and a large window, but no lace curtains or screen. With the curtains open, people on the road and in nearby houses could see straight in, so I couldn't open them. That made the room darker still. The futon was very thin and flimsy, and quite uncomfortable. There was a small pot of hot water, but it ran out quickly. No one explained how to refill it, and it wasn't clear whether the water in the room or the sink by the toilet was safe to drink. I didn't ask. There was no tea in the room. At check-in I could choose one item, drip coffee, black tea, or green tea. I picked coffee, but it was coarsely ground and very bitter, so I didn't like it. I wish Japanese tea were available in the room anytime. The shrimp crackers were tasty. There was a coffee machine downstairs, but it wasn't free, so I didn't use it. The food was like home cooking, but not very good. Home-style food is fine, but paying for food that doesn't taste good isn't. I booked the most expensive plan because I wanted the food, and came away wondering if that really was the top plan. I was disappointed. Only the sashimi was delicious. The fish scraps still had plenty of meat on them, and I thought they might be cooked later, but they weren't. It felt wasteful. The vegetables in the bowl were undercooked and crunchy, so I couldn't eat them. The grilled fish also seemed undercooked and not fresh, and I couldn't eat that either. No one explained that rice and tea were self-service or that the soup would arrive later. They only mentioned it afterward, as if they'd just remembered. The self-serve tea had a teapot for each family member, each with a tea bag, but there was barely enough tea for one cup. I was shocked. It was basically colored water. Maybe the staff don't usually drink tea? One family let their child play a video at full volume the whole time, which was extremely unpleasant. Neither the parents nor the inn staff told the child to stop. Several families had young children who kept running around the building unsupervised. It felt like a zoo. Worst of all was one staff member's behavior. Maybe they couldn't control their mood, or maybe that's how they usually act, but they handled dishes so roughly that they clattered constantly and seemed about to break. It was really unpleasant. Another man, who also seemed grumpy, brought our drinks. When we ordered sake, he slammed the bottle down so hard the table shook. I was shocked. From check-in to check-out, nobody at the inn smiled. There are all kinds of inns out there…

Our family of seven stayed with dinner and breakfast included. The food was delicious, especially the sashimi, and they made a separate menu for the children, which helped a lot. The room was clean, and staying in a ryokan again after a long time brought back a nice sense of nostalgia. The roads near the inn aren't very wide, and I found it a little hard to get through, maybe because I'm not used to driving. It made a good memory for all of us. Thank you!

The staff seemed unhappy for our whole stay, which was disappointing. They didn't greet us in the breakfast area or hallway and ignored us, then clattered our used dishes while clearing them. Maybe we did something that bothered them, but I don't think they should have shown their displeasure so openly. We won't stay here again.