Yamaki Ryokan

We felt extremely unwelcome when we arrived. The Japanese male staff member at the entrance didn't say Welcome, smile, or offer to help with our bags. He acted as if we were unwanted customers intruding or trespassing. A nice foreign female attendant partly made up for it: she took us to the room, served ocha, and proactively adjusted the amenities to fit our size. It was the worst welcome we've had at a ryokan in Japan.

Kamala was a wonderful host, always helpful and kind. The food was excellent, one of my best experiences with Japanese cuisine, and ending each day in the onsen felt like a treat for both body and soul. Thank you for such a warm welcome and for making our first days in Japan a lovely introduction to the Japanese experience.

The bath area was small and smelly, there was no open-air bath, and the hotel didn’t provide any snacks, drinks, or even bottled water. You can get water from the filter by the bath. I also felt uncomfortable seeing guests’ full names displayed beside their room doors. There were lots of empty rooms, and from what I found in my research, foreigners usually get this room. My room itself was nice, with a garden view, but it was beside the private and women’s baths, which were noisy at night. I finally fell asleep after 12:30, then woke up around 1 a.m. to what sounded like vacuuming or drying equipment and baskets being moved around. I couldn’t believe they were cleaning in the middle of the night. Since two bath areas were next door, the noise went on for a while, and I didn’t get back to sleep until 2 or 2:30. There was no mention of those cleaning hours when I booked or checked in. The public baths stay open until 1 a.m., so please check where your room is. I won’t stay here again.

The park was kept up nicely, and the blue lighting they had at the time looked good.