Ryosou Bogakuen Guest House

Friendly.

The meal was sumptuous, and the salmon at breakfast was excellent. The inn had such a familiar, grandma's-house feeling that I found myself saying, "I'm home."

This place has a retro, grandma's-house feel, and the dinner and breakfast were hearty and satisfying. Sounkyo Onsen is close by, so I went for a soak, and the center of Sounkyo is under a ten-minute drive away. One thing to know if you're visiting in fall for the foliage: stink bugs come in to hibernate. I drove off about 20, but they kept appearing from nowhere. They even provided plenty of duct tape for dealing with them, lol. Apparently there aren't stink bugs in spring, so anyone who's uneasy around bugs may want to avoid autumn. I heard construction workers stay here long-term, too. It's run by a grandmother on her own.

The landlady is very friendly, and it was easy to relax here. The inn is close to Sounkyo Gorge and well placed for mountain climbing. Dinner and breakfast felt luxurious for the price, with rice and miso soup available self-service. A bus driver staying there helped us with the meals and check-out between 5 and 6 AM. The building feels like a house. The cigarette smell in our room bothered us, and although yukata robes were provided, there were no toothbrushes or towels.