Ryokan Hanareya Ishidaya

This was our favorite place on the whole trip around Japan. The calm natural surroundings made it feel like a peaceful, stress-free retreat, with mountains around the friendly, quiet town and the sea within walking distance. Staff were polite and welcoming. The spacious, clean rooms have a lot of atmosphere, each with a view of a Japanese garden and its own open-air stone onsen. It’s a great choice if sharing an onsen with others makes you nervous. Meals aren’t included, but a free Japanese breakfast is offered in the morning, with rice, pickles, and miso soup. Highly recommended for a restful stay close to nature! 🫶🫶🫶❤️❤️❤️

The traditional Japanese breakfast was lovely, and both the pool and hot spring were great. It’s also close to the 7 waterfalls. One of the best places I’ve ever stayed.

I spent four nights here working remotely, and it was heaven after Tokyo’s noise and dinginess. The stand-alone rooms are surrounded by gardens, ponds, and trees, making the whole place amazingly peaceful and soothing. The rooms are beautiful and highly traditional, with lovely carved-wood details and furnishings. Service was impeccable, and the food was exquisitely prepared, with English translations. I highly recommend it to anyone who knows traditional ryokan or is willing to try somewhere off the beaten tourist path.

From the outside, the hotel may look a bit worn and not especially elegant. Once inside, though, the service, layout, and contents of the individual rooms made it well worth staying. The dinner was delicate, and the food quality was far better than I expected for the price. I’d highly recommend it to anyone coming to see the Kawazu Sakura. The most touching detail was that the hotel helps guests mail their postcards free of charge. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻