Kaikonoyado Mansakuya

The inn has a nice feel, and the food was good. The room was just average. The bathroom was cramped for two, with no room to stretch your legs. The water wasn't very hot, so I felt uneasy getting in after someone else. The tub with rose petals was a nice touch. There was an ashtray on the chair near the entrance, and someone was smoking there when I came back to my room. I didn't like that.

Dinner was the owner's cooking at its best. My husband and I have become fussy eaters, but the fresh, carefully prepared dishes were so good, we finished everything with hot sake. Breakfast was well balanced, and all of Mansakuya's hospitality felt lovely. The atmosphere was friendly, almost like a neighborhood gathering. If we're well, they promised we'd come back in spring. It felt like I'd finally found the inn I'd been looking for. Once we got in the car, the view went back to normal. My wife looked satisfied and said, "Bring us again." I'm nearly 80, and although I've given up on my dream of moving to Aso, my wife and I still travel around Kyushu twice a year without having a regular place to stay. I felt better after a clear gastroscopy just before this trip, so I booked Yutsubo Onsen Mansakuya that same day. It was my first time in Yutsubo Onsen. I'd heard it was deserted, and in the late autumn scene there really was hardly anyone about, apart from a few older people playing gateball beside the inn. Crossing the Mansaku noren changed everything. It felt like stepping back to the Showa era just after the war, which made me happy. A kerosene stove was burning in the earthen-floored entry, and my wife's face relaxed. It brought back the countryside in Shimane where my grandparents lived. It's a family-run inn, and the welcome and atmosphere were warm and calm. I'd received standard hospitality on other trips, but at Mansaku it was unmistakably omotenashi. I even found myself speaking in my old Shimane dialect. The room reminded me of my grandparents' rural home. I heard the building had been relocated, and they clean the pillars and furniture by dry-wiping them. Everything, right down to the sheen, felt nostalgic and real. I felt like I'd returned to my Showa-era hometown, with a happy sense of relief. The small stone bath was just big enough for a couple to soak together, skin touching, which was lovely. The grandson, who's training to take over, chatted with us several times. I heard he's the same age as my own grandson. He was simple, innocent, and sweet. Sorry I kept him in such a long conversation. I'm also sorry, Mom, and to the free staff member. Thanks to that, I slept soundly.

We celebrated my husband's birthday here, and the quiet setting and kind, polite staff made for a lovely stay. There are about four or five private baths, available around the clock when free, with water flowing directly from the source. It was hot, so we cooled it a little with water from the shower. The amenities are sparse, so women should bring makeup remover, lotion, and moisturizer. The room isn't big, but it was fine for sleeping. We had dinner in a private room in the main building and chose the premium plan. The small dishes, Bungo beef, horse sashimi, and yamame trout sashimi were all tasty and plentiful. Breakfast came with lots of side dishes, and the rice was so good I had three bowls even though I was full. I'd definitely like to come back.

The food was good. The tatami room gets cold in winter, and there's no bath or shower in the room, so washing up means going to the hot springs.