Kusatsu Onsen Kiyoshigekan

The owners were really kind, and even drove us to the bus station twice after we realized we'd left some things behind and had to return. For the price, this is a good family-run ryokan. The private onsen is a particular plus: no need to book a slot, which worked perfectly for us as a couple.

The owner turned us away when we arrived early. We'd spent time looking for the ryokan, then as we unloaded our luggage from the car he came out and told us to come back at 5pm. They don't let you leave bags before check-in. When we returned, he glared at us and wouldn't deal with us, calling over his Nepalese staff member instead. That employee was about the only person who showed kindness. We were nearly the only guests there, so maybe a curt manner would be easier to understand if the place were busy, but it wasn't. The rules felt unreasonable, including not being allowed to open the curtains before 8am. We had to lay out our own futons, and the room wasn't cleaned during our stay. Even the rubbish bins were left uncleared. The shared bath needed maintenance too, with broken tiles and rusty taps. There was no running hot water, despite the cold weather, and the water pressure was extremely low. The meals were another letdown. We didn't expect five-star food for what we paid, but dishes seemed to be convenience-store food from the nearby Lawson repackaged as meals. We'd paid for breakfast on both days, but couldn't take it on our second day because of our travel plans, so we asked to have it the next day instead. They flatly refused. Given the food, perhaps we didn't miss much. This ryokan showed very little omotenashi, the hospitality Japan is known for. The rules and service were poor, and the meals included food from Lawson. Still, people have different callings, and perhaps the owner isn't suited to hospitality. That doesn't mean things can't improve, and I wish him well if he works on it.

There are baths for men and women, both indoors and outdoors, plus two more that you can reserve or use privately if nobody else is in them. The ryokan is around 10 minutes from the town center, as another reviewer said. It's easy enough to find, and from the room the mountain view is decent if you're sitting down. Standing, you mostly see the street.

The meals were delicious, home-cooked and authentic, and the ryokan was very pescatarian friendly. I'm not sure how well they'd manage a fully vegetarian diet, since I eat meat. There are two baths for each gender, one private and one public, and they're open all the time. The staff are really friendly and try hard to help if you don't speak Japanese. It's easy to find, with signs around, and about a 10-minute walk from the yubatake. For the price, it's great value, and I'd recommend it for a visit to kusatsu.