Okyakuya

I visited just to try the onsen, and it was one of my favorites. The water was amazing, and the service was really nice even though I was only there for onsen hopping. Apparently the men’s side was even better. It’s centrally located but off the main part, so it still feels calm. I’d definitely consider staying next time I’m in Kurokawa, and fully recommend this ryokan.

The room was quiet. Mine didn’t have a nice view, which I already knew, though some rooms do. The food was fresh, really good, and prepared with great care. The onsen was lovely and not busy, and they gave us a free drink ticket. At night, the little town is nice to walk around in the provided kimono. As a foreigner, I found the Japanese hospitality beyond my expectations. Driving there felt a bit sketchy because the road is narrow and there were lots of people, but you can park right in front of the inn.

The private onsens are a nice option for couples, and the baths are tattoo-friendly. We had great service, clean rooms and lovely onsens. Dinner and breakfast were delicious and made for a dining experience I’d highly recommend if you stay. If horse sashimi makes you hesitate, its flavor isn’t strong, so give it a try.

It’s a nice inn with friendly staff and several good onsens, but I’m very disappointed with how the hotel handled a bad incident. On the second night of our two-night stay, we returned to a strong sewage smell coming from the toilet. The front desk attendant came up, confirmed it, sprayed air freshener around and opened the toilet room windows. The room became cold, but the sewage odor stayed through the night, and we slept poorly. For such an expensive hotel, that wasn’t acceptable. Management apologized in the morning but offered no fix. I asked for a later checkout, and they reluctantly gave us an extra hour. At first, they offered only 30 minutes. I reported the issue to Booking.com, which contacted the hotel. The hotel replied with what I consider a complete fabrication: they said they inspected the room after checkout and found no smell, then suggested it might have come from uneaten okonomiyaki left in our bin. That isn’t true. We ate out and left no uneaten food in the room. In any case, food in a bin wouldn’t explain the distinct sewage odor from the toilet, which their own staff acknowledged that night. They refused to take responsibility and, frankly, lied. It’s shameful to do that to avoid accountability for the accommodation’s faults. I would have understood if they’d owned the problem and offered some goodwill gesture.