Sato-no-Yu Waraku

The service stayed thoughtful right through to departure. Kenji-san even warmed our footwear over the gas stove while we ate, printed colored maps for the next leg of our drive, and arranged an earlier breakfast for our difficult-to-book Takachiho boat rental. At dinner, our server chatted with us in Mandarin. I didn't get his name, but he was a friendly, smiley young man from Anhui, China. Thank you, Satonoyu Waraku, for giving my husband and me another fond memory of Japan. When we arrived, an English-speaking staff member carried our luggage down the steps, came back up, and showed us to our room. In early December the room felt too warm, and we were told there was no air-conditioning. Kenji-san offered to switch off the floor heating and turned on the ceiling fans. It was still warm, so we asked for the remote at dinner. The air-conditioning worked, and we slept comfortably.

The yukattas were incredibly soft, and they gave us a soft souvenir towel and drawstring bag, too. I only stayed one night and wish we'd spent both nights in the area here. The food was delicious, the rooms and baths were lovely, and the staff were unbelievably good at what they do. Everything felt carefully thought through and well done. If you get the chance to stay, you won't be disappointed.

It was our first time in a Ryokan and using an onsen, and the staff made it easy. They explained how to use the public amenities and gave us helpful recommendations. They were attentive, very helpful, and did a great job communicating in English. We also got to try both public onsens during our stay, which was great.

Our room felt more like a private house, with its own hot springs bath, a huge balcony by the river, and forest views. Inside there was a large open bedroom, a lounge, a dining room, and a separate big bathroom. Dinner lasted two hours, with one beautiful, delicious dish after another. The staff were nice, too. For a place rated three stars, it felt closer to five to me. A really relaxing stay, and one I'd recommend.