The RYOKAN O

The staff were super friendly. This updated ryokan still has a traditional Japanese atmosphere, with the things travelers need, including a nice restaurant and bar, a laundry room, and travel tips.

Shared bathrooms are on different floors for men and women, and the hallway lights stay on all night. I get up to use the bathroom about three times a night, so that wasn't ideal. The light also woke my partner when I opened the door.

If you're after a ryokan stay, this isn't it. It felt like a hostel with futons, not cozy at all, though it's an okay place to sleep. The rooms are tiny, there are no private bathrooms, and the men's and women's toilets are on separate floors. If you're a straight couple, one of you has to use the stairs. The walls are so thin that people going up and down to the toilets can wake you. Breakfast was complimentary rice. The women's bathroom had two showers, but in a ryokan I'd expect a Japanese public bath.

The shared restrooms and showers were clean, and they supplied hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bath soap. I stayed one night. The room was nice and spacious, though the walls were quite thin, so you need to keep your voice down for the other guests. It's about a 3-5 minute walk from Nakatsugawa Station.