Pension Yama No Wagaya

Before the pandemic, I spent Golden Week here with my kids. It was great that they had a playroom where children could play, and that we could try the violin. I enjoyed the hot springs too. The food was very tasty, though I wish it had been served a little warmer. I suppose serving everyone at the same time makes that difficult. I hope I get to see Nana the cat again.

The private hot spring was lovely, and my room had a nice view of greenery through the window. It had been cleaned very carefully. I used to avoid pensions because the quality can vary so much and I didn’t want to waste money, but this stay completely changed my impression. I was told at check-in that smartphones weren’t allowed in the dining room due to the inn’s circumstances. I won’t go into the details, but I think anyone who’d heard about it would understand. I left my phone in my room and spent time reading the inn’s books, playing shared games with my children, and listening now and then to guests playing piano. They were very good. It was easy to enjoy time away from my phone, though I couldn’t take pictures, so next time I’ll bring a digital camera. The meal had lots of dishes, both meat and fish, and was delicious. The main course was Western food with favorites like hamburger steak, fried chicken, salad, and stewed pumpkin, so the girls were delighted. My elementary-school daughter and my younger daughter, who doesn’t eat much, ate nearly everything and even had three bowls of rice. Dessert was a soft chocolate cake unlike any I’d tried before, easy to eat even when full. My younger daughter finished hers quickly, which is unusual for her, and left the dining room saying how good it was. It’s a wonderful inn, and I’d love to stay again.

At night, the sky was full of stars and I could even make out the Milky Way. With the stream nearby, it was wonderfully peaceful. There isn't much entertainment around since the place is in a villa area, but that's part of the appeal if quiet is what you're after. I visited in December, and though it was cold outside, the heating kept things very warm. I'd love another chance to return and play the Bösendorfer grand piano. The photo shows the Shirato River walking trail just behind the place.

The main thing I missed was having a refrigerator. Still, the owner took such good care of me and even let me use a discontinued violin. There was also a high-quality Wesendorfer piano in the dining room, which I could play for a fee. I was able to use the playroom to play almost every day, though my stay was only two days.