OJIKASOU

We had a great one-night family stay at this traditional ryokan. It’s fairly remote, about 30 min from chichibu. We took the Seibu Chichibu from Tokyo and rented a car to visit the dahlia garden nearby in Ogata, though Ojikaso also offers free transfer from Seibu Chichibu station. If you have a car and want a snack, there’s a huge Lawson's, at least twice the size of one in downtown Tokyo. We arrived around 15:30 and were welcomed into room Tsubaki. We’d booked a small private toilet and vanity sink. They told us we could use the onzen baths while waiting for a call that dinner was ready. There’s an indoor and outdoor onzen in both the men's and women's areas, open until midnight and again from 6:00-9:30. At 20:30 the men's and women's baths swap, closing for ~15 min, as the views are slightly different. We went before dinner and again afterward, before bed. Our dinner reservation was for 18:00, and we got a call a few minutes beforehand to come down. The generous kaiseki meal was served in a private dining room, with lots of dishes, including sashimi, clay plate, nabe, grilled fish, grilled homemade mochi, and beautiful fruits. A friendly staff member cooked the nabe, fish, and mochi over the hearth in the middle of the room. When we checked in, I’d chosen to have them come into our room to set up the futons, and they did that while we were at dinner. We chose the 8:15 breakfast and got a call a few minutes before it was ready. The Japanese breakfast was varied and delicious too.

I like Ojikaso, especially for a restful break. Spring and Winter are the most beautiful and peaceful times for me. The food and service are good, and the hotel's pick-up and delivery service is very nice. Most of all, the hot spring helps me unwind. Litter deer resort is my fever place.

The room was new and very clean, and the beautiful tatami mats were especially nice. I hadn’t expected much because the hotel’s exterior looked so flashy, but the service was excellent. Dinner in a private room around the Japanese charcoal fire of the "irori" had a lovely atmosphere, and the charcoal-grilled "iwana" and "mochi" were excellent. The female staff member from China gave very good service. This is a hot spring hotel in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, and I’d like to stay here again.

The rooms are spacious after a recent refurbishment, and the food and onsen are outstanding. It’s a remote spot, but a great traditional Ryokan. I’d highly recommend a walk along the river, though it’s hard to access.