Norikura Ikkyu

I chose this place because it was modestly priced, around 80€, and right by the forest. I loved it, though it might not suit everyone. It seems family-run, and a very kind middle-aged woman spoke a little English, which saved me. I couldn't book online because the form wouldn't accept non-Japanese names, so I just turned up. That worked out, despite causing the woman a bit of panic. The hotel and room were beautiful, clean, and charmingly vintage. There's no shower in the room, and I hadn't realized that at first. You have to use the onsen, which I loved doing twice a day, though prude Angelsachsens might not. The onsen is lovely in the forest, and in the morning the sun shines through the trees onto the outdoor pool. You can make good Japanese green tea in your room after bathing. Time really does seem to stand still here: the alarm had run out of battery. I drank too much tea, slept very late, and stayed an extra day so I could nap and be lazy. Breakfast was generous and delicious, based on rice. There's a little oven to warm the Miso. I burned my fingers and set the chopstick paper on fire, then made a mess trying to blow out the flame.

I don't think this place even deserved a star. We booked the most expensive dinner set and were looking forward to Hida beef, but it wasn't as good as the Hida beef I'd tried before. At 6,000 yen per person, dinner wasn't worth the price. The road there is narrow and climbs a steep slope, so I really don't recommend taking a big car.

A big issue for us was payment: the hotel doesn't accept credit cards, and there isn't an ATM in town. The nearest one is a 20-minute bus ride away, with buses only running once an hour. We'd overlooked this when booking, and the surprise ruined part of our day and soured the rest of the stay. Since the hotel isn't cheap, accepting cards seems like a reasonable thing to ask for. We would've gladly paid the extra 5% or so in fees. The staff were welcoming and very friendly, but spoke little English, so communication could be difficult without Japanese. We liked the art in the hallways. The outdoor onsen opening onto the forest was lovely, and I imagine it would be pretty in winter with snow. The onsen itself was nice, but not having a private shower was inconvenient. You have to wash at the public onsen showers. If I'd known that, I'd probably have booked somewhere else at this price. The beds were very hard and spartan, with thin sheets, and we had a few restless nights. The single beds couldn't be pushed together, so my partner and I slept apart. There was no coffee or kettle, but they provided a thermos of hot water and green tea. It's a nice place, and we're grateful for the welcome, but these issues mean we wouldn't book again.

I had a relaxed afternoon in my room after checking in, then went to the dining area at 7pm. I sat in a tatami room by the hearth, had a draft beer, and started dinner. Dinner included Hida beef shabu-shabu, three kinds of sashimi, chawanmushi, simmered dishes, cold soba, rice, and more. The beef was tender, softly marbled, and delicious with sesame sauce and ponzu. The three-piece sashimi platter had yellowtail, salmon, and squid, all sweet and chewy. The chawanmushi was piping hot, smooth, and just salty enough. The simmered dish was nicely seasoned too. I finished with cold soba after drinking. It was cooked a little firm, smooth to eat, and just right. Breakfast had Hoba Miso-yaki, fried egg, kamaboko, wild vegetables, seaweed, rice, miso soup, pickles, and more. The hot Gifu specialty, Hoba Miso-yaki, was quite salty and went perfectly with rice. The egg was soft-boiled, with kamaboko and wild vegetables on the side. I ordered extra rice. Breakfast felt a little simple compared with dinner, but the local Hoba Miso-yaki was excellent. The Hida beef shabu-shabu was delicious, too, with sweet, tender meat and good dipping sauces. I enjoyed the lively conversation with the waitress and had a relaxing, enjoyable meal.