Seigakukan

The onsen was such a treat. There were very few other guests on the nights I stayed, and I never ran into them while bathing, so I had it to myself. It left me feeling refreshed over the following days, without aches despite the longer hikes and cycling I did later in the trip. I chose the premium dinner on my first night because I wanted to try the Hida beef specialty, and it turned into a feast. Even more food came than the photos show, served in courses that seemed to keep coming. The owners make the soba by hand, and it may be some of the best I've had, especially since I don't usually like soba. The rest of the meal was wonderful too, and I felt very well looked after. For breakfast I had two versions: on my Kamikochi day I requested onigiri, which were delicious, and the next day I ate in the dining hall and had another generous, mouthwatering spread. These were probably the best meals of my trip. I was looking for a ryokan stay and was very lucky to find Seigakukan. It was the only available option I found that accepted solo travelers at a reasonable price during my dates. I stayed two nights. The website only lets you book one night at a time, so you need to make separate bookings, but that was straightforward. Seigakukan is in the Shin-hirayu onsen area, one of the five villages of Okuhida Onsen, and is fairly accessible for major sights like Kamikochi and Takayama. The bus stop is right outside. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach Hirayu Onsen bus terminal, then another 20 minutes or so by bus to Kamikochi. A direct bus from the ryokan stop to Takayama takes around 1.5 hours. One thing to watch: the bus apparently stops at different places each time, so check the screen at the front to see where it's going instead of relying only on Google maps. You can pay cash onboard. There's a change machine beside the driver for turning 1000-yen bills into coins, and the driver was also kind enough to break larger bills. Transport wasn't an issue for me as long as I planned around it. There are one or two buses an hour, and the last one is around 1900h. The room was spacious, nicely furnished, and beautifully designed. The futon was comfortable, and there were plenty of cushions and seats for lounging. A large hot-water dispenser was provided with tea bags and cups, and a fresh set was supplied each day. I want to thank the owners for their warm hospitality. It's a family-run place, and you can tell they put their heart into it. I mostly spoke with the wife, who was patient and happy to use translation apps because my Japanese is poor. We understood each other easily, and she also explained the dinner dishes that way. I only met the husband a couple of times, but he was just as friendly and gave me a small present at checkout, a thoughtful gesture. I still have places to explore in the area and would love to stay here again.