Kameya Ryokan

The food here was the best of the four places we stayed on our trip, and the woman who runs the hotel even drove us to the bus for our hike. She was so sweet. The place is very old, but completely charming, and the setting was about as relaxing as it gets. Such a great experience, I’d highly recommend it.

The dining room looks out over the river, and in the morning you can see steam from the onsen rising above it. The outdoor onsen is almost right outside the front door. This is an authentic, old-school Japanese ryokan with great service. The tatami rooms had all the basics, and each seemed to have a good river view.

The setting is beautiful, and the two connected blocks have distinct roles: the classic-looking main building holds reception, the kitchen, and the dining area, while the red-tiled building beside it has the bedrooms. The main block is well maintained, but the bedroom building feels old and shabby. Dinner and breakfast were acceptable for such a remote area. Still, the accommodation is overpriced and overrated, and I think better value is available elsewhere.

The meals, called kaseiki, used fresh local ingredients, tasted great, and were different each time. We stayed in a traditional tatami room with a river view, and it really felt like stepping back in time. The ryokan sits by the river, with an outdoor hot spring bath overlooking it as well as a proper indoor onsen. The owner was lovely, kind, and helpful. Her family has run the place for 200 years. You can’t get much more authentic than this, and I’d absolutely recommend it.