Dorogawa Onsen Iroha Ryokan (Nara)

Breakfast was delicious, and the hosts were so warm and kind. I’d definitely recommend this ryokan.

For Dorogawa Onsen, take the Kintetsu Yoshino Line to Shimoichiguchi Station, then catch the Nara Kotsu bus toward Dorogawa Onsen and ride it to the final stop. Iroha Ryokan is in Dorogawa, Tenkawa Village, Nara Prefecture, a charming wooden hot spring inn known as a welcoming hometown stay. The proprietress makes homemade dishes with local ingredients and Yoshino kudzu.

The kaiseki dinner was excellent, and I was very happy with the meal for the price. Breakfast was great too, and the inn staff were friendly and welcoming. Meals are served in a separate private room. The building has the feel of an old post town inn, fitting right in with Dorogawa Onsen’s mix of hot spring town and post town atmosphere. The Japanese-style guest rooms are upstairs. The toilets are outside the rooms, but they’ve been quietly updated and are clean. There’s a bath on each floor, with men and women using them at different times. The water was a comfortable temperature. The building’s age means the comfort isn’t like a hotel, but that’s part of its charm.

The food was delicious, and the inn staff were so kind and pleasant that they made up for a few facility problems. The bathroom scale was broken, and the air conditioner seemed too small for the room and barely worked. I did feel the facilities could be better maintained, but the people were great.