Rokumeisou

We stayed for two nights and three days and were able to really relax. I know Kakeyu Onsen well, but this was my first stay at Rokumeiso. The town and the inn both have an old-fashioned, quaint feel, which won't suit everyone. If you're after somewhere sparkling clean and polished, it probably isn't for you, but if you enjoy that kind of charm, the reasonable price makes it a good choice. I'm quite a clean freak, yet I had no problems. The room had traditional character, and although I'd been told there'd be no view, we got a corner room with a somewhat better one. The bath isn't very big, but on a weekday it was almost private and relaxing. It's closed for about an hour in the morning for cleaning and open the rest of the time. A dog greeted us, and it's a dog-friendly inn, so it wouldn't suit people who dislike animals. Thank you very much.

Lunch at Togakushi, where I had some delicious soba noodles, helped me leave the day feeling satisfied. At the inn, breakfast leaned even more toward vegetarian dishes, with several kinds of pickles and salad. Fried eggs and grilled ham were the only protein, and they weren't started until after the meal began, so they came out when we were almost done. Dinner felt a bit like shojin ryori. The matsutake rice and clear soup were especially satisfying in autumn, but some of the other dishes fell short. The sashimi wasn't very fresh, and the squid was so chewy I couldn't eat it. There was beer and sake in the room, so we had a light snack and drinks there. The building and rooms are fairly old, with the feel of a long-established inn. Two adorable mascot dogs, Bichon Frises, greeted us. Facilities are dated but clean and maintained. I was a little concerned about the limited activities and lack of baths in the rooms, though I suppose that's understandable for the price. The free-flowing hot spring is open 24 hours. It's not large, but on a weekday I nearly had it to myself and could relax. Since dogs are allowed to sleep in the same futon, I wondered if another dog had slept in ours before us. That felt questionable. My dog doesn't sleep with us, so I put him in his cage.

Vision, the mascot dog, was adorable. I was looking for an inn that could take several pets, and this one fit. The hot springs were great, too. Dogs can come into the dining area, where they had set up a spot with chairs facing each other for them.

The spring is gentle and wonderful, with water flowing freely all day and night. The overflow makes it feel very fresh. I've tried several Ueda City springs, including Bessho, Tazawa, and Reizenji, and this has become one of my favorites alongside Bessho. The inn is a rare find in Ueda, where so few places let pets stay and even have meals with them. We could bring our dog to dinner in a private room across the hallway, and breakfast was downstairs at "cafe & pizza BOSCO." As I said in my review of "cafe & pizza BOSCO," it has leash hooks like a dog cafe, so eating with your dog feels safe and comfortable. The resident dogs Sheri and Farin were friendly and got along with ours. All the staff are dog lovers, which made the stay comfortable. I'd definitely come back. Thank you very much.