Ryokan Yamadaya

The food was great, and they even prepared a vegetarian meal when we asked. Staff didn’t speak English, but there was a handy FAQ sheet with translated answers. I also loved the rooftop bath.

Yamadaya is a lovely ryokan, especially for its beautiful private baths. The staff don’t speak English, but they’re very kind and helpful. If you’re after a ryokan experience, this is a nice place to stay.

Good value for money, and I loved the onsen on top of the building. The place itself was lovely. My room smelled a little like smoke, but otherwise it was great.

The people here made the stay feel really warm. The inn’s owner and the attendants were so kind, treating us like neighbors they’d known for years. My daughter was touched and said one of them was “like a mother in Nagasaki.” That kind of closeness with guests feels like the inn’s greatest treasure. This is a small, long-established ryokan that’s been around for 100 years. We visited during a New Year’s cold snap, but the room was quite warm thanks to heating that uses the hot spring water. Dinner was mostly fish, including a whole flounder caught in Tachibana Bay right in front of the ryokan, served as sashimi. We were very happy with both the taste and the amount of the other dishes too. Later, while in our room at night, we heard a low “boo, boo” sound like a ship’s horn, which really stirred up that feeling of being away on a trip.