Unzen Fukudaya

The spacious rooms and baths you can reserve individually were the only real positives, and the water quality was quite good. For the price, the food was nothing special and the staff service didn’t match the hospitality I’d expect from a Japanese ryokan. Cleaning also left a lot to be desired, with many stray hairs left in the tub. The room’s air conditioning was old-fashioned and hard to control. You can do much better for this price.

The kaiseki was fresh, delicious, and nicely presented, with local ingredients at the center and some fusion touches like cheese fondue. The sashimi on dry ice was especially theatrical. All meals are served in private rooms except for the teppanyaki option. Cooking the live abalone was a unique experience, but not one I want to repeat. Everything else was perfect. There’s a lot of choice for bathing, and the onsen water is high quality, milky-looking and sulphuric. It’s easy to book a private bath by asking at the desk. Everything was clean, towels were readily available, and you’ll be so su-be su-be! The rooms are huge, with comfortable beds and everything you need. There’s also a fresh coffee machine, with instructions translated into English.

The bath was dreamlike, the place itself is beautiful, and the staff were nice. There’s a motorized bicycle rental, and we rode it to the Rope way in about 30 minutes. No taxis were available that day, but that turned out to be lucky because the quiet road and great views made for a fun ride. With Jigoku nearby, it’s just perfect.

The food was amazing, easily worth six stars, so don’t miss eating here during your stay. The ryokan has two outdoor baths and two indoor ones. It wasn’t crowded while I was there, and I usually had a bath to myself. The service was friendly and attentive. The rooms are a bit dated but well kept. The hotel layout can be confusing, though the staff work hard to keep guests from getting lost. A great place to spend time in Unzen.