Yu Yu No Sato Yusa

The public hot spring on the fifth floor was spectacular, with an outside bath overlooking the Zao mountains and river. The river sounds were gentle and relaxing. I loved the place from the moment I stepped inside, and the huge bookshelves were a pleasure to look at. The staff were friendly and helpful, and their Yamagata dialect sounded charming. I booked the cheapest room but was pleasantly surprised by the amenities, including good tea, water, and snacks. The window view felt like a painting, with the mountains and serene river. The restaurant serves a tempting range of dishes made with local ingredients, and the dish-carrying robot excited the children. Free water, coffee, and clothes, everything was super good. I was delighted to spend two nights here.

The area is beautiful, and the staff were very friendly and helpful with getting around. We had no communication issues during our two-night stay. I’d definitely visit again.

Yusa makes a strong case for a gourmet-focused stay. Kurosawa Hot Springs sits between Yamagata city and Kaminoyama city, about 30 minutes from Yamagata station by an hourly public bus, and Yusa is under a 10-minute walk from the stop. The area around the springs is surrounded by warehouses and highways and isn't especially known for healing springs. The former government property has an airy lobby with seating and a small souvenir shop behind reception. The staff speak very limited English, but are eager to help. My special-rate booking didn't guarantee a room type, but I got a spacious Japanese-style room that could sleep five, with an open view of Zao mountain. There were extra bathroom amenities in the corridor. The futon mattress was on the thin side, and there were no light-blocking curtains. There was no bath or shower in my room, so the public bath on the top floor was the only option. Yusa can't advertise its spring as a "natural hot spring" because of its chemical content, though the hotel made a point of saying the water comes from a natural source. The bath was pleasant overall, with a slight chlorine smell. The outdoor bath was closed during my visit. The ten-course dinner with shabu shabu was among the more affordable room-and-dinner plans. It featured grain-fed pork from a local farm, and I added Yamagata beef sukiyaki for 1800 yen. There wasn't a weak course in the meal. The marbled beef was very high grade, the pork had plenty of flavor, and the seasonal sushi was fresh. The appetizers paired traditional Japanese pickles with smoked salmon vegetable jelly in a careful presentation. Later there was a puff pastry oxtail soup as thick as curry. Local rice came with cherry pickles, and apple slices topped the almond pudding to match its red cup. It was a satisfying feast in looks, flavor, and the range of local produce. There are pricier dinner plans with more elaborate appetizers, abalone, or grilled Yamagata beef. Breakfast for guests on a breakfast-included plan comes as a well-presented nine-item bento, along with unlimited rice, soup, congee, bread, salad, and yogurt. The congee made with Yamagata rice impressed me most. I recommend the place for the food, decent room, and public bath. The location also works well as a base for exploring Yamagata city.

After a 10-hour trip through Tokyo, we arrived in Yamagata after staying at kosekiya ryokan honkan in ginzan onsen and Takamiya Miyamaso on the Zao onsen. At Yuyuno sato Yusa ryokan, the special-quality sukiyaki meat was served looking like PICTURE 1. I was surprised and unhappy to see so much fat in it (PICTURE2), so I complained. The restaurant chef accepted that and showed us what he called the real meat (PICTURE3), promising to serve that instead. But the sukiyaki came back already cooked in the kitchen, so we couldn't see the meat he had shown us. It had only been lightly trimmed of fat and looked like the meat in picture 1. When I objected again, the chef said the other side was like that too (PICTURE 4, 5). I was surprised again, very disappointed, and felt ridiculed. I made a direct reservation and paid 46,500 yen per night for a standard twin room. This isn't about the money...