Matsudaya Hotel

The staff were VERY friendly, and when I checked out in heavy rain, they lent me an umbrella so I could walk the 10 minutes to the JR station. The room was incredibly nice, clean, and comfortable. If you're interested in Meijiishin history, don't miss this historical landmark and Yamaguchi. You can rent a bike at the information center and explore the quiet city freely. I had a great stay, even though it was a bit short. I'll come again！

Having both breakfast and dinner included was a treat. Each meal was a delicious, very filling Japanese course, with someone explaining every dish. Each room had a private dining experience at restaurant level. There was also a garden by the entrance and a souvenir shop. I especially recommend getting a room with a private onsen. The hotel also has public baths separated by gender. It was a delightful ryokan stay, and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Yamaguchi. Hope other foreigners enjoy it as much as we did!

The garden is something special. Matsudaya's original Meiji era wandering-style Japanese garden is beautifully maintained by a whole team of gardeners, and every bend in the path offers a different view of the garden and ryokan. I'd put it up against any Japanese garden I've seen in Kyoto. The big, lively Nishikigoi swim in hot ONSEN water that bubbles up and tumbles over a 15 foot waterfall into a winding stream. Staff let me touch one of the golden koi "for prosperity and good fortune," and sweet, helpful Mikiko-san gave guests koi food in little wooden bento boxes. I love onsen, and the bathing complex here is incredible. The water was a perfect 41 degrees C, and the different onsen buildings and roten-buru area have historical significance to Yudaonsen. I wandered among the baths and soaked in several of them. The view of the Japanese garden from an onsen pool is one of the best I've ever had. The staff are what make this a "5 star" stay for me. From the welcome at the door through settling the bill, everyone treated me like the Emperor, who has stayed at Matsudaya more than a few times. The desk staff, restaurant team, concierge, and gift store manager Mikiko-san were all wonderful and made the visit memorable. I was back at Matsudaya Hotel in Yudaonsen last month, having first stayed there during the corona disaster of 2022. My room was a little "dated," but spotlessly clean and had a terrific view of the onsen complex and Yudaonsen city. This time I had a "western style" room, with a standard western bed on tatami. The tatami was fresh and still soft. I only gave the room "4 stars" because it took me 10 minutes to find the light switches, which were in very inconspicuous spots. APA hotels have the lock on convenient light switches! The rest of the room was lovely and perfectly presented. Yukata were provided, as was a well-stocked bathroom with a real wood soaking tub. There's also the Meiji history room, fantastic kaiseki food, wonderful onsen water, and that unforgettable garden. Matsudaya is a great choice if you want an authentic Japanese ryokan. It's also quite close to Hiroshima Station: take the Yamaguchi line from Shin-Yamaguchi to Yudaonsen station, less than 2 hours. Simple. A couple of practical notes: English isn't widely spoken, but the fantastic concierge Mikiko-san speaks English, so lean on her. The hotel is about a 10 minute walk from Yudaonsen eki, in the middle of the restaurants in this smallish, very walkable city. On busy weekends and holidays, solo travelers have to be charged as "two people" to reserve a room. Check out my photos, especially from 2022:

It's a beautiful facility, and the staff are so accommodating. Hard to ask for more.