Ryokan Kato - Yoshino

Our visit happened to be quiet, so we had the small bath to ourselves. The shared toilet was very clean and pleasant to use. It's a cozy, lovely little Ryokan, with meals served in a common area rather than in your room. The atmosphere feels more relaxed than at some old-school Ryokans, so don't expect lots of bowing or staff dropping by constantly.

Lying in the hot onsen at night with cherry blossoms around us was an incredible feeling. We were there last March during blossom season, and the landscape was amazing. The ryokan itself is a beautiful, natural, completely traditional place. Our room was made entirely of wood and natural materials, with a great view over yoshino mountain. The food was delicious and served in a traditional way. 10/10, we'd definitely visit again.

The breakfast room is beautiful, and breakfast was super yummy. The onsen was great too. We visited as a couple two years ago, and arrived really late after missing our train. The madam waited for us and, even with the kitchen closed, made us something to eat since we'd missed dinner. It was around 22:30, and we know they had to get up extra early the next morning. The staff were so friendly. We'll definitely return one day!

The family who own and run the place are very nice, but the room was only reasonably sized, with two futons, and one had clearly been slept in. There was blood on the sheets, and they weren't crisp. At 15,000 yen a night, it didn't feel worth the price. We visited at the beginning of August, and the season made a huge difference. It might be nice during cherry blossom season, but in summer Yoshinoyama felt like a ghost town. I expected quiet, but not for nearly everything to be closed. The JR pass route from Kyoto took over four hours. At Yoshino station, the cable car wasn't running, so we took a mini bus up the hill for 360 yen. We were the only guests at the hotel, even though we arrived around 1pm and couldn't check in until 3pm. We explored Yoshinoyama town, which took about half an hour, and found only three or four places open for a late lunch. It felt as if we were the only tourists there. Around 6pm we went out looking for dinner, and nothing was open.