Yufuin Kutsurogi no Yado Nanakawa

We were kindly driven to the train station when we checked out. The meals were served in our own little room in the dining area, and the kaiseki was fantastic. The hotel is also close to many places we'd wanted to see in Yufuin. Hope I get to come back someday. If you need Japan travel tips, feel free to ask me.

2024: We came back and got the same room as last year. This time we stayed three nights and had a great visit. On our walks after dinner, we saw tons of fireflies outside. 2023: We spent two nights in the two-storey private onsen suite. It was our first time in a suite laid out that way, and it felt spacious and open. The water was amazing, and my skin felt smoother after the first night. The hotel is connected to two other ryokans, and guests can use their public baths too. They were almost always empty when we went. Dinner was great on both nights, with different kaiseki meals featuring Oita waygu, shabu shabu, and yakuniku. The portions were big. I couldn't finish all my wagyu, so my husband helped me out. The hotel is right by the lake, and there's hardly anyone around before 7am.

The room had two private onsens and plenty of space over two floors, with two bedrooms, one set up with beds and the other with futons. The food and service were good, and the walk to both the busy area and Kinrin lake only takes a few minutes. We had a pleasant stay. I'd suggest checking in at 3pm so you have more time to enjoy the onsen.

Nanakawa made a great impression on all of us. It's a traditional Ryokan, and the staff made us feel as if we were their only guests. Our room had two private hot spring baths, one indoors and one outdoors, and was spread across two levels. The price may seem high, but it includes the large room, the baths, and two meals. The kaiseki dinner at the adjoining restaurant was the highlight, a wonderful nine-course meal. Our server, Ayumi, was superb and showed what great service looks like. Yufuin was our first visit, though it was our third trip to Japan. It's a tiny, lovely town in the mountains, eight hours from Tokyo via JR Rail. From the hotel, it's about 200 meters to the main strip, where you can find yummy cheesecakes, ice cream, and meat cutlets. Yufuin JR Rail station is about 1 km away; we could walk or take a taxi for 700 yen, and the hotel also provided us a free shuttle. We're already looking forward to coming back soon.