Togatta Onsen Tamaya Ryokan

The landlady was courteous and helpful, and we felt at ease. There were lots of side dishes with dinner, which was delicious. The freshly baked croissants were delicious too.

We were a couple in our 60s, visiting for the first time on a Saturday. The meal was excellent, as other reviews say. The drinks cost about average, and soft jazz fusion played in the dining area through small JBL speakers. Our tray was already loaded with little dishes, then more kept arriving as we ate. Three or four staff brought the food, and they were all friendly. The inn was more modern than I expected from an old wooden building with elderly owners. I really liked it and will definitely return. The value is excellent, and with dinner in mind, I'd especially recommend it to older guests. The room was a very compact but clean 6-tatami space, with a fairly new air conditioner and a small sink. There was a big low table with cushions, plus a table and chairs on the veranda by the window. We sat there and relaxed for a while, though the TV was too small to see well. After dinner, the futons had been set out, and there was barely room to walk around. There were two medium yukata in the room. At 170 cm, I found them a little large, and my wife, who is 150 cm, wanted to exchange hers. She had already tried it on, though, so it felt awkward to ask and she wore it as it was. The robes were thick and good quality. At checkout, the landlady told me they did have small sizes and would have exchanged it. The inn has seven parking spaces to the west, but the lot is narrow and hard to park in. We left our keys with the innkeeper. Arriving a little before 3 pm apparently means being turned away, so we went in right at 3. The separate building for the private bath surprised me with its two automatic sliding doors at the entrance. The bath itself is small but fine for two, and there are assorted amenities on shelves in the changing room. The hot spring seems to be diluted, but the source water is hot, so I understand doing that to keep enough water flowing. The minerals are bound to be diluted too. I enjoyed both the public and private baths about six times.

I went with a group for a boys' school reunion and came away more impressed than I expected. The prices were so reasonable I had to look twice, yet the food, attentive staff, and warm hospitality all felt uncompromised. The large public bath stays open all day and night, so there's no need to watch the clock. The water was soft and a little hot, warming me right through. I then relaxed under the waterfall bath, which eased the stiffness I'd been carrying around. I'll come back on a quiet morning. It's an unpretentious inn where you can feel properly satisfied, with comfort and value that leave a strong impression.

The 12-tatami room, Momiji, was roomy, and with nobody passing along the corridor, I could relax with the shoji open. We drove, though it's easy enough to reach by bus too. The proprietress was cheerful and friendly, and we had a nice chat before leaving. The private and public baths both had lovely water, a free-flowing hot spring you can enjoy through the night. Dinner came with 25 dishes, rice and miso soup included, and breakfast was tasty too. There were four kinds of croissants, so I ordered one. It was crisp outside and fluffy inside. I also recommend the soy milk soft serve from the tofu shop next door. Coffee costs 200 yen.