Chikusenso Onsen

“Awesome Onsen Among the Trees, Heaven!”

The Outdoor Onsen Among the Trees was the reason I chose this place. At 6:30 sunrise and mid-day the sparking sunlight off the leaves with the wafting mist of onsen heat was so relaxing, yet inspiring! This "Mizunaranoyu" was for the Ladies, overcoming traditions that the Gentlemen had the better b… more

The Outdoor Onsen Among the Trees was the reason I chose this place. At 6:30 sunrise and mid-day the sparking sunlight off the leaves with the wafting mist of onsen heat was so relaxing, yet inspiring! This "Mizunaranoyu" was for the Ladies, overcoming traditions that the Gentlemen had the better bath. It is was a wonderful Zen-like retreat (not so much a 'resort', with no sports facilities, no karaoke or game center). We loved it! We also reserved a private cottage onsen (no charge) with a babbling river stream for additional serenity! An average room was very spacious with a luxurious bathroom and views of the wooded mountains. We drank morning coffee outside in the inner courtyard enjoying the turning of the momiji leaves. We walked along the river steam and enjoyed the birds & fresh air. This is relaxation! TIP* We had a special dinner plan called "Shoshoku", means a smaller menu for us older folks. It was not stingy but still very opulant in dishes and the beauty of the serving ware. With sake, we were full and satisfied without being so stuffed. Very delicious. Absolutely One of My Favorite Onsen out of the 100+ Onsen I have Enjoyed.

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“Incredible place to stay”

This is a delightful, beautiful, serene and luxurious hotel. It is an architectural delight, with quiet wooden corridors, huge glass windows, courtyards, streams and waterfalls. The staff are superb. Friendly, helpful and attentive, they made the holiday sublime. The dinners and breakfasts were t… more

This is a delightful, beautiful, serene and luxurious hotel. It is an architectural delight, with quiet wooden corridors, huge glass windows, courtyards, streams and waterfalls. The staff are superb. Friendly, helpful and attentive, they made the holiday sublime. The dinners and breakfasts were traditional Japanese. The resort clearly has a talented chef, and each meal was a collection of 20 to 30 small dishes of local products and traditional recipes. In the Winter, there was snow and cold streams and the snow fields nearby. This resort would be amazing in each season. It is easy to get to, with a Shinkansen from Tokyo and a hotel pick up from Sendai station.

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“Serene Luxury”

Beautifully appointed luxury Ryokan and Onsen. We decided to lash out and capture a more traditional Japanese experience on our brief tour of Japan organized around the cherry blossom season. The Ryokan is newly built but decorated with both traditional and a modern take on traditional architectur… more

Beautifully appointed luxury Ryokan and Onsen. We decided to lash out and capture a more traditional Japanese experience on our brief tour of Japan organized around the cherry blossom season. The Ryokan is newly built but decorated with both traditional and a modern take on traditional architecture. Staff were very accommodating a number spoke English and the others were able to get their message across despite our nonexistent Japanese language skills. It was a quiet period and we were able to book one of the private outdoor onsen....a rare experience in a beautiful setting. Dinner and breakfast were included. Tasty and accessible (for western tastes) experiences......the courses of exquisite tastes and presentation kept coming. A big thank you to the young man who picked us up from the Sendai train station. We spoke of our interest in seeing the cherry blossoms on the nearby river. He contacted the manager who allowed him to drive us around for a couple of hours to catch the best sights.....all part of the great service we received.

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“One of the jewels of the Tohoku region”

We stayed 3 nights last October as part of an extended road trip through Northern Tohoku, and Chikusenso was definitely one of the highlights. We went there with high hopes and expectations - a modern ryokan with a foreign owner but with Japanese sensibilities and cuisine - can this ryokan merge th… more

We stayed 3 nights last October as part of an extended road trip through Northern Tohoku, and Chikusenso was definitely one of the highlights. We went there with high hopes and expectations - a modern ryokan with a foreign owner but with Japanese sensibilities and cuisine - can this ryokan merge the best of both worlds? The answer is a definite "yes." First off, this is not a small boutique property - it's midsize by ryokan standards with 30 rooms total. We opted to stay in the Presidential Suite, which is the top room in Chikusenso, and an enormous 116 square meters of goodness. The room afforded absolute privacy in all directions (it's fine to keep the shades open all day and night without any worries) and featured just about any modern convenience and technology that anyone could hope for. While we felt the decor and furniture in the room was a bit strange and not to our tastes, it was nonetheless a comfortable place to relax. The only functional design flaw worth mentioning has to do with the private, outdoor open-air bath. It's not right outside the veranda in the garden, but is instead accessed by going out of the room's front door, down a hallway and a flight of stairs, then by opening a door that requires a key to open - and we were the only guests with a key to the bath. This takes out to a small garden with the "private" onsen bath. It's really a hassle to get to; I'd prefer to strip off my clothes in the room, open the veranda and step right into the bath without having to worry about being seen by anyone throughout the process. The second highest-category room does not have this problem, since it's situated on an upper floor with its open-air bath being on the balcony. Service was courteous, friendly and attentive, but I wouldn't say they went above and beyond the call of duty. For instance, when we told them that we were pondering a drive on the Zao Echo Line (a scenic road nearby) but were concerned about accessibility (it closes at the slightest hint of adverse weather), they said the road conditions get broadcast every morning at 9AM. Wanting to get a head start on the day (in general), we asked if they could call my mobile phone as soon as they found out.... to which they suggested I check a particular website. Also, while they asked us what we planned to do in the area when we arrived, it appeared to be more of a curiosity factor for them, rather than a means to figure out ways to help us. We informed them of our itinerary (more or less), and told them about our intention to visit Miyagi Fox Village on a Wednesday. Well, that's the one day each week that it's closed! Wish they would've proactively checked and/or pointed out this issue so that we would've had a chance to juggle our plans appropriately. Oh well. Food was very good. Executive Chef Kiyokazu Naoi definitely has the skills, and he served up some incredible dishes. It was also not watered down for foreign tastes, much to our relief. For instance, one evening we were treated to a Fugu (poisonous Blow Fish) course. It wasn't ALL Fugu, but it was mostly Fugu, and was excellent. Another meal consisted of a variety of just-made Tempura dishes that was prepared personally by Naoi-san. It was just as innovative and delightful as we could've hoped for. I wouldn't place the dining experience in my all-time top 5, but it's not far off, either. The only bummer was the lack of an option to be served in one's own room like some of the finer ryokans in Japan. One "Western" aspect that I appreciated, that very few Ryokans offer - Chikusenso does laundry/pressing/dry cleaning, surprisingly. Which came in handy since we had been travelling for 5 days prior to our arrival at Chikusenso. This probably has as much to do with its comparatively larger size as anything, but we've been to even larger ryokans that did not provide laundry service. In terms of the overall property and grounds, they did a good job of combining contemporary design (it's a relatively new property) with traditional Japanese as well as local elements to its look and feel. And, overall, it blends in nicely with the serene natural environment that envelops the property grounds. We were surprised at the high price of Chikusenso given its location, but if you have plans to tour the Tohoku region, it should definitely be on your bucket list if you're willing to splurge somewhat.

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