Ryokan Uohan

“Worth the money for relaxing, traditional Japanese ryokan experience”

This ryokan was a wonderful end to our stay in Japan. I booked through agoda, and I thought I had booked the option with the breakfast and dinner included but apparently did not. I am glad I double-checked ahead of time, because the in-room dinner was a large part of why I booked a ryokan. In any c… more

This ryokan was a wonderful end to our stay in Japan. I booked through agoda, and I thought I had booked the option with the breakfast and dinner included but apparently did not. I am glad I double-checked ahead of time, because the in-room dinner was a large part of why I booked a ryokan. In any case, Agoda fixed the issue, and while it added cost to our total bill, I think this experience was completely worth the price. We booked the room with the private, outdoor onsen, and it was amazing! The room was massive and had some nice amenities like an electric kettle for tea and slippers for the bathroom. The onsen was appropriately sized. My husband is a big guy, and we both fit in there just fine. The rooms are a little bit older, and the soundproofing is not great. We could hear nearby doors opening and closing, but it was a peaceful stay regardless. Getting to the property was much easier than I thought it would be. It is very close to a local bus stop. I don't read kanji and for some reason Google maps doesn't translate the Yugawara bus stop names, but I just got on the bus at Yugawara Station and watched the screen at the top of the bus until I saw the kanji that matched the station I needed on Maps. The ryokan is about half a block from the station. The local buses take IC cards. The front desk attendant is very helpful and spoke good English. Ryokan "rules" (e.g. check-out time, dinner time, etc.) are provided on a printout in English. A couple of men took our bags up to our room for us. You are given two options for breakfast and dinner: 0800 or 0830 for breakfast and 1800 or 1830 for dinner. Dinner was outstanding! It was so much fun to try a traditional kaiseki dinner, and it was all delicious! The woman who brought us our food was so sweet and was trying to use a translator app to tell us what some of the food was. It didn't work nearly as well as she probably would have hoped since it was hard to translate certain fish names, but the gesture was so nice! Breakfast, too, was also delicious. Finally, there is a minibar in your room which is well-stocked with beer, wine, and sodas. Prices are slightly cheaper than a typical hotel minibar. Staff make your beds (futons on the floor) after dinner is served. The futon were actually more comfy than some of the hotel beds we slept on in Japan. The best part of the property was the private onsen, however, and we spent a lot of time in there. We did not use the public onsen.

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“Ryokan Uohan”

Everything and more than what I expected. After Tokyo it was so refreshing to just relax and embrace a price of Japanese culture. Although not much English was spoken everyone was so obliging and helpful, even to the point of waiting at the bus stop with us to make sure we didn't get lost. The foo… more

Everything and more than what I expected. After Tokyo it was so refreshing to just relax and embrace a price of Japanese culture. Although not much English was spoken everyone was so obliging and helpful, even to the point of waiting at the bus stop with us to make sure we didn't get lost. The food was first class even though I couldn't eat it all. I loved soaking in the Japanese bath whilst listening to the stream and crickets absolute bliss.

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“Small friendly ryokan”

The ryokan entrance is a little challenging to find, as it is set back from the street behind some parking places. The building is a bit older and tired, typical of many ryokan, but the baths are nice -- high salt content-- and the food is terrific. The staff are kind and accommodating, with some… more

The ryokan entrance is a little challenging to find, as it is set back from the street behind some parking places. The building is a bit older and tired, typical of many ryokan, but the baths are nice -- high salt content-- and the food is terrific. The staff are kind and accommodating, with some English ability. Recommended for a quiet weekend getaway.

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“Traditional ryokan ”

Is not a cheap hotel for sure & the classic ryokan could put off the most refined customer, so if you are looking for a 5 star hotel, this is not your place. I been reading in other reviews about smell in the room: tatami is a natural product like the sand mat & it has a smell, that can unplease so… more

Is not a cheap hotel for sure & the classic ryokan could put off the most refined customer, so if you are looking for a 5 star hotel, this is not your place. I been reading in other reviews about smell in the room: tatami is a natural product like the sand mat & it has a smell, that can unplease someone, if accidentally gets wet, it smells more. Ryokan are traditional accomodation, you cannot ask not to get certain experience when you go there specifically to try it. Pillow is quite hard, for example.. Overall the experience was nice, the dining room & bedroom tatami were impeccable, new! Corridors & toilets show the years. The breakfast was included & traditional.. We didn't have dinner in house because ¥5000 per person is frankly too much! But i wanted to try.. Onsen: the reason why this hotel gets 3 stars only is down to the onsen. My idea of staying in a traditional accomodation was relax.. And for me onsen was foundamental & i choose this property over others because it has 2 onsen areas, but then lets go down the accessibility: the onsen opens 2pm, so no chance for you to dip in the morning before say, excursions. The upper floor onsen, that I didn't have a chance to visit, switches to female onsen at dinner time that means if you wanna use it you need to go back to the hotel before dinner.. 6:7pm. The ground floor onsen has 3 washing stations but is one corner hot pool.. On top, we were not informed but upon check out we were ask to settle the onsen usage balance. Settle? Are we joking? This is not a cheap hotel & the onsen is not worth that much. And we need to pay? We are hotel guests!! You may well get another hotel & enjoy a complete onsen experience in akone, for 1000/1500¥ you can spend one full dipping day in hot & cold pools, indoor, outdoor, jacuzzi, sauna,..

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