Kirishimaya Ryokan

The hosts are lovely people, and the onsen is excellent. We had a wonderful time!

The room is very nice and traditional. I was provided with the traditional gown which looks very nice. Staff are very friendly and can speak excellent English. The young owner has studied and lived in the UK so lots to talk about.

All good.

Felt very welcome by the staff and the room was comfortable. Welcome snacks and a large TV. The public bath is 24 hours.

No private shower but as mentioned, the baths downstairs is open 24 hours.

The room was a good size for two people, the futons were comfortable, and the facility was very clean. The staff were all extremely nice and professional. I personally enjoyed the bath very much. Even after using multiple onsen facilities around Kusatsu, it was still very nice to come back and soak one more time in private before going to bed. The staff added citrus fruits to the bath for some extra comfort. Added bonus: there was a collection of neat antiques throughout the hotel. It was nice to just peruse through what they had.

I was a bit sad that there were no meals provided during our stay. I had hoped to let my friend, who was traveling from the US, experience Japanese washoku, but it appears the area of Kusatsu as a whole is not providing set meals any more. It's not the end of the world, of course, as there are plenty of delicious restaurants in the area.