Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya

Staying at Daikokuya for 2 nights was the highlight of our 10-day trip to Japan--and that trip included some great powder days in Hokkaido. The ryokan's three onsen are clean, well-maintained, and very relaxing. We appreciated having the option of wood/stone/outdoor bath as well as the 24-hour access to at least one of the baths. Our four meals (2 breakfasts, 2 dinners) were all delicious, traditional, and different enough that we never felt bored by the food, and we enjoyed the service of eating in our room. The surrounding area was quite nice for our 2-day stay--there is a mountain path and a great soba restaurant in the town--and our stay served as a nice interlude to skiing in Hokkaido and Nagano. All of the ryokan staff were incredibly helpful, polite, and friendly. The library full of art and architecture books (including many in English) was pleasant, as was the architecture/art emphasis of the ryokan. Given the quality of the food, the onsen, and the entire experience, we thought our stay was a great value and would recommend to anyone looking for a traditional onsen-ryokan.

If arriving by shinkansen to Nasushiobara, try to time your arrival to coincide with the ryokan's shuttle or the public bus. We arrived a bit late on a Sunday, after the shuttle bus had stopped running, and had to take a taxi. However, upon our departure, we took the public bus and found it very convenient to get to the Nasushiobara station.

Everything! Perfect food service and setting

The place is incredible, the onsens, the amability, the room, the views, the food... And they have events! I was able to attend mochitsuki. The place also has temporary expositions. When I was there they had a magnific pottery exhibition. I truly recomend this ryokan.