Yanagiya

The property is relatively close to Shosenkyo Gorge - we made the drive in about 20 minutes. The staff is incredibly gratitude and courteous! At 8:00 PM, the lobby area turns into a lounge for karaoke and serves spirits and beer, which we really liked. The breakfast is worth the ¥1000 yen - it included regional hoto udon, rice, salmon, tofu, fruit, and vegetables! Onsens are clean and relaxing - ryokan has indoor and outdoor for female, as well as males,....and they switch sides daily so that each get use of the hotter sauna. Food is provided on the lanai to feed the koi fish in the garden pond. Ryokan has ample, free parking.

Interior is dated, but we commonly find this for older, traditional ryokans. If you want one that is pristine, then go to a modern ryokan that is pricier. Garden pond is murky, much unlike the clear water we typically encounter for koi ponds. The fish and turtles don’t seem to care, though. The garden was also a little unkempt for Japanese standards. You’ll need to take a cab from Kofu Station since it is a bit of a distance, but we drove so not an issue for us.