Nagomino no Yado Hanagokoro

My second stay, following last winter.Last time I came by car. After sightseeing at Owakudani and other spots, I followed the navigation system and didn’t really know where it was, but this time I used the mountain railway and was surprised to find it was very close to Sounzan Station. Even on the walk from the station, I felt welcomed by a pleasant breeze and birdsong, and arrived at the Accommodation in great spirits.The attendant who looked after us was the same as last year. Their cheerful manner and excellent timing in serving meals were unchanged. The Room and shared areas were just as spotless as before—not a speck of dust—making everything feel wonderfully refreshing.The open-air bath assigned to each Room is located a short distance away, and ours was excellent again this time. With cuckoos calling more beautifully around this season, I could truly relax in both sound and hot water. The meals were delicious as before: a soup with pike conger eel (hamo) and junsai; seasonal ingredients like Manganji peppers with superb seasoning; gourd “kaminari-boshi,” which I hadn’t tasted in ages; plus breakfast highlights such as the vegetable salad and dressing, perfectly grilled salted salmon (both seasoning and doneness), and fresh yuba served at just the right moment.An Accommodation I’d love to return to for its hospitality.

I was very much looking forward to this stay. Although prices were high everywhere during the New Year season, I chose this place hoping for a somewhat better experience. The entrance and lobby decor were lovely, and while the portions of each dish were not large, the meals were very delicious. The miso soup at dinner was so tasty that I had seconds! Perhaps because I expected a certain level of quality from the Ryokan, some aspects stood out to me. The staff in charge of service and cooking appeared to be foreign nationals. While this is not an issue in itself, their Japanese was limited, which often required me to adjust how I communicated with them. It might have been just on that day, but it seemed they hadn't learned how to properly wear traditional kimono attire and still had much to learn about customer service.The room with an Onsen was absolutely wonderful; warm Onsen water constantly flowed into it, allowing me to enjoy it countless times during my stay. However, perhaps due to structural reasons, there was mold around the sink area and spider webs could also be seen—this part was disappointing.