Yahagi Station × Stays Popular For Snow-View BathsHighly rated Hotel·Ryokan

The view from the room’s large, open windows is breathtaking. You can even see the leaves just beginning to turn, and it’s a scene you could watch forever. Dinner was served by the window as well, and we enjoyed it at dusk with the chorus of autumn insects as background music. The dishes featured mainly local ingredients, and everything was delicious—you could really tell each item had been carefully prepared with time and care. The abalone at dinner and the octopus at breakfast were simmered to a perfect tenderness, and the seafood in particular—soft-shelled turtle soup, sweet shrimp, blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro), and more—was outstanding. The sake paired with the meal was an exceptional selection that you likely rarely come across, and it matched perfectly all the way through to the final dish of beef simmered with Japanese peppercorns; we thoroughly enjoyed that pairing as well. The hot spring was also wonderfully comfortable—at just the right temperature that you can stay in for ages. It rained unfortunately the next day, but while waiting for the shuttle bus we heard a chorus of frogs from somewhere (they really do sing in unison!), which was soothing too. We’ll be back again.

During this Go To Travel campaign, I stayed at about 13 properties, and the meals here were the best—just as you’d expect from a kaiseki Ryokan. Everyone should visit at least once.