M.K. Place

Satobo is a stylish inn in Taki Village.

I set my car navigation system to the destination address listed on IKYU and drove up from Kiso-Fukushima along the north shore of Lake Ontake. When I arrived, I was surprised to find a village office there. The office sits in the middle of a settlement clinging to a steep slope, with narrow, steep roads—difficult for large vehicles. When I called the Accommodation, a kind woman guided me all the way to the entrance. It seems the Accommodation doesn’t have its own address, so it’s best to use Taki Ryokan or the tourist information center nearby as landmarks. The building is stylish—like something out of an architecture magazine. The fixtures and furniture are all new and coordinated in monochrome; you can even smell that “new building” scent. From anywhere inside, you can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Ontake and the mountains on the opposite shore through wide glass windows. It’s very relaxing. The ultra-modern bathroom feels even more open than an outdoor bath, but it doesn’t really give an Onsen-like atmosphere. The linens and bathrobes are wonderfully fluffy. After bathing, I ordered beer via room service. The meals looked exactly like the photos on the website—very elegant. Perhaps because there were few guests that day, there was no live piano performance, but pleasant music was playing with great sound quality. After enjoying local sake with dinner, I ended up going straight to sleep without having drinks at the bar lounge. Because it’s not a place where non-guests drop by, it’s very quiet. At night you can’t even see lights from nearby homes; apparently wild animals sometimes come close. On departure, I found that driving along the southern lakeside road was wider and easier. My Review rating reflects my personal view that value for money is 3/5.