Yatsugatake Kiyosato Highland Seisenryo Hotel & Cottages

I stayed for a two-night, three-day trip this time. When I stayed at a nearby auberge in May, I was struck by the views of the Yatsugatake Mountains, Mt. Fuji, and the Southern Alps under an огром sky—and I felt it would be a waste to spend only one night in a place like this. Another reason was that I wanted to enjoy the fireplace, so I chose a Room with one. It turned out to be exactly the right choice.When I opened the window, I could hear birds singing, frogs croaking, and cows lowing in the distance. Combined with the crackling of firewood in the fireplace, it was incredibly relaxing—truly a great way to relieve stress.For meals, we ate at Seisenryo’s restaurant for everything except lunch on the first day. You can dine while looking out at the mountains, then head straight back to your Room and enjoy the fireplace.I’m thinking of staying again in October or November next time—hopefully with a clear view of the starry sky. This place offers an exceptional level of comfort and relaxation in your Room that’s hard to find elsewhere, so I highly recommend it.

We stayed in a Japanese-Western style Room in the new building. We were able to spread out board games on the table in the Japanese-style area and enjoy them. The games can be borrowed at the front desk. Since it was on the first floor, it was convenient and easy to get to both the baths and the restaurant. However, perhaps they came in from the terrace, but there were a lot of mosquitoes, and they buzzed around our ears at night, so I woke up to get rid of them. There were about 10. There was also an electric mosquito repellent in the Room, so we used that as well. Next time we come, I thought we should turn it on from the start. Since I got bitten a lot, I was glad I had anti-itch ointment with me.The meals were delicious, with vegetables carefully prepared.The bath had a high ceiling and felt great. The hair dryer (ReFa) was nice too, but there were only two seats where you could use it comfortably, so we ended up having to dry our hair quickly. I wished there were a few more seats.The lobby with a fireplace had a great atmosphere, and we could relax early in the morning on the sofa while enjoying coffee. There is a coffee machine available with free refills, which made us happy.