Drawn to this hotel to experience the traditional Japanese lifestyle,we were inspired and entertained by the flawless food service and old world ryokan. | And this hotel has the best of it!|Serene, pristine and spiritual, with architecture that is awe inspiring.|Grand, open walkways, punctuated with towering doorways of stunning wood and metal.| In the most breathtaking wooded mountainous countryside !|Staff were helpful and serious .|And the food, expertly and gorgeously prepared and served..|These are the pros, but there are definitely some cons!|We might have enjoyed a bit more warmth ! | It is, after all a place to vacation, not a school for cultural induction.|And, being seniors, my husband nearing 80 and I, being 78, felt the challenges were definitely problematic , even overwhelming!|The meals served in the room were placed on a low lying table that made sitting on the floor, (albeit on a chair with a back and pillowed seat with an armrest), very, very hard!! |Truly.!|We aren’t used to sitting at ground level with our legs stretched out in front of us to dine. In fact, after around 15 minutes, both my feet fell asleep.|The whole business was no laughing matter, but an ordeal that had us toppling over and grasping at anything near by to gain some traction and control of our limbs.|The hotel needs to make more accommodations for elderly guests to make their stay enjoyable .| We are not a accustomed to these kinds of lifestyle activities .|And bedtime was another hassle, bending low to the ground to lie down , and then, struggling to get up again!!|So we moved our breakfast trays to higher ground , a coffee table, even though the server kept pushing us to sit back on the ground. |BUT: the food was exquisite and beautifully presented, at a Michelin star level.!|Our problem also was with the person we spent the most time with who failed to properly familiarize us with the room’s facilities, such as where the light switches were located….so that at bedtime we were unable to turn off the lights and had to call for help.|She was unhelpful though the other staff, especially Roy, took great pains to take care of us. |As we sat in the lo lobby waiting for a car to take us to the train station , we overheard a couple of women, around our age, discussing these difficulties.|One of them saying that she had never had back problems,before, but now, was having major back pain!|!