Ohara no Sato Onsen — Attraction in Kyoto

If you know the differences between minshuku vs ryokan then this is the remote place to visit. You can take Bus #17 from Kyoto station (560 yen as of 5/12/2024) or the Karasuma line & Bus #19 (650 yen as of 5/12/2024). The traditional single room with tatami mats has a kotatsu, small TV, humidifier and safe. Staffs does speak English and provide great services. Location wise, it is in the mountain side with a small river/stream running through. Dinner and breakfast are serves at specific time in midsize dinning room for all guests. Single table is lining the inner Ghibli garden, I had delicious chicken, assorted veggies plate, miso hotpot and assorted communal side dishes for dinner and it is American size portion. Breakfast is grilled fish, tofu, miso soup and assorted side dishes. The highlight is the 3 miso (light, red and dark) range from mild and sweet to umami rich savory. I arrived in the middle of the thunderstorm and the 900m walk (slight incline) was not that hard with google maps and signage along the way. If you are mobile challenge there is a shuttle service (a van) from the minshuku but please call and arrange ahead of time - again small staffs so it is depend on availability. Take in the rice fields, vegetables fields, small wooden bridge without guard rails over the stream along the way. It is the essence of countryside and molasses time.

If you reach this place by car, there is a small parking place with extra fee or you can park in the lot by the bus stop. Again 900m walk from the bus stop.

By the time I reached the minshuku, I was soaking wet from the thunderstorm. The staff wipe down my carryon and luggage and checked me in while I dried up a bit - top notch services. There is a humidifier in the room and a small rack so I was able to dry my clothes over night.

Single Room - small, light dusts, no coat hangers, no private bathroom, tatami mat, a shikibuton (mattress), a kakebuton (duvet), and a buckwheat hull pillow. A shoji window with sliding window a bug screen. Depending on your length of stay, you may not even need to unpack your suitcase. Insect sprays will be provide when ask - Again you are the guest of the minshuku and literally the mountain.

I slept with the window open to the sound of rain, rushing stream and rustling leaves dancing in the wind.

Communal bathroom - Shared separate sinks area with hair driers, a small fridge and a small microwave. Men area has 3 urinals and 1 Toto san toilet for my floor.

Wifi can be slow depending on the guests usage but it is perfectly good for me. I'm here to relax and recharge and not streaming movies or working during my stay.

Onsen - Open 7am - 9am; 4pm - 10pm and it switch men and women daily so you can experience both sides. It is include an inside area, small outside area and a pottery/ceramic tub that can fit 2 people comfortable. - You will see insects and leaves in the water and there is a small net for you to remove those.

My stay was during the thunderstorm and it was a magical Ghibli experience with the onsen. Tall majestic maples, pine canopy shield most of the rain and when the wind shake them, cold rain water shower you like a refreshing overhead shower. You are on the edge of the lush green forest. During my morning onsen soak, a herd of deers (5 of them) were on their early morning commute and one stop and stare. I guess it register me in the forest registration list.

Hiking attractions - there is a temple within walking distance, foot soak cafe, soba noodle shop, a restaurant across the stream. There is also a spot for fireflies viewing - unless you have a long exposure camera then you phone will not do it any justice.

Overall - This place feels like a personal Ghibi rendered experience with great foods and services. Will come back...

Booked one night here and wow was it worth every penny. As someone who can speak little to no Japanese I was expecting a difficult time especially when in more rural areas but the staff were amazing. As soon as we walked into the building the staff were ready and welcomed us in English! We got shown to our room and they showed us a map of the building. Once we got into the room the staff member sat down at the table in our room and explained everything we needed to know, including what hours we could use the baths, when dinner and breakfast was, and even offered a shuttle service back down the the bus station! We settled in to the nicely decorated traditional tatami mat room with a wonderful view of the garden. The room had basic amenities such as air conditioning (which really cooled the room down!), a safe to lock any valuables, a small tv and many wall plugs to charge our phones and devices. The dinner was incredible, we entered the dinning room to find our table with our room number on it and sat down. The staff were more than happy to teach us how to use the hotpot stove as neither of us have ever had a hotpot, they then showed us all of the food we could cooked and a drink menu. The miso hotpot was so delicious, rich and flavourful! After dinner we decided to check out the baths which were really clean and comfortable. The changing room isn’t the biggest but could easily fit a good 6-7 people and you can store your clothes and towels into a basket. The shower room was really clean and they had shampoo, conditioner, and body wash at each stall. We decided to use the outside bath which was so relaxing, though it was quite late and dark so we couldn’t quite see where the path was at first. The bath water was at the perfect temperature, though I do highly suggest listening to the staff and drinking a lot of water prior and afterwards as we got quite dehydrated sitting in the bath. They do provide cold water outside of the changing room after you’ve left the bath which was needed! There was only one other family staying in the room next to ours for the night and they had children which occasionally we could hear quite loudly through the walls but it wasn’t enough to disturb us. The futons were really comfortable and warm, though the pillows are on the smaller side and were quite firm, but still very comfortable. We unfortunately missed the breakfast. When we checked out of the room, the staff were all there to thank us for visiting.

Across the road there is a store which sells the ingredients for the miso soup they serve so in the case you just can’t get enough of their soup, you can always bring some home with you!

Despite only having one night there it was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life, the staff were so helpful and polite, even doing their best to speak with us in English and showing us around the building. I would highly recommend staying at least one night here and experience the Onsen and food, I will definitely be returning...

I have came to this hotel almost every year for more than 10 years. Not because it’s been relatively cheaper, but because its humble, simple, warm and local type of living style. That is the reason I always bought my students from Taiwan to here to experience a real Japanese way of inhabiting in remote and rural country sites. But when I came into this hotel this evening, the way they treated me was more than horrible. It was raining and took us 15 minutes walking from bus station to hotel. I was just stepping into the hotel with the wet hat and dress, the guy was talking to our members came out from the cashier pointed his finger on my nose and demanded me to take off my shoes and put into the numbered case. I was just shocking by his surprisingly rude attitude and then trying to join the discussion of the room arrangement, he pointed his finger against my face again and said “stop “!!! I understand he might have problems to communicate in a language he’s not that handily and comprehensively, but if he could not realize that the most and only principle of the work so called “service”, then he should not work as a hotel attendant in the first place. I have watched this hotel started from a local family style hotel and now it’s become popular and busy all the time. But still I consider it should remain its very own spirit as it was before. Or it should not put the word 「里」 on its name of hotel. Anyway, I will painfully stay in this hotel one more night as scheduled. After leaving the day after tomorrow, I will never come to this hotel again, disappointedly and lost.

—————-

The glasses-wearing finger-pointing guy came to apologize to me this morning when breakfast. The hotel official responded also as below. The tryings were very much appreciated. But if the rudeness was caused only by the lack of understanding of our Taiwan culture, that might “point” out the real problem of this hotel. I have studied in US and traveled around the world, as the limit of my knowledge, I have never learned that in any culture or country pointing the finger at someone’s face means politeness and wellness but not arrogance and self centered. Or, if anyone could give me the very lesson, that to point the finger on someone’s nose is an acceptable behavior in Japanese culture?

If not, please allow me to humbly advise this hotel, the apologies shall never be cheap and easy, nor the...