This place embodied everything and anything I heard and hoped for in a ryokan, at an extremely reasonable cost - from the moment we were picked at Yamagata station till when we were dropped off at the bus station.||||Apart from the usual scrumptious meals that one would expect from a ryokan (this ryokan had an especially good spread thanks to the famous beef found in the Yamagata prefecture), the level of service from this Omiya ryokan was on another level altogether.||||When Kazama-san, our host, picked us up from the bus drop-off point, I distinctly remembered him bending down to wipe our suitcase wheels so we would not dirty the immaculate ryokan, with tatami floors throughout the establishment. And, even though I speak a decent amount of Japanese, he did his very best to accommodate my brother, who only spoke English. ||||He sat down and explained how to get around the onsen town and how best to make use of our short one-night stay. He proudly showed us around the ryokan - the dining hall, indoor and outdoor onsen area, the lounge area with massage chairs and blankets and the lobby with sweet sake that one can enjoy after a good onsen soak or a day out on the slopes.||||When he saw me struggling to find the famous outdoor baths - Zao Dai Rotemburo (photo can be found in this post) the next morning, he gave me detailed instructions and recommended I buy an entry ticket to the onsen at 300 JPY (a special rate given to the ryokan). It costs 500 JPY when you buy it at the Rotemburo itself.||||His attention to details manifested again when he noticed the complimentary JPY500 gift voucher that I did not use sticking out of my plastic bag just as my brother and I were about to leave for the bus station. He asked me for it and ran into the gift shop to get me socks, with Yamagata apples printed on it. It remains one of the most precious souvenirs I got from Yamagata.||||Kazama-san, お疲れ様でした。||Thank you for showing us the meaning of "おもてなしomotenashi". ||I will visit again in a heartbeat.