We had never heard of Takimotokan Yuki No Sato (or Yoro Onsen, for that matter) until I decided to break up our long drive from Kyoto to Gero Onsen. Looking at a map, the area seemed halfway between our origin and destination points, and further research revealed a ryokan that appeared to suit our requirements - a small, boutique luxury ryokan with kaiseki food, in-room open-air onsen bath and the ability to socially distance during COVID-19. After staying here, I can emphatically say that Yuki No Sato exceeded our expectations in every way.||||While no aspect of the ryokan stands out, head and shoulders, above other top ryokans in Japan, all aspects are at least solid, if not better than that. We chose to stay in the "Kangetsu room, which was 60.5m² in size, offered an outdoor open-air Onsen bath, and provided panoramic views of the area below (Yuki No Sato is nestled up in the hills, about a 10 minute drive from the main Yoro area, including Yoro Park.) It further ticked all of our boxes by having a separate living room, and very fast internet speeds.||||A few other advantages: first, it's only a 5-10 minute walk from Yoro Falls, a mesmerizing place that's best visited before breakfast (before the crowds arrive.) And, the food was much better than we expected. It not only satisfied, it was downright memorable. Yuki No Sato focused on local and seasonal ingredients, and the bamboo shoots in particular ("Takenoko" in Japanese) was superb. Bamboo Shoots-mixed rice dishes are commonplace in Japan, but this was one of the rare times when I had a second helping of it. To put it in perspective, I try to limit my carb intake, but in this case, I couldn't resist! Yes, it was that good. The mountain vegetables were also incredible - the Japanese really do have the eyes, ears and nose for natural ferns, herbs and roots, that's for sure! The ryokan served up "Nobiru," known as Wild Rocambole in English, whatever that means, and is a Japanese wild plan that's somewhat similar to field garlic or a long onion. It was deep fried in egg yolk, and it was spectacular. They also served "Urui" (Hostas) covered in vinegared miso sauce, which also made our palate tingle. And the main event featured A5 Hida Beef Chateaubriand that was grilled over a large slab of Himalayan salt. This was provided at an extra charge, but trust me, it's money well spent. Breakfast was no less elaborate of an affair - there were a ton of small dishes, many of which will arouse your taste buds with flavors it may never had experienced before... and all for the better, believe me. The ryokan overall was very nice, but if one thing was a highlight here, it's definitely the kaiseki cuisine.||||Yuki No Sato is a relatively unassuming property, but in a way, it's perfectly fine as it is. It's part of a gorgeous natural environment with mountains, forest and an incredible waterfall nearby. And the Yoro Park area (about a 10 minute drive down the hill) is particularly photogenic during Cherry Blossom and (especially) Fall foliage season. We went during the latter and it was stunningly gorgeous (see the photo in my review), but I've been told it's even more awe-inspiring when the maple leaves burst into a collage of colors, including yellow and fiery red. It looks like we'll have to return in the Fall, then!||||Since we drove to the ryokan, I'm not an expert on how to get here via public transportation. For what it's worth, it's less than an hour drive from Nagoya, and about 2 hours from Kyoto, making it relatively accessible if you enjoy driving like I do.