Mizuno Ryokan — Hotel in Atami

I did a thorough research of Japanese ryokan around Atami and came to conclusion that this would be a perfect place for 6 of us (3 couples) after reading many reviews. I made reservations 5 months ahead, and they were excellent in responding to my requests over emails(I wrote to them in Japanese), I chose to stay in the Special Room, which had the best view. It was worth the extra money to stay in this corner room that looked out to the Pacific ocean. ||||Few reasons why I recommend this ryokan:;||1) Easily accessible if you have Japan Rail Pass. It only requires a transfer at Atami to Itoh-line, so you can get to this ryokan easily via bullet trains. (I looked at ryokans in Hakone, but because it takes more traveling time, transfers to get there, I decided to look for ryokan in Atami).||2) Food was amazing! Full Kaiseki style dinner with either Wagyu or Abalone as the main dish, and plenty of fresh sashimi, seafood, and home grown vegetables. There were plenty of food for everyone, including the Japanese style breakfast. ||3) Hot spring tub in your own room. I looked for a ryokan that had "kakenagashi" - a constant flow of hot spring water. It means that the water isn't stored for hours, maintaining the nutrients and high water temperature for optimal bathing. You can enjoy the hot tub at any time of the day, and we found the best time was early morning. For our bath tub, it was big and had a plenty of room for 2 people. ||4) Amenities. They had everything, including snacks after you had a hot bath, cold tea, skin care, and even an ionic hair dryer that's popular in Japan. ||5) The staff were very professional and welcoming. Other 5 people in our party only spoke English but the staff were very friendly and tried communicating in English as much they could with my friends. My friends experienced "omotenashi - special Japanese hospitality" first hand, which made this trip extra memorable.||||Things to think about||1) There is no shower inside the room, so if you don't want to shower outside, you have to go to the big onsen (separated into men and women's) early in the morning or at night. It will be public bathing, but because they only have 14 guest rooms, you will hardly meet someone else bathing. ||2) It requires a ride from the train station, which you can arrange with the ryokan before your arrival. (We asked our hotel concierge to call them.)||3) Wifi in the common area only, but really, you are staying here to relax, and disconnect with the world a little bit to enjoy the view, onsen, and the food! ||||Overall, I am very satisfied with booking this ryokan for our Japan trip. It's a good midway relaxation spot if you are traveling between Osaka,...

I travelled to this ryokan with my mum and it was a fantastic experience! Right from the start, this ryokan is near the train station (Ajiro) which is also easy to get to from Tokyo (we travelled from Shinjuku station). It takes about 10 minutes by taxi to get from Ajiro station to the ryokan and that involves travelling up a lot of hills. If you contact the ryokan in advance to inform them of your arrival time at the station, they will send somebody to pick you up and help with your luggage. ||The ryokan was incredibly immaculate and lovely. The staff were all warm, friendly, hospitable and we were attended to by a lady who was also the server for dinner that night and breakfast the next day. ||One of the best parts of the place would have to be the incredible view of the sea and the sunrise from the balcony of the room. Individual rooms have got a bath tub with water from the onsen (cloudy, salty water that is from the spring and not just regular hot water) at the balcony and it is your private bath which you can use 24/7. We were advised to try our best to catch the sunrise in the morning at 5.20 am and boy, was it the best move to wake up early! We were woken by the sun's rays already at about 5am and by 5.20 indeed, we could see the sun rise in the distance, to the left of a nearby island in the distance. It was the most beautiful sight. As it was April, the weather was cool and balmy and it was the best experience soaking in the onsen while enjoying the sunrise. ||The main onsen is very nice as well. It has both indoor and outdoor pools and after soaking in the pool, you can also use the foot massage machine in the changing room. ||Dinner and breakfast were also excellent. They do a very elaborate and yet meticulous display of all kinds of local food. ||Highly recommended for a stay for anyone! Perfect way to get away from the hustle of...

I travelled to this ryokan with my mum and it was a fantastic experience! Right from the start, this ryokan is near the train station (Ajiro) which is also easy to get to from Tokyo (we travelled from Shinjuku station). It takes about 10 minutes by taxi to get from Ajiro station to the ryokan and that involves travelling up a lot of hills. If you contact the ryokan in advance to inform them of your arrival time at the station, they will send somebody to pick you up and help with your luggage. ||The ryokan was incredibly immaculate and lovely. The staff were all warm, friendly, hospitable and we were attended to by a lady who was also the server for dinner that night and breakfast the next day. ||One of the best parts of the place would have to be the incredible view of the sea and the sunrise from the balcony of the room. Individual rooms have got a bath tub with water from the onsen (cloudy, salty water that is from the spring and not just regular hot water) at the balcony and it is your private bath which you can use 24/7. We were advised to try our best to catch the sunrise in the morning at 5.20 am and boy, was it the best move to wake up early! We were woken by the sun's rays already at about 5am and by 5.20 indeed, we could see the sun rise in the distance, to the left of a nearby island in the distance. It was the most beautiful sight. As it was April, the weather was cool and balmy and it was the best experience soaking in the onsen while enjoying the sunrise. ||The main onsen is very nice as well. It has both indoor and outdoor pools and after soaking in the pool, you can also use the foot massage machine in the changing room. ||Dinner and breakfast were also excellent. They do a very elaborate and yet meticulous display of all kinds of local food. ||Highly recommended for a stay for anyone! Perfect way to get away from the hustle of...