Iwamotoro Honkan — Hotel in Fujisawa

Kaiseki is the traditional, multi-course dinner, served in your room and it is a Japanese experience worth having. It is delicious and different every night but it does repeat after 3 or 4 days. You will remember this meal all your life but you DO need to be open minded about food. Not even native Japanese will know what you're served so if it's a big deal you tried octopus balls in Osaka, save your $ and stay in a hotel. Ryokans are expensive by western standards but the Iwamotoro is worth the expense. The bath is sublime. Men and women have seperate baths and they are totally different. One is a tunnel carved out of bedrock and the other is a Roman bath look-alike with stained glass. They alternate every day so you can use both. (I prefer the tunnels). The hotel provides a yukata and slippers. The hotel location is wonderful. It's right on the main shopping street, a short walk (uphill!) to temples, restaurants, the cave and shopping. Every room has a view of Fuji. Head to shore past the beach (yes the beach is right there) and catch the Enoden railway. (1/2 mile down causeway and straight on down the road) That will take you to all the sights like the Daibutsu and the shopping streets in Kamakura. If there is something I wasn't thrilled over, it's breakfast. It's a traditional Japanese breakfast and you have no other options. I don't much mind eating sweet scrambled eggs but I hate the Ika-no-shiokara (salted prepare squid guts). Oh well. There's toast and coffee. If you want a true Japanese experience, few westerners ever go here, the Iwamotoro is worth it. PS the rooms are good sized (for 2 people) with tatami floor and each room does have a Japanese style bath, (western) toilet, and mini bar. The staff will set up a table for dinner, take it down and unroll futons on the floor for your bed. Wi-fi (free but you have to sign up) is in the lobby through a 3rd party vendor. Coverage gets spotty in the rooms but it...

Air of genuine antiquity on the exterior, very well kept anachronism on the interior. Staff were lovely and unstuffy, seeming especially ?relieved? that we could converse to some extent in Japanese and lenient with my rusty language skills. Unbelievably clean, needing a refresh in some places but I don’t mind that at all. Truly not a place of superfluous luxury or instagrammability, but actual homeliness and spiritual comfort. Atmosphere is somewhat Byzantine but that’s to be expected at a traditional inn. Breakfast changed daily but each time centered around broiled fish, with pickles, rice, tamagoyaki etc. It’s a lovely service that they call you to say “朝食準備できました” instead of rapping on the door or simply leaving it up to fate to decide if you will show. I would absolutely come back.

When the din of sightseers makes their way off the island the inn is serene, sleep is unbroken. The view from the 3rd floor is nothing short of magical at 4:30am when the cicadas kick off their chorusing - kites circling above, boats spliiting the satin dawn sea nabbing each their morning fill of fish. It looks over the only beach on enoshima where there are kayak forays, idle swimmers and intrepid sorts bounding over to a thin concrete peer from the volcanic sand beach. You can also spot a mysterious shark shaped rock somewhere off in sagami bay, and Mount Fuji on clearer days.

Didn’t get a chance to try the baths because I didn’t want to disrupt the harmony of the hotel by brashly displaying my (heavily) tattooed body, but they will happily guide you to your preferred bath and inform you of the time at the front desk. There’s also a pool if that takes your fancy.

Remember to turn in your key when you leave, respect the serenity of the place, abide by the hygeine practices and housekeeping standards, learn some japanese before you go, respect that it’s not a TikTok lodge and it will be...

I did not stay in this Ryokan, I canceled my book.|Here is why:|Most Ryokans make traditional dinner and I thought this one too (by seeing their Kaiseki meal photos in their website) But it seems I was wrong.|Before booking a room in this Ryokan, I read the reviews and checked the meals menus in their website: the Kaiseki meal was one of the many reasons why I wanted to book this Ryokan.|So I booked a room and almost two months before my arrival I sent them a message asking for the meals price and to make a dinner reservation for two people. Their reply was "Dinner cannot be prepared. Please have a dinner in the dining room outside the hotel".|So I asked again why I could not make a dinner reservation (in almost two months in advance) Perhaps the kitchen is closed? their answer again was: "I do not have a reason. It depends on the plan you choose".|Well... If this Ryokan doesn't serve dinner, they should let it clear to everyone in the information section. If they do serve but it depends on whatever plan they have, they should again let it clear to the customer.||I was lucky to ask before my arrival and of course I cancelled the hotel of 210EUR one night... the communication was bad (they could explain the meals plan perhaps?). So I decided not pay 210 for one night in a Ryokan with a poor costumer service and where I cannot have a full Ryokan experience.|In another review I saw they have had this same issue with other guest. Therefore, If you are wiling to stay in this Ryokan anyway, I highly suggest you to ask them anything first before booking a room (to avoid surprise).|So sad... I truly think they don't care about...