坐山 みなかみ (ざざん みなかみ) — Hotel in Honshu

You must stay at this onsen! There is no need to keep looking for a great place.||||I have stayed at this hotel twice now, because my first experience was so brilliant. On my first visit, I booked with a Japanese website. There were no tatami mat rooms available online, however when I arrived, staff were happy to change my room from western style, to tatami, which I prefer. Perhaps a tatami room suddenly became available.||||A helpful desk staff, who spoke strong enough English to make me feel welcome showed me to my room and answered all of my questions. I was upgraded to an enormous tatami room and it felt like a castle, compared to the tiny 6 tatami mat size rooms at business hotels. This is not a business hotel. Futon were very soft and comfortable and the sheets and towels were clean. Although the hallways leading to the baths may feel like a bit of a labyrinth, staff were happy to help me find my way. ||||The friendly and helpful staff provided me with a map and helped me find things I needed within the little village.||||The breakfast buffet was fantastic. Lots of choices between Japanese and western, with cold and warm selections in both categories. This is a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city in any party of Japan.||||My only disappointment was that the first time I stayed at Minakamikan, the cedar baths were closed due to a winter snow cave-in. By the time I returned the following year, the renovations had been completed.||||I will be back!||||Hints: ||- Contact the hotel to confirm their shuttle pick up times.||- Get to breakfast early to save yourself a seat by the window at the back of the dining area so you have a view of the mountains; they go quickly!||- I saved a lot of money and skipped the dinner at the hotel, but I'm sure it's fabulous, judging by the quality of...

You must stay at this onsen! There is no need to keep looking for a great place.||||I have stayed at this hotel twice now, because my first experience was so brilliant. On my first visit, I booked with a Japanese website. There were no tatami mat rooms available online, however when I arrived, staff were happy to change my room from western style, to tatami, which I prefer. Perhaps a tatami room suddenly became available.||||A helpful desk staff, who spoke strong enough English to make me feel welcome showed me to my room and answered all of my questions. I was upgraded to an enormous tatami room and it felt like a castle, compared to the tiny 6 tatami mat size rooms at business hotels. This is not a business hotel. Futon were very soft and comfortable and the sheets and towels were clean. Although the hallways leading to the baths may feel like a bit of a labyrinth, staff were happy to help me find my way. ||||The friendly and helpful staff provided me with a map and helped me find things I needed within the little village.||||The breakfast buffet was fantastic. Lots of choices between Japanese and western, with cold and warm selections in both categories. This is a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city in any party of Japan.||||My only disappointment was that the first time I stayed at Minakamikan, the cedar baths were closed due to a winter snow cave-in. By the time I returned the following year, the renovations had been completed.||||I will be back!||||Hints: ||- Contact the hotel to confirm their shuttle pick up times.||- Get to breakfast early to save yourself a seat by the window at the back of the dining area so you have a view of the mountains; they go quickly!||- I saved a lot of money and skipped the dinner at the hotel, but I'm sure it's fabulous, judging by the quality of...

What a marvelous and intriguing stay. The website promised a remarkably refreshing experience that, although it did not quite live up to, was certainly memorable.

The hotel had once seen much better days, perhaps in the years of the owner’s grandfather. It once even boasted a stay by the Emperor. Unfortunately, nothing in the hotel seems to have been updated since. All the furniture is torn and worn, and not in the wabi-sabi way, in the wobbly-shabby way. The fridge in the rooms is not stocked, the soap dispenser not full. The room is clean, but the slippers are tattered and the walls are stained. The futon are clean, but dare not go out on the balcony.

The food was delightfully bland, and even picturesque once all the puzzle pieces were finally brought to the table. Unassociated sauces and miscellaneous parts which never quite made a whole meal nevertheless made for an exciting adventure. And ah yes, one can’t overlook the creativity of the fig pudding that contained not one fig, but plenty of sprinkles and whipped cream. It would surely be a delight for all toddlers right up to age seven.

If you do happen to have screaming, raucous hellspawn toddlers, this is certainly the place for you, since there seemed to be plenty of them.

The baths were also a hoot, with crumbling, rotting wood, ladies’ personal amenity bags all over the entirety of the very communal shower area, and a full-on zoo of insects ranging from tiny buyo all the way up to golf-ball sized spiders keeping you company by floating mere inches from you in all baths at all times.

Still, if you’re on a tight, tight budget, have a gaggle of rugrats in tow, and are fine with the rustic taste of Showa, this may be what you’re looking for...