Asebino — Hotel in Izu

This is the most spectacular ryokan I have ever stayed in. Granted, it's not cheap, but Asebino has the full package.||||I will preface this review by saying that I would recommend this ryokan if you have at least a basic understanding / knowledge of Japanese. Except for one or two people, most of the employees were unable to communicate in English. My level of Japanese is extremely basic but really helped in understanding (on a very basic level) how things worked in the ryokan.||||Access:||Asebino is easily accessed via local transportation. We arrived at Mishima station via Shinkansen. We subsequently took a local train to Shuzenji Station. From there, we took a local bus to Yugashima. From Shuzenji station, it is probably easier just to take a cab as most of the bus stops are written in kanji. Nevertheless, we had a pocket wifi with us which helped us locate our inn (located down some stairs, across some really neat bridges and on to a small road).||||1) Facilities and Rooms:||Asebino feels small but is actually a medium sized ryokan. There are both Western and Japanese-style rooms which differ mainly in futon vs. mattress/bed. Each room is equipped with a private outdoor onsen, a balcony, TV, air purifier, outdoor shower, toilet with washlet and an iPad. The showers feature combs, razors, body gel, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner and after-shave lotion. Tooth brushes and tooth paste is also available. The iPad is used to make reservations for the four private spas in the ryokan. There's also a CD player and DVD player. Free rentals for movies and music CD's are available in the lobby but we did not check out the selection. There's also a dock for iPods/iPhones but only the older type.||||The rooms are immaculate and beautiful. It's a great mix of modern and traditional with great wood finishes. The tatami smell is fresh.||||The views of the rooms face the nearby river. In the fall, you can see beautiful Momiji leaves with night time illumination from the balcony. At night, there's very little noise other than the water flowing in the onsen and adjacent river.||||2) Onsen:||As mentioned previously, there are four onsens that are booked privately. Each one apparently has different types of minerals and features. For example, one of our baths had jets. However, most of the information was written in Japanese so I wasn't able to read the kanji. We didn't have trouble booking any of the onsens. There were ample empty slots available.||||In addition to the four onsen that are booked privately, there is also a larger outdoor onsen located in the basement. The men's and women's onsens are separate and switch after 1am. Make sure you can recognize the kanji character for man or woman which will help you pick the right onsen.||||Unlike some other ryokans, the meals are served in private dining rooms. Given the number of dishes, it made a lot of sense and did not detract from the experience.||||3) Food:||Utterly amazing Kaiseki cuisine. There wasn't a single dish I disliked. While it didn't quite match the 3 star Michelin restaurant (Ishikawa in Tokyo), it was still pretty spectacular. Everything from the presentation, to the service to the taste. There is also a LOT of food. Breakfast is offered in a Western or Japanese style. We opted for the latter and it was great.||||All in all, amazing experience and definitely worth it. I highly recommend it. The trip out to Yugashima was also fantastic because it was a great escape from the city. Our trip back to the train station was easier due to the availability of a free shuttle bus to Shuzenji Station....

This is the most spectacular ryokan I have ever stayed in. Granted, it's not cheap, but Asebino has the full package.||||I will preface this review by saying that I would recommend this ryokan if you have at least a basic understanding / knowledge of Japanese. Except for one or two people, most of the employees were unable to communicate in English. My level of Japanese is extremely basic but really helped in understanding (on a very basic level) how things worked in the ryokan.||||Access:||Asebino is easily accessed via local transportation. We arrived at Mishima station via Shinkansen. We subsequently took a local train to Shuzenji Station. From there, we took a local bus to Yugashima. From Shuzenji station, it is probably easier just to take a cab as most of the bus stops are written in kanji. Nevertheless, we had a pocket wifi with us which helped us locate our inn (located down some stairs, across some really neat bridges and on to a small road).||||1) Facilities and Rooms:||Asebino feels small but is actually a medium sized ryokan. There are both Western and Japanese-style rooms which differ mainly in futon vs. mattress/bed. Each room is equipped with a private outdoor onsen, a balcony, TV, air purifier, outdoor shower, toilet with washlet and an iPad. The showers feature combs, razors, body gel, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner and after-shave lotion. Tooth brushes and tooth paste is also available. The iPad is used to make reservations for the four private spas in the ryokan. There's also a CD player and DVD player. Free rentals for movies and music CD's are available in the lobby but we did not check out the selection. There's also a dock for iPods/iPhones but only the older type.||||The rooms are immaculate and beautiful. It's a great mix of modern and traditional with great wood finishes. The tatami smell is fresh.||||The views of the rooms face the nearby river. In the fall, you can see beautiful Momiji leaves with night time illumination from the balcony. At night, there's very little noise other than the water flowing in the onsen and adjacent river.||||2) Onsen:||As mentioned previously, there are four onsens that are booked privately. Each one apparently has different types of minerals and features. For example, one of our baths had jets. However, most of the information was written in Japanese so I wasn't able to read the kanji. We didn't have trouble booking any of the onsens. There were ample empty slots available.||||In addition to the four onsen that are booked privately, there is also a larger outdoor onsen located in the basement. The men's and women's onsens are separate and switch after 1am. Make sure you can recognize the kanji character for man or woman which will help you pick the right onsen.||||Unlike some other ryokans, the meals are served in private dining rooms. Given the number of dishes, it made a lot of sense and did not detract from the experience.||||3) Food:||Utterly amazing Kaiseki cuisine. There wasn't a single dish I disliked. While it didn't quite match the 3 star Michelin restaurant (Ishikawa in Tokyo), it was still pretty spectacular. Everything from the presentation, to the service to the taste. There is also a LOT of food. Breakfast is offered in a Western or Japanese style. We opted for the latter and it was great.||||All in all, amazing experience and definitely worth it. I highly recommend it. The trip out to Yugashima was also fantastic because it was a great escape from the city. Our trip back to the train station was easier due to the availability of a free shuttle bus to Shuzenji Station....

Asebino was pretty much perfect. The other reviews have captured it quite well so I won't repeat them but add a few points of my own.||We are a family of three. I speak decent Japanese. We visited in late March, about a week late for the spring blooms in Kawazu. ||First of all, I do recommend visiting only if you are with someone who speaks Japanese pretty well. This is not super easy to get to, and you may need to navigate buses and directions to get there. It is not super easy to get to either. Not terrible, but I could imagine it being difficult if you didn't speak any Japanese. ||I didn't really understand until I went how a place could cost so much. After staying, I get it. The amount of work that goes into your stay is pretty amazing. Doing the dishes alone must cost a fortune!||The staff were super helpful and friendly, even by Japanese standards. ||The food was beautiful and delicious. They were accommodating to our daughter, who did her best to be adventurous but, well, wasn't up to the task of eating 100 bites of things she had never seen before. ||There is a lot to do around there but most of it is accessed by bus or car. ||It was a perfect...