Kamihoroso — Hotel in Kamifurano

Kamihoroso is located around 1000+ m above sea level. It can be reached via a pleasant mountain road, 30-40mins from the flower farms in Furano/Biei surrounds. ||Given its elevation, it is considerable cooler here. It is in the midst of a pleasant forest. And you get a GREAT view of the valley below especially from the onsen, dining room and main lobby. On a good day, the sunset is spectacular from here. ||||This is an old establishment. But don't let its age fool you. It is immaculately maintained. In fact, the aged feel of this place adds to its charms and sense of history. I find this place exudes understated elegance horned from years of proud service. ||Everything is spick and span. The onsen is large and completely built and lined with old cedars wood. This is not common any more in Japan. You only get to experience this in the more traditional establishments in the countryside. This was a pleasant treat for us. ||||The rooms were all Japanese style. But large enough with plentiful of room for futons and a sitting area. Dining was great. Excellent seasonal food for both dinner and breakfast. In terms of service level, it was professional, efficient yet discrete; the type we come to expect in top establishments in Japan.||||One other thing. While it is located close enough to all the flowers and patchwork attractions (30-40min drive), it held another attractions. Just 10 min drive further into the hillside is an open area for unimpeded view of a great sunset; some nice hiking trails and a forested clearing, where for the wildlife shutterbugs; a great place to photoshoot some cute northern pikas and chipmunks. We also saw a few golden foxes and deer while driving along the mountain road to and fro our hotel. That was another pleasant unexpected treat.||||The only catch about this place is that you need your own transport. But if you have, this is a great place to stay while visiting the...

Stayed here for one night. The location is excellent. It's located near the woods and set high up in the mountains, but still easily accessible by car, just off the main road that passes through Mt. Tokachidake. It seems like they offer a shuttle bus service to/from the nearest train station as well. ||||The woods are beautiful. The views from the onsen is just gorgeous. It's positioned overlooking views of the surrounding area. Since the outdoor onsen is right by the woods, there will be quite a bit of flying bugs. We saw a deer meander through some bushes behind the parking lot. According to some posters in the hotel, you can see hawks and foxes too. ||||The hotel itself is certainly not a luxury ryokan. It's more like a mid-tier establishment. The rooms and facilities are worn, but clean and comfortable nonetheless. There's no air conditioning, but there's a fan in the room. ||||The service is very attentive, but since this is not a luxury ryokan, most things are self-service. However, if you needed help, for example - we needed very large yukatas, the staff is more than happy to help. ||||The guests take their meals in the dining hall. The dinner, which was included in our room rate, was not luxurious, but filling, hearty, and delicious. It was a set meal that included appetizers and a small hot pot, combined with a self-service buffet of pickled vegetables, different types of rice, and soups. Breakfast, which was also included in our room rate, was a a mix of Japanese and Western style buffet. ||||The views are really why most guests come. However, the hotel itself is very comfortable and the food, while not fancy, still very enjoyable. We were there with a big group of elderly travelers, but still found the place to be...

sometimes, if i really like a place, i'll leave a review shortly after checking in. i was tempted to do so here but i waited until after dinner.

i didnt want to stay in the valley so chose kamihoroso for its secluded mountainside location

i arrived at 1pm, too soon for 3pm checkin, so got changed into hiking clothes, drove the km to top of road and set out to climb to the steaming crater, about 1.5hrs round trip. at end of the main trail, once you descend the ladder, you can follow the yellow arrows and traverse right towards mt furano (longer affair) or stay left and follow the river bed up the valley. not really a trail but pick your way thru the skree slope and you will get to the modest steam vents of the crater.

checked in right a 3 into a perfect japanese tatami room with private bathroom. everything is spotless and wifi and aircon work great.

straight to the onsen for a scrub and a soak. beautiful large wooden baths both inside and outdoors. the cold plunge is a miracle how they get the water so cold. nice views down to the valley.

after bathing, went to lounge for cold beer and snacks, all for free.

dinner was a kaiseki affair. it was absolutely spectacular including of course sashimi and broil your own wagyu. if still hungry was a make your own ramen station as well as desserts. the staff at dinner were amazing, spoke great english and even printed me a english menu of what was presented.

ok, the property, like many in japan may seem dated at first blush but this one is meticulously maintained and spotless...

so if you are a foreigner looking for a traditional japanese experience and aren't in awe of this place, you have a...