Towada Hotel — Hotel in Kosaka

We stayed for three nights at this great hotel that combines a Kaiseki-Ryokan dining experience with a modern Japanese-Onsen hotel feel.

Dinner was a 5-6 piece appetizer box ready for us when we sat down, then another 5-6 courses and a dessert. The amount of food was superior to other Kaiseki dining experiences in Japan, and the quality was just as good if not better. I would say it is a combination of classic and fusion variety, so not too much for those who are more picky/less adventurous. They did ask about allergies but we had none so can’t speak to any special diet restrictions, etc.

We purchased the food upgrade and feel that it was worth the extra money. Each of our meals had a different local themed dish or protein that added to the overall dining experience.

The breakfast was a choice of Japanese or Western style with self-serve juices and coffee. Both options were solid and better than most breakfasts we have had at other Ryokans.

We stayed in a traditional Japanese style room that overlooked the lake. Great views and even better architecture/craftsmanship. Had an old world feel and style with modern amenity and comfort. Room had a toilet and full bath with an additional room with a vanity sink, which is great for larger groups.

The staff were on top of everything from the moment we arrived, even running out to our cars with umbrellas when we arrived back in the late afternoon from our daily adventures. Always someone around who at least spoke a little English, but even those that didn’t were patient and tended to us perfectly.

The Onsen/Spa was a modern style with granite baths (Indoor cold/hot pool, outdoor hot pool) and sauna. They had hair dryers and typical amenities (brush, toothbrush, razors, etc).

The hotel was a great secluded getaway that provided quick access to Oirase gorge and about an 1.5 hour fun drive to Hirosaki. The area is lovely with a great mountain feel. We stayed in late April so the boat wasn’t running just yet. Still snow on the ground but weather was mild. We rented a vehicle and recommend anyone planning to stay here do as well.

Overall a great experience and would recommend to anyone looking for secluded mountain getaway that provides a top notch dining and a modern hotel amenity with classic...

I was with a small tour group October 23 and 24. We arrived at the height of the brilliant fall leaves, thanks to a booking made a year in advance.||The original wing of the hotel was created in 1940 in a style a bit reminiscent of hotels in North American national parks, but at a human-sized Japanese scale with an elegant traditional interior. The hotel was rebuilt about a decade ago when a Western-style wing, with a new lobby, restaurant, and rooms, was added. The new structure avoids competing with the spectacular woodwork of the old. Lobby/library space is abundant, spanning both wings. ||The hotel's original architecture is worth seeing for its own sake, including the old lobby and upstairs library. Rooms in that section are Japanese-style. Guest rooms in the new wing all have great views of Lake Towada, and are similar to what you'd expect in very good Kyoto or Tokyo hotel, but larger. The guest rooms' bathroom facilities are typically Japanese--slightly raised from the main floor, with very nice shower plumbing (much more convenient than one sees in the US), a bidet-toilet, and an abundance of toiletries.||The hotel is an "onsen"--it has Japanese bath facilities in the new wing, and of course the hotel provides robes and slippers for going to and from and for dinner. The hotel has meeting rooms and even a karaoke room. ||The restaurant served us excellent Japanese and western breakfasts and dinners, complete with seasonal rice-paper placemats, worth saving for stationery. ||The National Park's deciduous forests are as attractive as anything in the Appalachians, with a very diverse tree flora. Lake Towada is a vast volcanic caldera with forest-covered walls. The creek draining the lake has a scenic road and trail with many waterfalls, rapids, and other beauty spots for those with cameras, oils, or watercolors. ||The hotel's website shows the hotel and its settings accurately, though as a non-reader of Japanese, I do not...

Incredibly quiet and peaceful experience here up in the woods overlooking beautiful Lake Towada. We had an incredible full-moon-rise over the lake just after sundown, which we could see from our room. We stayed in the honten - the (original wing). It's a gorgeous pre-war miyadaiku (shrine-carpenter) built hotel that is updated, yet retains original elements in the honten (original wing) and preserved lobby. Emperor Showa visited and there are several fun photos of the emperor with the hotel and staff.

Service was incredibly professional and warm yet not stiff or too deferential. The location is INCREDIBLE, being far away from civilization, yet raised above the lake to provide for incredible views and exquisite peace and quiet...There were other guests, but it wasn't too crowded, which helped retain the peaceful atmosphere.

Half the hotel seemed to be updated in the bubble era, and the remains of a post-modern bubble-era fountain could be seen in the courtyard, but wasn't in use at the time we visited. A comfortable lounge with a simple coffee bar was also from this era, and comprised the heart of the hotel. A bubble-era "onsen" (shared bath) was also very well designed and maintained, and provided incredible views of the lake. The course dinner menu was delicious; it was extremely accessible but planned, prepared and served with love, professionalism and care. The level of care and quality of the food was a pleasant surprise.

We traveled via the Oirase Gorge route from Aomori which was an incredible surprise; do take this (East) route in the summer, the almost-street-level rapids rambled along the road and we stopped to walk along the path at several points along the way.

One of the few hotels I can imagine myself staying a week just to be in the space/place and relax, with the perfect balance between service, privacy...