Ryoso Chatani — Hotel in Kyoto

The bus from Kyoto station to Ohara isn't on JR passes, but wasn't really that expensive, and you paid when you got off the bus. The drive is into a rural area with peach blossoms and cherry blossoms, a nice break from the city. The tourist info at the bus station showed us the route to Chatani inn. ||Run by a family, this inn is actually quite large. They have the main building with their residence, kitchen, dining room and a toilet area, and then an annex that is accessible by going outside and then back in. That is where the baths/showers are (separated by sex), as well as more toilets and rooms. Each area has 3 showers and the onsen, a heated dressing room with lots of complimentary toiletries and other articles for guest use, such as hair bands, combs, brushes, dryers, Qtips, and a massage chair. The towels for the onsen were hand towels, very tiny and worn out. Onsen was open 4-10 tho showers all 24 hours. The toilets in this building are in separate heated rooms and western. In our building, the unheated toilet area is one room with 3 stalls, a unisex western toilet stall, and two Japanese style toilets , one for each gender. There was also a sink area, with 2 sinks and plenty of counter space. ||We stayed in a good-sized tatami room on the second floor with lovely mountain views the river, and their garden. The individual futons were thin, but with two on top of each other, it was nicely firm and comfy. Each room had an A/C/heater, which kept our room nice and cozy. Free wi-fi tho spotty at times, and nice yukata, obi, and haori for wearing inside.||Our first two dinners were miso soups where we got to drop in the veggies and meat ourselves. The first night was red miso soup with local veggies and pork and the second was white miso soup with local veggies and wild pig. The leaks came from their garden. The meals were at low tables, which was hard on our western bodies. We also got tempura veggies, rice, tea, fruit for dessert, pickled veggies, and some tofu. The 3rd dinner was sukiyaki that the host cooked at our table while chatting with us; he with his limited English and we with our limited Japanese. The first night we got a quick intro to what we were to do, and then left alone. All the other tables were having sukiyaki, where the owner was preparing the food, so we kind of got forgotten, until we got to order our drinks near the end. However the next two dinners we got our drinks right away and chatted a little with our host. The food was much more diverse and less meat oriented and heavy than at our previous inn. The meals were the best we had had so far in Japan, and turned out to be the best for our total trip. They had lots of veggies and fresh lean meat, with portions made for feeling satisfied but not heavy. Their b-fasts were also delicious.||This small family run place is really nicely done. They ran it with just one other person, and with such a large inn, they must work really hard esp at bfast and dinners, but they are always pleasant and patiently answer all your questions. ||The inn is located in a nice quiet area that is away from the main road but very close to all the temples and the few stores in town. There are also hiking trails up in the hills near the temples, so we could wake up, eat and walk right to the temples or into the hills for hiking without any trouble. The trails had no one on them and great views down into the valley below. The trails meander all over, go up a few summits and there is actually a trail to Kurama, another area to visit but by the time we figured out which one it was, we had already been hiking all day. The temples have very few foreign tourists, most tourists were Japanese as it is a popular local area. ||Lots of farmers working their fields, mountains in the background, cherry and peach tree blossoms, a rural area where you can go to get a feel for a different Japan, a quieter less touristy place. The people there greet you as you go by and we found it not only relaxing but extremely pleasant finding it a break from the cities. ||||We would stay here again with no hesitation. The owners are so friendly, helpful and they have a lovely inn in a lovely location. They even gave us a free drink one night and then two lovely fridge magnets with...

I had the pleasure of spending the second half of my trip to Kyoto in the scenic surroundings of Ohara, a lovely little rural village just under an hour's bus ride north of the city. This small Ryokan guesthouse is very near to the bus station and I had little trouble finding it. ||||The couple who run the guesthouse were very friendly and accommodating throughout my stay. When I needed help on planning a day trip to Kibune and Kurama, the man was able to advise me on which bus and train to get. His English was slightly better than my Japanese so we managed to communicate ok! ||||The decor of the guesthouse was clean and modern while maintaining that traditional Japanese feeling (sliding doors, tatami mats, hot spring bath and a futon). The yakuta (traditional male gown) laid out in my bedroom was a nice touch. Each day when I returned to my room there was a heated flask of water, fresh green tea leaves along with a tea pot and kettle. The artificial hot spring bath was also a relaxing way to end a day of hiking and temple-seeing. It’s worth mentioning too that the toilets are western-style.||||I think the highlight of my stay was the delicious home cooked breakfast and dinner I was treated to each day. This traditional Japanese cuisine included a lot of healthy and fresh locally grown vegetables and was a terrific experience. I enjoyed pork miso hot pot and a very special chicken sukiyaki dish. Even though I was the only Westerner there during my stay, I still enjoyed talking to a few of the other guests at dinner time and everyone I came across was very friendly.||||Ohara is surrounded by mountains and contains several beautiful and historic temples to be explored. There are several nice shops in which souvenirs can be purchased while the tranquil hamlet Kibune and the village of Kurama are just easily reached by transport. I would recommend spending a couple of nights in Ohara as it really does feel like ‘real Japan’ in its simplest and most beautiful rural form. And if you do stay then Chatani is the perfect...

We stayed here for one night in late April. Ohara is a delightfully peaceful and temperate place to get away from the bustle of Kyoto and Osaka, and this location is a comfortable base for exploring the area.

The hosts are professional, but not overly polite. The house manager gave us a quick tour, but it was in rapid Japanese, so we didn't know most of what she pointed out to us as amenities. Our room was quite spacious for the price, although we slept on pallets on the floor. Beware the low ceilings in this place! We were not really offered dinner or breakfast, and fed ourselves with what we brought in our suitcases. No one seemed to mind this, but the kitchen on the premises appeared not to be used much.

The valley is beautiful and serene, and they have a shed full of bicycles you can borrow for exploring. Make good use of these to get around.

It has the vibe of a bed-and-breakfast, only without beds and without breakfast. The hosts are happy to have you, and if you're willing to sleep on the floor like a traditional Japanese guest, you'll do fine. But don't forget to pack yourself some food, as they may not offer you any meals and the village of Ohara has very few places where one can...