Iwamuro Onsen Fujiya — Hotel in Niigata

We drove from Tokyo on a Friday night, taking advantage of their late check-in plan, and arrived at 11:30PM. The staff welcomed us pleasantly and showed us to our clean tatami room without rituals. The futon matress was already laid out. Considering the time of the night, the brevity was a good thing. As usual, yukata robes are available but in 5 different sizes. They have extras stocked on a low shelf in the hallway. You may take one freely. ||No dinner of course, but the onsen big bath was open till 1 AM, so we took a nice soak. The clear hotspring water is slightly green and has the boiled egg sulfur smell. It is at least partially circulated but I did not smell disinfecting chlorine which was good. The bath facility was well-maintained and clean. The outside bath was closed at this time but it was great when I got to soak in it the next day. ||The breakfast is a buffet, mostly country-style Japanese food. The main protein was broiled and lightly simmered mackerel pieces, with various vegetable dishes and homemade pickles to be had with white steamed rice. Miso soup and soft rice (congee) are also served. For those who must have Western type food, there is coffee, cold milk, yogurt, citrus fruits in light syrup, small croissant style rolls, and some sausages. No Chinese food available. It is simple food but the quality is good.||We spent the whole day outside, and having sampled all kinds of food all day long, we were far from hungry but everyone ate all the served food. It was delicious! Seasonal dishes imaging the spring like cherry blossom shaped tofu dish and cold-season specialty such as boiled crabs crowded the table. ||We had a better room reserved for the second night. It was a newly renovated southeast Asian style room with two twin beds, a comfortable bench and plenty of extra room. A bathroom is available but I think the water is tap water and not onsen. ||We had a wonderful stay. The staff were all friendly and helpful. We speak Japanese so I don't know how well they do will English but I suspect they would be...

We stayed at this nice ryokan for one night. the hotel offers a free pick up service from the train station Yahiko which is 10 minutes away by car. Besides Mt Yahiko, there is nothing near by the hotel besides a few restuarants.||But the hotel as a inside Onsen, outside Onsen (hot spring) and a sauna, everything is very clean and it's a great place to relax. We also booked the dinner, which was typical japanese and absolut delicious!!!!! The room was also traditional japanese, we enjoyed it a lot. There was green tea and a kettle in the room. While we ate dinner the staff prepared our Futons for us.||Only problem, there is nobody who really speaks English. Anyways the staff was incredible friendly and helpful, they tried everything to...

The Fujiya is set in the Iwamuro spa area. The accommodation is typical Japanese but regular beds can be provided, if so desired. The food is first class and so are the facilities. There is a beautiful garden attached to the property. If relaxation is what you are after, this is the place. I'm sure that my blood pressure dropped 10 points during my visit. It is surprisingly inexpensive though everything about our experience was luxurious. The surrounding area is quiet and somewhat rural. Good restaurants are within a short walk if you wish to try something different from the hotel offerings. The breakfasts are also pretty decent. Definitely a good...