Furusato — Hotel in Takayama

Charming place. Quick walk from the train station down down a little road. Family owned and run. Rooms are really large especially if you are coming from some of the hotels in the bigger cities like Tokyo or Osaka. You had the option of sleeping in the 2 twin beds or they can set up the traditional Japanese futon bedding for you. The room we had had a large living room with the 2 beds and couch and table. There was a separate living area with the TV, safe, closet and table where they would set up the futon. There is a bathroom with a sink and bathtub. The toilet is separate hear the large front entrance hallway where the fridge is as well. The us I turn our all the lights to the hallways and lobby area and they lock the doors after a certain time. I believe it might have been 10 or 11 pm. When they do turn out the lights to the hallway, it is very dark and you are walking long hallways so it was a bit creepy if you wanted to head out to use the onsen late at night. If you do want dinner at the resort then you make sure you book a reservation as they are family run and need to prepare. We didn’t know this was required and they couldn’t accommodate us on such short notice but they called the one restaurant that was nearby which was a 7 min walk away for us to confirm they were open that evening. The izakaya restaurant they sent us to was great though so if you are staying here multiple nights I’d recommend trying that restaurant one night too. The staff are all really friendly. They have separate mens and woman’s onsen including indoor and outdoor which was really nice. The ryokan didn’t seem overly busy that one night we stayed there so we mostly had the onsen to ourselves when we went, included breakfast and that was fantastic based on the number of shoes outside it looked like there may have been about a dozen guests when we were there and when you check in, they schedule your breakfast for the next morning as well since they prepare and cook it for you so they do need to space out the times. Charming place and really friendly couple that owns and runs the place. Not a lot to do in the surrounding area but great if you want a change of pace from...

One of the best small town ryokans I've been! It's tucked in the corner of a small village, off the main road, which is perfect, as you get the peace and quiet which befits the place.

From the entrance, the staff are warm and engaging. One person who struck us as really warm and friendly is Azusa, who has a really vibrant and energetic personality. She's simply amazing to welcome the guests to the ryokan.

The place is also very well kept. Very clean, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

The rooms are also amazing. Really extremely big, very comfortable. So much space, which is hard to find in Japan. I suspect that they might not get many visitors, as my friend commented that the room felt a bit musky. Nevertheless, low traffic lends to the exclusivity of the place.

The ofuro was nice, though a bit small for the outdoor part. The water wasn't very hot outside. It was very hot inside though. I liked it though. Interesting note is that we spotted a cemetery area adjacent to where the ofuros are situated. I'm not superstitious, but some people might feel creeped out.

The dining area was amazing. I thought it was going to be a communal area, but they had small rooms for private dining, which was really nice. The food was also tasty and pretty, and i feel, done with heart. It's always nice to enjoy a nice quiet meal in such a place. We also had a nice conversation with the person attending to us. I didn't get her name, but it was nice to know that she travels a lot, and aspires to travel even more. A kindred spirit in a quiet small village.

I really loved this place, which explains why I'm taking time to write such a lengthy review. Thank you once again for everything; we'll be back!...

My mom and I visited Furusato 故鄉 at Fukuji Onsen 福地温泉 on July of 2019 for two days. We truly felt welcomed in this Ryokan and had the most wonderful time there. ||||This well-kept property is located off the main road, so it was very quiet and peaceful. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the decors are authentic/traditional Japanese without being too overly ornate. The hot spring there is about 40 degree C which is 1-2 degree lower than typical onsen. Given that it was July, it was the perfect temperature and allowed us to truly relax in the hot spring for a long time. Breakfast was delicious with lots of varieties, we have no doubt dinner would've been even better (but we didn't include dinner in our reservation). ||||We also must mention the ryokan's okami (Azusa) whom we have become good friends in such short period of time. She speaks fluent English and is very sincere, caring, and go above and beyond to make sure we felt at home. Our experience wouldn't have been the same without her cheerful smiles. ||||When I decided to book this hotel, I didn't know what to expect because based on the reviews, it wasn't as well known as 湯元 長座 ，元湯 孫九郎，隠庵 ひだ路...etc. After spending two days there, I can say it far surpassed all of my expectation and I'm very glad to have chosen this place. Both my mom and I hope one day in the future we would be able to...