Yumoto Choza — Hotel in Takayama

We picked Fukuji Onsen area for our xmas holiday and we were doing 7 nights with 4 different ryokans, ranked below: #1 Kakurean Hidaji (隠庵 ひだ路) x 2 Nights #2 Yumoto Choza (湯元 長座) x 2 Nights #3 Motoyu Magokuro (元湯 孫九郎) x 2 Nights #4 Yamazato-no-iori Soen (山里のいおり草円) 1 Nights (AVOID)

Yumoto Choza offers a unique ryokan experience, and while our stay had its ups and downs, it’s worth considering for its incredible baths, exceptional food, and solid service. BUT BEWARE OF STINKING BUGS!

Property/Room: A Blend of Charm and Challenges The property itself is a stunning example of a traditional Japanese ryokan, surrounded by beautiful scenery that adds to its serene ambiance. One of the main draws is the variety of baths available, which are truly exceptional. There are three family baths attached to the buildings that offer private bathing experiences, and five more baths located outside the property. While the indoor baths were quite busy during our stay (likely due to the cold weather), the outdoor baths were a magical experience, especially with snow falling around us. The large public bath outside was a particular highlight—spacious, tranquil, and mostly empty, offering a rare opportunity to soak in solitude.

Unfortunately, the room itself fell short of expectations. It was comfortable enough but fairly basic compared to other ryokan experiences we’ve had. The biggest drawback was the bugs—there were quite a few, and one even made its way to the bed, which we had to deal with ourselves. This was a bit of a letdown, as it detracted from the overall comfort of the stay.

Food: The Best in Fukuji The food at Yumoto Choza is absolutely phenomenal and, in my opinion, the best in the Fukuji area. Every dish was meticulously prepared and showcased the finest ingredients, creating a dining experience that was as delicious as it was memorable. If you have the appetite, I highly recommend ordering the Hida beef skewers—they were mouthwateringly good and added an extra touch of indulgence to an already fantastic meal.

Service: Attentive and Helpful The service at Yumoto Choza was solid throughout our stay. The staff went out of their way to assist with luggage, ensuring it was moved seamlessly from place to place. They were also very helpful in getting us to the bus stop, making our departure stress-free. While the service wasn’t the most personalized we’ve experienced, it was efficient and thoughtful, which we greatly appreciated.

Final Thoughts Yumoto Choza has a lot to offer, especially for those looking to experience a wide variety of baths and incredible food in a tranquil setting. While the room and bug situation were less than ideal, the baths and culinary offerings more than made up for it. If you’re a foodie or a bath enthusiast, this ryokan is worth considering, particularly in snowy weather, when the outdoor baths become an...

HOTEL||Beautiful traditional wooden buildings, very remiscent of a European hunting lodge.||Lounge had a lovely high ceilinged lounge with a large open log fire - must be fabulous in winter.   Very peaceful, calm and relaxing atmosphere, with the rooms & buildings surrounded by flowing water and lovely gardens. A set of lovely private onsen with inside and outside bathing pools, surrounded by garden / screens, plus the gender separate communal ones.||One the most beautiful hotels I've stayed in (I'm not a FourSeasons type of person).  ||||FOOD||Had some superb traditional kaiseki multi-course Hida meals, with wonderful fresh produce, vegetables, fish and beef, fantastic pickles, some cooked over an open Irori, ... and tried some raw bear (a new one on me)||Served in attractive private rooms. The hotel very kindly provided English speaking staff to serve all our meals.||||All the staff were incredibly kind and helpful, given our complete lack of ability in Japanese.  Showed us great traditional hospitality for b/f and dinner. ||||BEDROOM||Beautiful large Suite with its own Irori, with moveable screens and a small veranda overlooking the gardens.  Could hear the flowing water in the garden outside.||Very quiet. Very comfortable.  Slept extremely well.||||OVERALL||I'm not prone to over compliment, but I run out of superlatives for this Ryokan. It was one of the more expensive lodgings on this 3 wk Japan trip, but was excellent value. A truly memorable stay in Sept 2015, so we need to work out when we can go back. The website pictures just about do justice to how lovely it is.||||ACCESS||Easy to travel: Reliable Nohi bus (English timetable online), 1hr from either Takayama or Matsumoto, sometimes change at Hirayu.  Fukuchi Onsen is on a smaller road by-passed by the main highway. Email Ryokan and tell them which bus you're taking, they will tell you exactly which bus stop (have names like train stations & one is directly outside) to get off at, and tell bus driver, and all will be fine. staff...

HOTEL||Beautiful traditional wooden buildings, very remiscent of a European hunting lodge.||Lounge had a lovely high ceilinged lounge with a large open log fire - must be fabulous in winter.   Very peaceful, calm and relaxing atmosphere, with the rooms & buildings surrounded by flowing water and lovely gardens. A set of lovely private onsen with inside and outside bathing pools, surrounded by garden / screens, plus the gender separate communal ones.||One the most beautiful hotels I've stayed in (I'm not a FourSeasons type of person).  ||||FOOD||Had some superb traditional kaiseki multi-course Hida meals, with wonderful fresh produce, vegetables, fish and beef, fantastic pickles, some cooked over an open Irori, ... and tried some raw bear (a new one on me)||Served in attractive private rooms. The hotel very kindly provided English speaking staff to serve all our meals.||||All the staff were incredibly kind and helpful, given our complete lack of ability in Japanese.  Showed us great traditional hospitality for b/f and dinner. ||||BEDROOM||Beautiful large Suite with its own Irori, with moveable screens and a small veranda overlooking the gardens.  Could hear the flowing water in the garden outside.||Very quiet. Very comfortable.  Slept extremely well.||||OVERALL||I'm not prone to over compliment, but I run out of superlatives for this Ryokan. It was one of the more expensive lodgings on this 3 wk Japan trip, but was excellent value. A truly memorable stay in Sept 2015, so we need to work out when we can go back. The website pictures just about do justice to how lovely it is.||||ACCESS||Easy to travel: Reliable Nohi bus (English timetable online), 1hr from either Takayama or Matsumoto, sometimes change at Hirayu.  Fukuchi Onsen is on a smaller road by-passed by the main highway. Email Ryokan and tell them which bus you're taking, they will tell you exactly which bus stop (have names like train stations & one is directly outside) to get off at, and tell bus driver, and all will be fine. staff...