Matsunoyama Onsen Tamaki-ya Sake Inn — Hotel in Tokamachi

We are a young Australian couple who wanted to explore the echigo-tsumari art field area.||||Originally we just needed somewhere to stay that would be convenient enough to see the art field sights but in the end this ryokan was a hands down and unexpected highlight of the whole trip!||||We used the train to get to Tokamachi station and the ryokan staff very kindly organised for us to be picked up by private car from the station and driven maybe 10-15mins to the ryokan itself. Door to door! ||||All subsequent trips to and from the station were handled the same way and made exploring the area and getting back to the ryokan at the end of the day very convenient for us (the bulk of art works are around Tokamachi station).||||The setting is picturesque. We had not stayed in a ryokan before so I cannot speak to comparative experiences but this was a very special place to stay. ||||The staff were very kind and accommodating especially the sommelier-in-residence and manager Mr Yamagishi. Mr Yamagishi lends the personal touch to this ryokan that he acquired in recent years and manages with ever vigilant attention to detail.||||The food was very delicious and served kaiseki style (multi-course) with many fresh and sophisticated dishes. Breakfast and dinner were provided in the dining room which also had a beautiful view of the greenery outside the ryokan. At night, Mr Yamagishi offered sake tastings and pairings which was a wonderful addition to the meal. His collection seemed very extensive and included amongst sake offerings was his own house produced sake and very rare varieties.||||Mr Yamagishi was very hospitable and provided some helpful advice about the area whilst trying to improve our stay whenever possible. He speaks very good English which was appreciated as we regrettably do not speak Japanese. The majority of guests during our stay were Japanese speaking.||||After dinner the beautiful hot spring onsen was very relaxing and had a really picturesque outlook (the same as the dining room). There are internal showers and changing areas and the hot spring bath is outside. Beyond the onsen area there was refreshing chilled tea available at all hours and a comfortable seating area where my partner could wait for me to emerge from my separate-gender onsen.||||Our room was comfortable and the bedding was prepared and then packed away daily for us. We had a large window and the same beautiful aspect noted above of lush greenery.||||We did not have a private onsen room but we plan to return in the winter and book a private onsen room where you could relax in your own little hot spring with snow falling in front of you!||||On our departure Mr Yamagishi personally drove us to Tokamachi station as a final gesture symbolic of the wonderful service we received during our entire stay. What a special place and a fantastic experience! Thank-you Mr Yamagishi and to all the staff at...

We are a young Australian couple who wanted to explore the echigo-tsumari art field area.||||Originally we just needed somewhere to stay that would be convenient enough to see the art field sights but in the end this ryokan was a hands down and unexpected highlight of the whole trip!||||We used the train to get to Tokamachi station and the ryokan staff very kindly organised for us to be picked up by private car from the station and driven maybe 10-15mins to the ryokan itself. Door to door! ||||All subsequent trips to and from the station were handled the same way and made exploring the area and getting back to the ryokan at the end of the day very convenient for us (the bulk of art works are around Tokamachi station).||||The setting is picturesque. We had not stayed in a ryokan before so I cannot speak to comparative experiences but this was a very special place to stay. ||||The staff were very kind and accommodating especially the sommelier-in-residence and manager Mr Yamagishi. Mr Yamagishi lends the personal touch to this ryokan that he acquired in recent years and manages with ever vigilant attention to detail.||||The food was very delicious and served kaiseki style (multi-course) with many fresh and sophisticated dishes. Breakfast and dinner were provided in the dining room which also had a beautiful view of the greenery outside the ryokan. At night, Mr Yamagishi offered sake tastings and pairings which was a wonderful addition to the meal. His collection seemed very extensive and included amongst sake offerings was his own house produced sake and very rare varieties.||||Mr Yamagishi was very hospitable and provided some helpful advice about the area whilst trying to improve our stay whenever possible. He speaks very good English which was appreciated as we regrettably do not speak Japanese. The majority of guests during our stay were Japanese speaking.||||After dinner the beautiful hot spring onsen was very relaxing and had a really picturesque outlook (the same as the dining room). There are internal showers and changing areas and the hot spring bath is outside. Beyond the onsen area there was refreshing chilled tea available at all hours and a comfortable seating area where my partner could wait for me to emerge from my separate-gender onsen.||||Our room was comfortable and the bedding was prepared and then packed away daily for us. We had a large window and the same beautiful aspect noted above of lush greenery.||||We did not have a private onsen room but we plan to return in the winter and book a private onsen room where you could relax in your own little hot spring with snow falling in front of you!||||On our departure Mr Yamagishi personally drove us to Tokamachi station as a final gesture symbolic of the wonderful service we received during our entire stay. What a special place and a fantastic experience! Thank-you Mr Yamagishi and to all the staff at...

I went there with my girlfriends and we had a great time staying at this ryokan hotel. || Hotel shuttle picked us up from the train station and we arrived the hotel within 20 mins. We were then greeted warmly by a hostess who spoke fluent English, found out later that she studied in London and used to work at Ritz in Tokyo. || We took a dip in the onsen before dinner, the onsen in this area is known as one of the 3 best therapeutic onsen in Japan. Our skin was deeply hydrated, and all of our girlfriends felt the lifting effect on our face, simply magical!|| Dinner was exceptional. The talented young chef elaborates his skills learned at Joel Robuchon, Roppongi, creatively with fresh local ingredients. The sauce in every dish matches the food perfectly, the presentations were amazing as well.|| We had sake pairing with our multi courses dinner and the sommelier (young and handsome), also the 4th generation owner of this hotel, introduced us a variety of sake by breweries in the nearby region. Even my sake-lover friend was amazed by the extensive collection. || We ended our stay here with a scrumptious breakfast prepared by the owner’s parents, a traditional Japanese breakfast including tasty homemade pickled vegetables, grilled miso salmon, pork stew, miso soup, juice, soy milk.....(see photo) || Overall experience was excellent, I gave them 4 stars because we couldn’t book the room with its...