Kajikaso ryokan — Hotel in Yonezawa

It was a relaxing 3N stay (2nd Dec 2024).

Location: We took a 28min bus ride from the JR Yonezawa bus stop. Note there is no space on the bus for suitcases or carry on cabin bags.

The short 210m walk to the ryokan is unsheltered when you alight from the bus stop. Thankfully the weather was good when we arrived by bus.

Its about 9.9km (20 mins) if you choose to take a taxi which we took when we checked out.

Check In: 3pm Out 10am.

The Front desk staff and Ms Satou were pleasant and made us feel very at home and welcome.

Although they could not communicate in english, they used the translation app to communicate with us and it was all efficiently done.

Public baths - bring the towels from the room:

1. They have only one outdoor public bath with an indoor bath. But the times favour the men if you want to enjoy the outdoor view in the day. Men: 08:10am-20:00pm Women: 20:10pm-8am

2. There is another indoor public bath. Women: 08:10am-20:00pm Men: 20:10pm-8am

3. The private reservable bath is spacious and the water was very hot.

Room We chose the room with an attached bath. The natural onsen water in the bath makes the skin so smooth and soft - the temperature of the water can be adjusted. There were some natural white minerals floating called “yuka” in the water. It was most convenient to have an attached natural onsen bath in the room.

More than adequate amenities in the room and additional items can be taken from the baskets on the near the lobby. The beds were very comfortable and the spacious room with a little sitting area overlooking the pond, was perfect for two of us.

Meals: Our meals were served on the 2F of the dining area.

Kaiseki Dinner was delicious. They took the trouble to print out the menu in english which was most thoughtful. The vietnamese girl serving was hardworking. She tried her best to explain the dishes in Japanese which we only understood with some guesswork.

We requested for Gyudon for breakfast and it was delicious especially when we placed the onsen egg on top. The little accompanying condiments were rather interesting.

The japanese lady serving breakfast the 1st 2 mornings was wonderful & pleasant. Free coffee at the lobby lounge 07:30am-09:30am.

General We like the decor of the ryokan as it was very typically “japanese” and not the modernised look which many establishments tend to have these days. Cozy and atmospheric with lots of wood. They have maintained the inside well even if it has some “older’ sections which adds to the authentic japanese ryokan experience. It was sometimes cold at the corridors tho. We did not have issues with the steps but those with knee problems need to take note.

Kajikaso met all our expectations for a truly authentic ryokan experience which we always look forward to whenever we visit Japan.

Ms Satou & 2 of the Front desk staff bade us farewell upon departure by taxi.

Thank you to all the hardworking staff. It was a most enjoyable and...

I had the pleasure of visiting Kajikaso Ryokan during January. I was immediately impressed with the welcoming staff of the Ryokan. We were greeted by the friendly staff, who seated us in the lobby while they sorted out our checking in process. While the staff didn't speak much English, they were welcoming and friendly. The owner Sato-san does speak English and if you get the opportunity to meet him, he can share with you some interesting facts and history of the town. ||||Our room was very spacious and had a wonderful view from the 3rd floor. We all enjoyed the massage chair. I noticed that there wasn't the traditional tatami smell as I've experienced at other Ryoken. The room was clean and nicely decorated.||||The onsen itself was wonderfully relaxing. I especially liked the outdoor section. I visited late at night. I enjoyed the outdoor waterfall, surrounded by snow. The air temperature was below zero, which made it a unique experience. As with other onsens, there was not a strong sulphur smell...which was pleasant!||||The town of Onogawa itself is very charming, and I recommend a stroll into town. The Ryokan can lend you a warm coat and rubber boots if necessary. Again, the people are very welcoming and friendly. I also highly recommend trying the "onsen tamago" (eggs cooked in onsen water). Delicious!||||We were treated to a traditional Japanese meal of 'shabu-shabu', featuring Yonezawa beef. The quality and presentation of the different courses was impressive to say the least. ||||Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing, peaceful, high quality Japanese Ryokan experience, I highly recommend Kajikaso. You will not be...

I had the pleasure of visiting Kajikaso Ryokan during January. I was immediately impressed with the welcoming staff of the Ryokan. We were greeted by the friendly staff, who seated us in the lobby while they sorted out our checking in process. While the staff didn't speak much English, they were welcoming and friendly. The owner Sato-san does speak English and if you get the opportunity to meet him, he can share with you some interesting facts and history of the town. ||||Our room was very spacious and had a wonderful view from the 3rd floor. We all enjoyed the massage chair. I noticed that there wasn't the traditional tatami smell as I've experienced at other Ryoken. The room was clean and nicely decorated.||||The onsen itself was wonderfully relaxing. I especially liked the outdoor section. I visited late at night. I enjoyed the outdoor waterfall, surrounded by snow. The air temperature was below zero, which made it a unique experience. As with other onsens, there was not a strong sulphur smell...which was pleasant!||||The town of Onogawa itself is very charming, and I recommend a stroll into town. The Ryokan can lend you a warm coat and rubber boots if necessary. Again, the people are very welcoming and friendly. I also highly recommend trying the "onsen tamago" (eggs cooked in onsen water). Delicious!||||We were treated to a traditional Japanese meal of 'shabu-shabu', featuring Yonezawa beef. The quality and presentation of the different courses was impressive to say the least. ||||Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing, peaceful, high quality Japanese Ryokan experience, I highly recommend Kajikaso. You will not be...