Yugawara Fukiya — Hotel in Yugawara

It was our first stay at this fukiya ryokan. Many ryokan were all reserved during the christmas time. The room we wanted was also booked out, therefore we opted to upgrade ourselves to a bigger room which was available.The only regret we had was staying one night and arriving late as the traffic from Tokyo to Kanagawa was very jammed. We arrived around 6pm and when was greeted by the friendly okami-san and lead us to our room as our rooftop onsen reservation time was really near. We only had 30 mins to change our clothes into yukata-looking clothes they provide to roam around the ryokan. Everything was provided and amenities were well prepared. The rooftop onsen was nice but was cold. But great experience and can imagine how beautiful it will be during the day time or spring time. Highly recommend the experience. Just book ahead. Our dinner time was 7:30pm and it was more than 10 dishes of kaiseki which was alot for the two of us. The free beer (there are other options) after the onsen was provided during the dinner time. Each dish was well made with their esthetic presentations. Kaiseki dishes differ so do ask ahead. After the dinner, we walked around the ryokan as there are the public onsen, massage chair areas, relaxing area to truly destress oneselves. The public (women) was clean and well-maintained. We slept well and gave our preference of the breakfast choice (Japanese/western) to the okami-san. The okami-san gave us the time she will be coming to prepare the breakfast in our room, therefore while they were doing that, we were escorted to the concierge area to have a cup of coffee.The breakfast selection for the Japanese surprised us as there were many dishes. Certainly charged ourselves before leaving the ryokan. Our room had the private onsen with a nice wooden interior. Was relaxing soaking ourselves in the morning with the cold breeze coming from the window. Before leaving the ryokan, the lovely okami-san gave us dried fish as a souvenir. We hope to go back in a...

It was our first stay at this fukiya ryokan. Many ryokan were all reserved during the christmas time. The room we wanted was also booked out, therefore we opted to upgrade ourselves to a bigger room which was available.The only regret we had was staying one night and arriving late as the traffic from Tokyo to Kanagawa was very jammed. We arrived around 6pm and when was greeted by the friendly okami-san and lead us to our room as our rooftop onsen reservation time was really near. We only had 30 mins to change our clothes into yukata-looking clothes they provide to roam around the ryokan. Everything was provided and amenities were well prepared. The rooftop onsen was nice but was cold. But great experience and can imagine how beautiful it will be during the day time or spring time. Highly recommend the experience. Just book ahead. Our dinner time was 7:30pm and it was more than 10 dishes of kaiseki which was alot for the two of us. The free beer (there are other options) after the onsen was provided during the dinner time. Each dish was well made with their esthetic presentations. Kaiseki dishes differ so do ask ahead. After the dinner, we walked around the ryokan as there are the public onsen, massage chair areas, relaxing area to truly destress oneselves. The public (women) was clean and well-maintained. We slept well and gave our preference of the breakfast choice (Japanese/western) to the okami-san. The okami-san gave us the time she will be coming to prepare the breakfast in our room, therefore while they were doing that, we were escorted to the concierge area to have a cup of coffee.The breakfast selection for the Japanese surprised us as there were many dishes. Certainly charged ourselves before leaving the ryokan. Our room had the private onsen with a nice wooden interior. Was relaxing soaking ourselves in the morning with the cold breeze coming from the window. Before leaving the ryokan, the lovely okami-san gave us dried fish as a souvenir. We hope to go back in a...

Yugawara Fukiya is a standout ryokan that was a definite highlight in my trip to Japan.

I stayed with my wife and friends (some Japanese and some visitors from abroad) and HIGHLY recommend it. It is a 5-star experience (regardless of what is listed on Google) that combines traditional culture, superior service, great food, relaxing baths, and comfortable accommodations.

Some highlights: The service is top-notch. They took extra care to create a welcoming atmosphere, especially for visitors. Staff even assisted us in wearing traditional Japanese garments and even taking our photos. I left a jacket in my room when checking out and the staff found me after I had left to return it!

The food was excellent, featuring high-quality ingredients, meticulously prepared and presented. We had a 10-course traditional Japanese dinner and a lovely breakfast with a HUGE spread. We left both meals with our five senses AND tummies satisfied.

We appreciated the bathing options, which included both communal and private baths. The latter provided a relaxing retreat for quality time with our group. Each bath was well-maintained, offering an enjoyable and authentic ryokan experience. I love the convenient "booking" mechanism for private baths: once you lock the door in the private bath, lights on signage in hallways signal that the private bath is taken --- this means there no need to visit a desk to book; you just show up!

The rooms were impeccably clean, providing a comfortable environment with a range of amenities. We loved the full spread of soaps and toiletries, the prepared hot water (for tea) and ice water (to cool off), the inclusion of comfy pajamas, and shoes provided for you so you can explore the town at night!

Also: there is a spa and karaoke available on site that we did not use since we were too busy enjoying the baths. We will certainly check these both out the next...