Yamada Bessou — Local services in Beppu

Yamada Bessou is a pretty special spot. Originally a large family home, it was converted after the war to be a ryokan. It's traditional and rustic. The floors creak, the doors slide. If you're the kind of traveler who loves their APA or other Japanese business hotel, this may not be for you. The washrooms are shared, but not dorm style. They're immaculately clean and have good facilities.

The indoor baths are small but warm and open 24 hours. The private outdoor bath is amazing and worth reserving. There are other reviewers who say it's too hot- they didn't realize you can add cold water to your taste, as you can with many private onsens.

You're a six minute walk to the station, and three minutes to a host of izakayas, bars and Beppu "nightlife". (It is a smaller town..!)

Where this ryokan shines most though is not in its rooms, or even the outdoor onsen- but in its staff. We were greeted by a young man named Kenji who was helpful, kind, and honestly we were considering asking him to come out for drinks one night. He was super cool, insanely helpful, and had recommendations for whatever we needed. Whatever he's getting paid, he should be getting twice that. I'm generally pretty capable in Japanese, but he speaks fantastic English if that's a concern.

The only reason I gave the room 4/5 is that there was only one outlet in our room- even though being at a ryokan is about slowing down and relaxing I needed to get a little work done and the inability to charge/use multiple devices was my only, very small misgiving. An extension cord would have been great so I could work at the desk.

That aside- whether this is your first or hundredth time to Japan, this is a great place to stay and I hope to return!...

Before posting my review, I took a moment to read some of the negative reviews first and I suppose that for those folks some deeper research could have prevented misunderstandings. I personally loved it here and actually stayed one night longer than I intended. Service: so kind and homely. The staff are smiling and eager to help you with anything. The breakfast is very very nice and totally worth the 1000yen. I planned a hike one morning and so asked for a Bento breakfast which they made for me. It was also delicious. Building: is quite old, so yes, the floor creaks and makes noise. The walls are thin, so yes, noise carries. I think it adds to the charm of the place. I will admit that the toilets are a little awkwardly set up outside the rooms and probably not so sound insulated, but I was one of the only customers during my stay so that didn't really matter to me. Onsen: there are two- an open air onsen that you can reserve for private use during its open hours (which is most of the day) and an inside one which I think is open all the time. The towels have a lovely smell to them and I really really loved the outdoor bath. It must be incredible to be there as a couple or as a family Overall: I highly recommend it! If you want something with luxury or great privacy don't come here. If you want an authentic Japanese old style ryokan, then definitely...

Our stay at Yamada Bessou was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Kenji greeted us warmly as we arrived, and kindly explained how the private onsen reservations worked, booked us for breakfast and gave us a tour of the ryokan... but the best part of the welcome was when he opened an old chest of drawers and asked us to choose a yukata that we'd most like to wear during our stay!! I'm pretty sure I audibly squealed, and delighted in choosing the most beautiful one. 🥰👘 This incredible welcome set the tone for our whole stay. The private onsen was secluded and gorgeous, the tatami room was breathtaking, the breakfasts were delectable and all of the staff were so very sweet.

The cherry on top of the experience was this: as we were leaving, we asked if there was anywhere nearby where we could by our own yukata, as I had loved it so much. Then then informed us that we could purchase second hand yukata with belt directly from the ryokan for just 5000 yen. When I asked if this meant I could take home the one I'd been wearing and had fallen in love with, they said of course! I couldn't believe it! 😍👘

Overall, this is one of the most amazing and memorable places I have ever stayed out of the 55 countries I've visited, and I sincerely hope I'll be able to...