Chikurin-in Gumpoen — Local services in Yoshino

Chikurin-in Gumpoen - A Traditional Japanese Experience

We recently stayed at Chikurin-in Gumpoen in the Yoshinoyama area, and it was a truly memorable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly by the staff, who helped us with parking. I must admit, I parked rather poorly under the watchful eyes of others, but the staff remained patient and understanding.

The hotel itself is very traditional, featuring a beautiful Zen garden that added to the overall serene atmosphere. The staff took the time to show us around the hotel, and our stay included an absolutely delicious and beautifully presented traditional Japanese dinner. We enjoyed several courses, including sashimi, hotpot, grilled wagyu, and mushroom soup. We were so full by the end of it that we had to politely decline the rice, which seemed to perplex the staff!

After dinner, we explored the area and visited the onsen. It was a small, indoor bath, and I made sure to follow the proper bathing procedure, which really added to the authentic experience. The room we stayed in was a traditional tatami room, which was both comfortable and charming.

The next morning, we were treated to a generous breakfast that included miso, rice, tofu, and other delicious dishes. After breakfast, I took another quick dip in the onsen, which was designated for women that day (the baths are swapped between genders daily). We had a funny moment when my mum asked the host if the toilets are swapped as well, which made him laugh.

Before leaving, we took a peaceful stroll in the Zen garden, which was a perfect way to end our stay. The departure was handled in a very courteous and traditional Japanese manner, with the managers seeing us off. There was a slightly awkward moment as they politely faded away when we needed to load the car, but it did not detract from the overall wonderful experience.

In summary, Chikurin-in Gumpoen offers exceptional service, a genuine traditional atmosphere, and top-tier hospitality. The food was abundant and of high quality, especially for the price range. It’s a fantastic place to experience Japanese culture, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic,...

This was originally a temple that was turned into a Japanese-style inn. I couldn't find anything concrete about how old the temple is, but it seems like it was built many centuries ago.

You are not going to get brand-new facilities or anything even similar. That's not the point of staying here. Walking around this place, you can really soak in the history and the atmosphere of "old Japan". There's a garden on the temple grounds with a small pond. During cherry blossom season, this place must be amazing.

The rooms come with all your basic necessities. Breakfast and dinner were served in large open rooms. I guess since we stayed during non-peak times, each family got their own room for meals. Dinner was a multi-course meal with the usual delicacies like sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi, seasonal vegetables, pickled items, rice, and a bit of Yamato beef you grilled yourself. Breakfast included stapes like grilled salmon, rice, miso soup, hijiki, and salad.

There are multiple public bath areas - these are NOT onsen (hotspring) waters. These baths are very welcome after a day of hiking up Yoshinoyama (Mt Yoshino). I don't know if this was standard in every room, but we also had a small, private open-air bath just outside our room. Having a beer while soaking in hot water and enjoying the evening view was sublime.

The hotel is located near the top of Yoshinoyama. From the hotel, it's a fairly challenging hike uphill to some observation points and temples. Other than this, there are a few souvenir shops and small eateries located nearby.

Lastly, and for me, most importantly, the staff treated us with the utmost of courtesy. We were picked us from Yoshino Station in a free shuttle bus. In my humble opinion, this level of care and hospitality should be synonymous with Japanese-style inns.

So to end, you are paying a lot to stay here. If you'd feel more comfortable at more modern accommodations, I wouldn't recommend this place. However, if you'd like something a bit more unique - staying in a very old temple that has seen a lot of history, I think you would enjoy this as...

We booked Yoshino accommodation a little late which was not wise given our chosen dates were peak sakura viewing times. The hotel and room were the only ones available in the entire area and given the high season it was marked up and quite expensive. ||||The building used to be a temple and having come from Koyasan (home of the temples and buddhist monks) we could see similarities. The main surprising difference was that this hotel was much more dated and appeared more grubby than those we had just come from. This was despite the cost far exceeding those in Koyasan. ||||The room was a good size however the views into a neighbouring courtyard full or rubble and junk were uninspiring. We thought this may have been as it was the only room left- but then saw into 4 other rooms (walking by during cleaning) and noted they had the same view. ||||The dinner and breakfast served was overall average in comparison to the price. Also, the table cloths were grubby and these were not changed between dinner and breakfast service. The accomodation lacked attention to detail. ||||Overall, we were disappointed with this experience and it is hard to put some of the ‘why’ into words. To us it did not feel warm and welcoming. It did not feel like it had any heart. Having stayed in about 6 different ryokens prior to this, it was the most expensive and the most run down/basic/standoffish of all of them. ||||The only positive was a girl at the desk who could speak very good English. She was lovely, attentive, friendly and informative during our stay. Excellent service from this person- especially considering it was her first season...