When I booked the room, I thought it was located in the city of Gifu, since that’s what my search was for. I had previously taken a workshop in Seki, which is about half an hour from Gifu, so it seemed like a convenient option. It wasn’t until I arrived by train in Gifu and encountered a very confused taxi driver that I discovered the hotel was actually in Gifu Prefecture, near the town of Ena—almost 2.5 hours away. It was late, I was traveling alone, and the situation was stressful. Despite the language barrier, the hotel proprietress was incredibly kind and helpful. She explained that I needed to take a couple more trains to Ena, where I should be able to find a taxi for the final 30-minute ride to the hotel. I was anxious—Ena is quite remote, and I wasn’t sure what I’d do if there wasn’t a taxi available. Thankfully, there was, though the driver wasn’t familiar with the area, so I had to help navigate in the dark. The proprietress had kindly held dinner for me, even though I didn’t arrive until 7:45 PM. It was a traditional meal, where you grill small bites of chicken, beef, venison, fish, and vegetables over coals at your table. The onsen was open 24 hours, and I was grateful to unwind with a long soak after dinner. I hadn’t realized just how much was included in the booking: dinner, breakfast, access to the onsen, and even a yukata to take home—each a welcome surprise. Breakfast the next morning was a beautiful, traditional spread of pickled vegetables, poached tofu, grilled fish, rice, egg, and salad. Just steps from the inn is a trail leading to nearby castle ruins. I hiked up early in the morning before breakfast and found it peaceful and nearly empty, with only a few other hikers enjoying the serenity. The historic town is also conveniently close, and I was able to store my luggage at the hotel while exploring its charming shops and fine crafts.

This is a beautiful but historic property. Bugs got into the room through the loose screen at night. But otherwise this was an exceptional experience.

We really enjoyed our stay at this ryokan. The couple who run the place are so warm and friendly, and very kind and helpful. Our dinners and breakfasts were all exceptional, and quite varied. The onsen was delightful, looking out onto a small garden. We really liked the location, at the base of the steep hill with the castle ruins at the top of it. It was quiet and peaceful. We would recommend this place to anyone, and if we should come back to Japan, we will look forward to staying here again.

I can't think of anything.

We had a fabulous time staying here. The husband and wife who ran the guest house were very friendly and helpful. The guest house was beautiful and so too was the food. We spent two nights there and could not have been happier. The town of Iwamura is very interesting and very peaceful. I highly recommend.

Everything was wonderful. Nothing to complain about.

Very authentic and in season hospitality and dining experience.

The food and onsen

There’s no toilet in the room. It’s shared toilets outside the room

Clean, nice rooms, very kind and helpful staff

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