This was a tastefully designed, classy yet friendly ryokan. My room was Japanese traditional with tatami floors. Every item in it was beautifully designed. My own private hinoki bath on the balcony had a breathtaking view of the hillside and stream below, and the entire time I enjoyed the sound of the water flowing. The food was very good, they served a beautiful kaiseki meal that went on forever (it seemed). At the cafe, they served their house blend coffee called Mori-no-coffee which I enjoyed while sitting in one of their comfy chairs with an art book on my lap. The staff was courteous and nice too, it was truly a perfect day.

The place did not have an elevator, so I saw some older/heavier folks struggling.

We had a room with a private wooden bath, so we could bathe whenever we desired to! Not only was the room extremely comfortable and quiet, but the service was great too. The person, making sure our stay was as comfortable as possible was very kind to us as well, despite the language barrier. This was our last stop on our Japan Trip and it made the whole trip so much better, being able to hop in a private Onsen whenever! There was also an Additional Onsen you could rent out for an hour for 3000 Yen. It includes two different baths, one indoor and one outdoor and was definitely worth the price. The Food was incredible as well. We arrived by car, our luggage was carried up for us and our car was parked properly, so we really had nothing to worry about other than to find the place and relax our night away! It's a little off the beaten path. I'm not sure if you can reach the hotel easily by Train but it's quite simple with a car if you're confident in driving in Japan. There's a lot of beautiful scenery around too, such as a huge dam at the top of nearby valley, with an adorable little restaurant. I highly recommend the room we had for couples if you would like a romantic evening together!

This is just a personal issue, but I don't like eating large breakfast in the early morning. It was good, but we couldn't finish our meals, since we've been used to waking up at around 9-10 AM ish and only eat like one meal a day.

Toshimaya is a small ryokan, very family and couple oriented. The staffs were all helpful and reliable to help with anything. What makes the experience great was that the view of the river just right beside the Ryokan, even when bathing in Onsens, the outdoor has a nice Snow forest view, along with the calming sound or the river flows. It just make the stay and bathing so much more relaxing and refreshed. I am glad that the staff were able to cater to our late arrival and delay our dinner for half an hour, due to transport troubles during our journey to the hotel. The team even sends a car to pick up our luggage from the bus stop, because the road was having a snow slushie, and it was hard to walk, even though it was just a stone throw away from hotel. Will definately come back again for the stay, it was worth it though its just a night here.

As it is in winter, walking around the Ryokan could be very cold as there is not enuff heater placed around, so do wear some thermal if scared of cold. The Indoor public bath area can get super misty and hard to breathe, in that case just head to the outdoor onsen to enjoy it, with better ventilation and view.

This was a fabulous overnight trip! I booked on the day and took the highway bus from Tokyo Station to avoid transfers and chill out. I was dropped right out the front of the accommodation where a staff member was unexpectedly waiting to welcome me. I could not fault the service. Staff were so polite and helpful, doing their absolute best to explain things to me when I didn't understand the Japanese signs and such. The rooms are lovely but simple, in-line with Japanese style. The private onsen was so relaxing in the winter chill. You can see the snow on the trees while you soak. The meals were also a whole experience. You wear the provided yukata and get a semi-private space to dine in. At dinner it felt like the courses were never-ending with new dishes coming out one after the other, all immaculately presented. While I was busy eating, a staff member prepared my room for the evening by setting out the futon and the in-room tea set. There were thoughtful little details throughout my stay- could not recommend this place enough! One night was sufficient for me, but if you are driving or coming in a warmer/drier season, you may like to make the most of the hiking trails and neighbouring sights.

The food was great and so filling that after breakfast we would usually skip lunch because we wouldn't get hungry until dinner. The room was lovely and nice and spacious. The private bath and outdoor shower was a great. We also walked up to the town to explore and the stores had some great souveniers so it was definitely worth wondering around the area as well.

Shima onsen is in a fairly remote location which is part of its benefits as a country escape but it does mean that the travel time is fairly long when visiting to/from Tokyo. There is also limited transport options with a single bus running to and from the train station and no taxis, so you need to be organised to make sure you leave on time.

We booked the room with a private onsen for our honeymoon. We arrived with our rental car and were greeted by the valet whom parked our car. We were then seated to a separate table where a lady (who I assumed is the manager) talked a bit of English and explained the rules (onsens) and times (breakfast and dinner). She then walked us through our room (no elevators btw). The room was a beautiful traditional Japanese Ryokan. It is right next to the flowing river. I wouldn't recommend opening the window though due to the insects. The bathroom is very nice and the shower is outdoors next to the private onsen. The beds on the tatami will be set up for you while you are having dinner. The dinners and breakfasts were delicious and yes very exotic (horse/deer sashimi, boar soup and tiny deep fried crabs). The flavours and portions were abundant. The lovely and friendly lady that served us for dinner explained everything very well and she was a happy personality. Overall, I loved the whole traditional experience and felt very relaxed throughout the stay. Definitely recommend if you are coming here to unwind and eat delicious food.

There was a bit of miscommunication with our luggage. We thought he said he will bring our luggage in our car to our room, but that was not the case. So the hotel driver drove up with us in the hotel car to their parking (like very fast Tokyo drift style haha) and got our luggage. We were fine at the end and he apologized for the confusion. Also, the temp of the onsen water was too hot for use during the day, it was bearable early morning. Maybe it's better during snowy winters.

Toshimaya was beautiful and we really enjoyed our 2 night stay with half board (breakfast and dinner). we booked a room with a private timber onsen bath which was outdoors, under a roof and absolutely amazing. the two basement communal onsen were also beautiful and located right next to a mountain river that made a constant sound as it flowed over a waterfall right in front of the hotel. the across to the hillside was very picturesque despite most of the snow having melted when we were there. absolutely get the half board breakfast and dinner. these were a definite highlight of our trip to Japan. very traditional with some delicacies that I imagine are a bit less common nowadays. the tatami room with big window to the hillside was mesmerising. a beautiful hotel with very friendly staff.

the hotel common areas could do with a fresh lick of paint in areas like the skirtings and some of the walls. some of the dishes in the set dinner were a bit “controversial” for us (soft shell turtle and raw horse sashimi anyone?)

Great highrise riverside ryokan furnished with good taste of traditional interior. Much better than many ryokans of this type which use cheaper artificial materials. The private onsen was fabulous and met our expectation.

Although the private onsen was the main reason we picked this Ryokan, the public riverside onsens were a little smaller than expected. But at some selected hours they were still very good to enjoy onsen next to river (just need to avoid peak hours going with the crowd)

Beautiful place facing the river Very attentive staffs that makes us feel welcome Place is small enough that you can enjoy the entire outdoor onsen to yourself The private onsen in the room is like icing on the cake

The shima town where the property is quiet and almost felt like it’s deserted, could be a season thing, not entirely sure.

The place was beautiful, clean and peaceful. The staffs were really friendly and helpful. The room was spacious, clean with its own open air bath, and a beautiful view. Everything was arranged perfectly and the food was delicious. I will definitely visit this place again.

Nothing, everything was perfect.