I almost never write reviews, but we had such a wonderful experience I wanted to share this. The outdoor mixed onsen is fantastic next to the river and amongst nature. This is the main reason I booked this place as most onsen are women only and men only. The hotel is large but we essentially had the place to ourselves. I believe there were about 3 to 5 other guests staying in the hotel. Every time our family of five went to the onsen, we had it to ourselves. The hotel looks a little tired from the outside, but inside it is still in very good condition and our traditional family room was very nice and big with 3 futons in the main room and 2 futons in the other room. There was also a nice small seating area off the main room with comfortable armchairs which opened onto the balcony. It was good value for money. The few staff we saw were very welcoming and helpful. We went in June, which is the low season. I hope that they have more guests in the high season so that more people can enjoy this lovely onsen. We appreciated the free cold water, tea and coffee and large comfortable seating area in the lobby.

The indoor onsen baths themselves and bathing area (mens and womens) were a bit shabby and would have benefited from being updated. The changing area was better, very clean and fresher looking.

This is the third time I stay at Hanatsubaki. I really enjoy the onsen next to the river and having the Great Cedar of Kayano right in front of the ryokan. I also really enjoy the traditional dinner and breakfast. It’s always a lovely experience. This time I was pleasantly surprised by having an English speaking staff at reception. It made everything smoother for us. I also like it that transport to/from the train station is included in the accommodation.

I’m not very familiar with Japanese traditions and with the Japanese language. It would have been helpful if there was an English translation of the dinner menu as I wasn’t able to fully follow the many lovely little dishes they served. It would have been helpful as well to know to wait until the rice is served before eating the eel dish 🥲

It was very quiet during our stay and many pool/bathing options to choose from. Some people may be disappointed by the dated decor and facilities, but I really enjoyed the Showa-era ambiance. The traditional Japanese meal was impressive.

The hotel is some distance from the town center. We borrowed their bicycles but one of them had a leaking tire so had to turn back without visiting the town. Though staff were exceptionally helpful, they seemed short-handed. No a/c in the rooms could be an issue for some visitors in the summer.

We are a couple from New Zealand. Beautiful views down the valley towards Kaga and up into the mountains towards Kakusenkai Gorge. Peaceful, quiet. Just be sure to arrange their shuttle from Kagaonsen Station if you are taking the trains to get here. It was supremely relaxing and we wished that we were staying for more than just the one night. We had the Kaiseki dinner and it was an incredible experience. 12 courses of local and seasonal food. Arranged by their head chef. The yukata they gave us to wear were comfortable and the whole experience was very rejuvenating.

The Japanese room was exquisite. The employess very nice and helpful.

The lights of Onsen were turned off after sunset, so it was very dark at night. It felt a bit creepy. The water not as hot as expected. Also, We couldn't order a taxi from there, apparently there is only 1 taxi company and it was fully booked. Uber does not exist here. A lady doing delivery in the area kindly helped she drove us to her restaurant. I recomend you to go for dinner to her place, best cheff I met in Japan, the address is Japón, 〒922-0123 Ishikawa, Kaga, Yamanakaonsen Yakushimachi, U−２１ , remember to book taxi before hand! They close at 11pm in the weekend.

The hotel staff was quite helpful. I have not ordered dinner and found that it's too dark to walk around to find something to eat as the hotel doesn't really have a restaurant or room service. The staff recommended some restaurants in the vicinity for me to drive in the dark to find something to eat. I am very grateful for that. The hotel looks a little run down but it's still very comfortable in a traditional way. The room is spacious with a traditional balcony. Guests have a variety of yukata to choose from and they can even access some sort of an outdoor bath in the wild.

It's difficult to walk around after dark as there's is not exactly any pavement so one can't really go stretch their legs after dinner..

Great onsen pools which were quiet. Very clean, spacious rooms. Friendly staff. Great breakfast. Yamanaka is a pleasant 25 minute walk. It’s a lovely small town.

Nothing, although a bit of flexibility for check-in would have been good. We arrived at 2pm but weren’t allowed to check-in until after 3, which seemed a bit silly given that the room was very likely ready.

We loved our stay. From the warm welcome to the delights of the outdoor mixed onsen it was fabulous. Our dinner on the first night was delicious. The rooms are really spacious. The atmosphere is very serene.

A small point but it would be good if they cleaned the big window in the indoor bath.

The outdoor onsen with multiple baths were exceptional, the private ladies bath overlooks the river, which was a bonus.

The indoor onsen, the sliding door to the ladies bath needed to be realigned as it gave a screeching sound which was unrelenting.

Staff was very helpful and friendly - went above and beyond by driving us down to town center when it was raining. The onsen pools but the river were lovely and the mixed bathing option was great for our family/friends group to be able to enjoy it all together.