A wonderful stay at Guesthouse Izame Ann. The owner manages the accommodation excellently and creates a pleasant atmosphere. Everything is clean and quiet, exactly what you want during a vacation. The location in Samegai is beautiful, at the old nakasendo road and very practical - just an 8-minute walk to the station, from where you can easily travel to Hikone or Omi Hachiman. A visit to Nagahara is also recommended, with a castle on Lake Biwa where you can enjoy a breathtaking sunset. For those seeking peace and comfort in a beautiful environment, Guesthouse Izame Ann is an excellent choice.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The location was perfect for us as we visited the Shaun the Sheep farm before check-in—it made the journey super convenient. The guesthouse itself was a beautiful blend of traditional Japanese charm and modern touches. We especially loved the dinner—it honestly felt like an omakase experience! Every single dish was thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious. The peaceful riverside setting and cozy interior made it feel like a hidden gem.

Maybe the soundproof part of the house since it’s an old house, so it’s super understandable. Not exactly something that upset us.

Our stay at this cozy and immaculate accommodation was truly exceptional. The place is well-equipped and remarkably quiet, making it perfect for families traveling with children. The host warmly welcomed us and went above and beyond by preparing both breakfast and dinner, which were absolutely delicious. What I appreciated most was the common area, which provided a wonderful space for our family to gather and connect. The host was incredibly helpful throughout our stay, ensuring that we had everything we needed. This has been one of my favorite BnBs in Japan during my 10 years of travel experience. Our family had an excellent time, and I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a memorable stay.

Nope.

Well worth the effort to travel to experience a lovely ryokan, it's host and the town. I paid for dinner and I'm SO glad I did. It was a highlight of my stay and in deed a highlight of my 5 week trip in Japan. You sit in a sunken seating area and watch the ryokan owner/cook prepare what felt like a large number of individual dishes. The food was absolutely delicious. I was concerned about hearing other guests because, being an older house, the walls are thin - but the night I was there all the guests were respectfully quiet. I had a view over the "river" which may be a mis-nomer - but it is a peaceful stream running through the pretty street. I highly recommend a visit.

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This please is great! There is a really good atmosphere and we had a very relaxing stay. Our host was super friendly and helped us plan daytrips. Also he is an amazing chef. We booked dinner for the first night and ended up eating there every night, because it was so good. On top of that everything is super clean and well organised. Highly recommended 👌

The individual rooms meant you get to meet lots of other guests both locally and internationally. The location is on a quiet street, short walk from Samegai JR station (which unfortunately does not have an escalator) The Ryokan has been renovated beautifully, plenty of space to read, chat, eat and relax. The Ryokan has well thought out shared bathrooms, toilet and a small kitchenette with a kettle, small fridge and microwave available for use. The Ryokan is very clean with fresh towels provided everyday. The host Usui san cooks breakfast and dinner daily upon request, but you are free to buy food and eat it at the Ryokan.

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Authentic, intimate Japanese experience in very quiet old non-tourist town. Great Japanese dinner both nights, cooked in front of us by hostusing local ingredients. Host tried very hard to please.

Host's lack of Emglish was a problem for us at times, although he was efficient with a translation app. Bathroom was downstairs & bedrooms upstairs, a challenge for us oldies at night!

Such a nice gem this place. Perfectly organised by the owner who makes great food too! (On reservation) The village is lovely and from our room we could see the little stream that flows through town. Also go and see the shrine, it has a nice set-up and a great look out over the village. We can highly recommend this place!

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Pristine decorations throughout. Feel homely at communal ground. In a quiet and rural neighbourhood. We had a good sleep. Did not have a chance to try out the host food.

We went out to visit Hikone and came back late as being aware nothing much to do around Samegai.

We loved our stay in Samegai. The manager was so hospitable and went out of his way to make us comfortable. We had such a special time, we want to come back!