Amazing traditional ryokan with a beautiful garden and super caring staff. Very goos kaiseki dinner and traditional breakfats were very tasty and plentiful. It has hot mineral water source onsen (traditional male/female room separation) and it is open practically 24 hours! So you can go there really at any time you like, even at night, and relax. It almost never happened to us that there were more than 3 people at once and you get to enjoy the beautiful garden view from the onsen all by yourself. The garden is very well cared for and has a careful selection of flowers/trees that make the place photohenic from absolutely every angle. We visited at spring and it was full of roses and cherry blossoms. The rooms overlook the garden it's just really breathtaking.

I used this place as a stopover from koyasan to osaka as i did not want to do a temple stay at koyasan itself. I arrived at around 5pm (after koyasan), chilled in the ryokan all night and woke up in the morning to explore Amami before heading back to Osaka. Nanten-en is a hidden gem! Perfect as a stopover as Amami (the town nanten-en is in) is literally a train stop on route to koyasan from osaka. The ryokan itself is next to the train station - barely a 5 min walk (some comments mention the train noises which I noticed as well but it did not disrupt my sleep). Amami as a town was really charming and chill and i spent longer than i expected wandering around it (almost 2 hours but if you want to hike, you can definitely stay much longer). What helped was that there was a write up of the town provided in the room - with things to see in the town, different walking routes available (1 of which i did), as well the the history of different landmarks (i spent some time reading these as I was riverted!) Facilities were modern (the toilets flushed more efficienty than doing it myself), yet the old charm of the place was mantained! I would definitely stay again i nanten-en if there are other parts in that area that explore! Thank you so much for making this solo traveller so comfortable! (Side note: if you book a room without and ensuite toilet, just be aware that there is only 1 toilet available for sharing - but it is modern and clean)

More of a suggestion - maybe have more meat options available for dinner. :)

Ryokan is located directly outside Amami station which is slightly under an hour from Osaka, making it easy to get to. Staff provided warm and excellent service, helping my boyfriend and I carry our luggages up to our rooms on the 2nd floor. 11-course dinner was very good, and well-paced. View from the onsen which looked out to the fall foliage surrounding the ryokan was beautiful, as was the view of the gardens from the common dining hall. There are also bikes available for rental at the entrance of the ryokan, which we would have tried if we had more time to explore the town. Overall a very welcome respite and change in pace for our trip from the liveliness of Osaka.

While the interior of the ryokan was old, this was not a major issue for our stay as the rooms and onsen facilities were well cleaned and maintained.

The hotel is like the pictures, very tradicional, clean and nice, what we expected. The place is quite far from Osaka, which I will not recommend if you’re planning to visit the most famous places. They ask you to arrive not late than 10pm which I don’t like it, we were delayed and they were a bit rude when we told them we would be a few minutes late, which we didn't like. In the end, we were able to arrive on time. And we paid for the dinner and maybe it is to our taste, but we didn't find the food tasty.

Great 11 course dinner was included, incredibly nice experience to eat it in our private room.

The location is in the remote rural area of Osaka. The room we stayed in, the property and the grounds projected the quintessential traditional Japanese architecture, culture and experience. In short, it was extremely beautiful and serene. The onsen was an experience in itself, calming and relaxing with a view of the well kept and zen-inducing landscape. Plumbing was very modern, made for ease of use and convenience. Our 11 course kaiseki dinner was extremely delicious and delightful. Our family thoroughly enjoyed the varying flavors and textures as we moved from one course to the next. Truly another memorable experience for us. We had breakfast in the morning in their main eating area and again we were treated to more Japanese cuisine and new tastes. Last but not least, a lesson learned from our stay as first timers in Japan. As this location was quite remote and far from the city area, we would recommend that you reserve your return transportation a day in advance. It was not hard getting a taxi to take us to Nanten En from the Kansai International Airport. However, as our next destination was closer to the metropolitan area of Osaka, securing transportation can be quite challenging if not arranged in advance. Thankfully our hosts were more than gracious enough to assist us in booking a last minute return taxi as our attempts at securing transportation through our app seemed futile. Awesome customer service! Our time at Nanten En was so short, but extremely worth it. Someday we would like to come back and experiencee it all over again.

Super welcome from the staff, including a detailed introduction to the ryokan and how to conduct yourself (delivered in a professional and welcoming manner). Amazing ryokan and relaxing onsen. Highly recommend. Serene surroundings of the beautiful garden and pond. Truly idyllic. Thoughtfully tailored vegan kaiseki for my partner. Taste didn’t 100% hit the mark (see below sole negative comment), but we couldn’t fault the effort that had gone into the meal. Great breakfast. Unique experience (breakfast in a yukata).

Honestly, some of the food served during the kaiseki feast just wasn’t to our tastes, but I’m sure others would find it marvellous. Just our preference. No taking away from the effort that has gone in to prepare and present the meals, just down to personal tastes.

I used my time at Nanten for a two days digital detox. I spent my time there meditating, reading and going on walks through the village, their rice fields and forest. It was such a peaceful experience. The food they provide and even serve in your room was fantastic. The staff is available and friendly all the time. I also really liked their Onsen and living room, which was perfect to chill and read in the evening.

Nothing. Just saying it was very expensive :D But if you are willing to pay the price, you can have a very calming and special experience. Make sure to limit your smartphone time ;-)

Our night at Nanten-En was a truly unique experience and a highlight of our visit to Japan. I loved that the hotel had such a historic background, beautiful location (easily accessed), staff were all so accommodating, interesting and gracious. The room was beautiful with tatami mats and a seating are overlooking an aesthetic and private garden. The dinner was unforgettable and tasty, served in our room by attentive staff breakfast the next day was also very delicious. We also enjoyed the onsen. Altogether highly recommended!

We did find the futon mats a little hard to sleep on, even though we know they are authentic. I have never stayed in a hotel with shared bathroom facilities before, but it seemed to work out fine.

Loved the onsen. The healing quality of the spring waters was exceptional. The bathing facilities were excellent. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. Special shout out to Gary, who preparerd us for Koya San and always seemed to show up when we needed English translation. He even helped us with our luggage to the train station. The hotel is in a lovely garden setting and so serene. Breakfast was very good and geared to our diet. 90 meters to the Amami station was super convenient. Don't miss Koya San.

There was a little bit of train noise but not a problem.