Yoyokaku is a charming, historic, family-owned ryokan. It is located a relatively short distance away from Karatsu-jo (castle), and The Former Takatori House, the one-time residence of a wealthy coal baron. In fact, if you enjoy walking, Yoyokaku is only a 2km walk (0:30) from Karatsu Station and downtown Karatsu. It's often the people you meet along the way that make for a memorable trip and everyone at Yoyokaku was very friendly and helpful. We had a good time chatting with them. In fact, I believe that they gave us an upgrade when we checked-in, as we had a spacious room, with large windows overlooking the strolling garden. Karatsu yaki or pottery from the Nakazato family is prominently featured at Yoyokaku in three separate galleries within the building. The daiyokujou or gender separated public bath houses were a great way for me and my wife to relax. There is a very welcoming lounge/reading room where guests can also take a break and have a complimentary cup of coffee. During our stay, we opted to add a kaiseki dinner for the first evening. This was wonderfully prepared and artfully presented, one dish at a time, on beautiful pieces of Karatsu yaki. What a visual feast...and a very memorable meal. Cheers to the hospitality of the staff at Yoyokaku, and the culinary skills of their chef!

We did not have any issues during our stay and honestly cannot think of anything that we were not satisfied with at Yoyokaku. The staff allowed us to leave our luggage at the front desk and the rental car in their parking lot prior to check-in. We would have left the car parked the following day as well and navigated downtown Karatsu on Yoyokaku's bicycles, but it rained that day.

This is the best ryokan I have ever stayed in Japan. In the middle of the property there is a beautifully maintained Japanese garden, and we are given a room that opens out to the garden. We sleep very well on the comfortable futon and the space is quiet day and night. There is a gallery in the ryokan showcasing the works of a famous Karatsu family of potters, and artworks are displayed everywhere. The food, both breakfast and dinner, is superb. We have the opportunity to chat with the retired owner of the ryokan who lives on the premises. He and his wife are very kind and happy to interact with guests. The ryokan is very close to the sea and in the morning we take a walk along the beach, enjoying the coolness and the most beautiful light. We will definitely come again next time we visit the area. Thank you everyone for the wonderful service and thoughtfulness in bringing us the best experience.

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The experience in the traditional Japanese style ryokan was amazing. We arrived before check in. They welcomed us even we arrived early. The room was in 1st floor name of 'Genkai'. The room was able to open the large window that make us see the lovely garden. Even though it was rain during our staying, the garden was enough to enjoy for a night. The dinner and breakfast are so so nice. Me and my friend absolutely fall in love to yoyokaku. I want to say thank you for staffs of yoyokaku and really look forward to next our visit.

Great service, all staffs are very friendly and hospitable. The room and property are well maintained, very clean. Japanese Breakfast is very good, a set meal with grilled fish. The highlight is of course the Keiseki dinner on first night and Saga Beef shabu shabu on second night. It is highly recommended for guest at this Ryokan to have at least one dinner meal during the stay.

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Yoyokaku offers a traditional japanese stay and that's exactly what you are getting on a very high level of care, execution and attention to detail. We stayed for 2 nights with breakfast and dinner. The food is really great and plenty. Impossible to go hungry, even when you don't like everything that is served. For the western visitor: Be clear and specific on what you don't eat. They cater for your needs and wishes but if it isn't mentioned, you might find something as part of the Kaiseki dinner you won't eat. But having that said, it is fine because there is plenty. I was lucky my partner eats everything and had a great time eating dished he remembered from home stays while he lived in Japan ages ago. The shabu shabu we had the other night was absolutely wonderful and had outstanding sauces accompanying the high quality beef and vegetables. The rooms are traditional with tatami mats and sleeping on a futon was really comfortable. We didn't try the communal onsen in the facility but I'm sure it is nice. We had a room on the first floor with a gorgeour view over the impecably maintained pine tree garden. It is so peaceful and quiet there, we would love to come back one day. We had the pleasure of meeting the (now retired) owner who still resides on the grounds and heard interesting stories of the long history of Yoyokaku and the adventures of his life. A great compliment to him and all staff members for all the care and hospitality they are putting in to make your stay a wonderful experience. Location: Direct neighbourhood is a quiet residential area. You can hear the waves from the beach when you open the window or sit in the garden. Karatsu castle and the small town centre are in walking distance (10 and 20 minutes). But you can ask to be shuttled there or to the trainstation as well.

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Yoyokaku is a traditional Ryoukan (Japanese Inn). A stay here feels like transportation into an Edo-era fantasy. You enter through a stone-flagged courtyard, are greeting in your beautiful, idyllic tatami room with a tea ceremony. If you wander the ground (amidst the koi carp, bonsai, water-courses and lanterns) the 90-year old owner will likely come out and greet you. (I speak some Japanese- we had a lovely talk about gardening and his time in the U.S.). At night, you wake up next to your sliding screen window, looking out over slate roofs and pine trees in the moonlight, and you're transported. We did not opt for a room with a dinner service. I wish that we had, as the breakfast was incredible. I had been in Japan for a month on an art residency, and wanted my visiting wife and father to experience a slice of traditional Japanese culture. This was the perfect place.

Nothing- it's a magical place.

This was probably the best Ryokan that we stayed at during one month in Japan. We had a car but it was an easy 20 minute walk into town. The building is beautiful & we loved the pine tree garden (thank you to the retired owner for showing us around the garden & sharing his passion). The breakfast was delicious & all the staff were so helpful & attentive, with excellent recommendations for eating out. We would have liked to have stayed longer .....

We would loved to have had dinner there but that's hardly a dislike!

Extremely beautiful ryokan with welcoming staff. Staff could speak only a little English, but was enough to get by. Breakfast was exceptional. Was even able to meet the original host as well, who was very hospitable. Enjoyed my stay so much. Will miss Yoyokaku and Karatsu.

Not very used to sleeping on Japanese futons.

We loved our cozy and exquisitely refurbished tatami rooms. From our window, we had a superb view of its beautifully preserved courtyard. The hotel pampered us with high-quality skincare products by Pola. The onsen was well maintained and clean. The staff were friendly and genuine. They went out of their way to help us despite the language barrier and made sure we had good food recommendations.

This was the best hotel experience we’ve ever had. The ryokan is gorgeous and finely detailed with pottery galleries and a library to reflect and relax. Lovely garden as well. Staff were wonderful and picked us up from the train station. Our room itself was beautiful and huge. We will definitely return and stay longer.