This hotel is great value. The staff were kind and helpful. The breakfast was excellent. There are washing machines to use (cold water only). I recommend visiting the outdoor bath (rotemburo) after dark, because you feel like you are in a magical spot in a wood. However, during the day you can see that is not quite the case... My little girls appreciated that they could go in the onsen with their dad (usually they are segregated), because the outdoor one is mixed and there was no one else there. This hotel feels a little like a cross between staying in a hotel and staying in someone's house (in a good way). The location is brilliant - the geyers of Mount Io are a few minutes' drive away. This was a fantastic experience for our daughter who is studying volcanoes at school. I recommend doing the walk around the Wakoto peninsula a short drive away (lake Kussharo). It is a beautiful walk through woods, and we saw a woodpecker, foxes, frogs, and other animals. The foot bath at Ikeno-yu is also a fun thing to do. Be sure to eat at Teshikaga Ramen. Absolutely amazing ramen!

It was a little annoying not having a toilet in the room, for those who need to go during the night. But a good reminder of how spoilt we are the rest of the time!

The hotel is right behind the famous Mt Io where you can view the sulfur oozing out of the mountain. There's a nice nature trail (1km) that takes you there from the side of the hotel. The meals there were amazing, beyond good value for money. Every night was like a banquet. We enjoyed it very much. Just make sure you book your dinner earlier in the day so they can prepare for it. The host went out of her way to take us to the lake (we couldn't rent a bicycle) and asked us to call her when we wanted to be picked up. We ended up walking home (about 4 -5km walk). As we were approaching the hotel we could see she was looking out the windows worrying about us as it was getting dark. Beautiful people!

Pillows can be a bit softer for westerners who are not used to rice mixed with cotton pillows.

This was a delightful ryokan nestled between national parks. We stayed for Christmas and had a magical time. The staff were incredibly kind and generous, especially with the wonderful meals they cooked for us. There were lots of local Hokkaido dishes and fresh local ingredients, and so much food! The onsen was well-kept, and because there were very few guests staying at the time, we had the facilities to ourselves. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be allowed to use the onsen because I have a tattoo, but the manager assured me it was not a problem. After taking long hikes through the snow, the warm onsen was a wonderful relief!

There was a very faint nicotine smell in the hallway, despite the area being designated non-smoking. However, the rooms and the onsen did not have a nicotine odor so it was only a slight problem. It is probably because the hotel has only recently banned smoking and it is hard to completely eliminate the odor.

The location is perfect for visiting the lakes (if you don’t have a car, a bus goes straight from the Kawayu station). The dinner and breakfast were delicious and very cheap for the great quality. The room was spacious, clean and beautiful. It has its own toilets as well. Yukata are provided.

The onsen are a bit dark and some hair conditioner would be nice. The sound insulation is not very good, we could hear the corridor.

The staff was really wonderful: we needed help and they helped beyond expectations! Lovely! Thank you! The breakfast was a set but really great! Good quality. In the evening we also ate in house and it was more than correct. Nearby station and sulphur mountain.

The outside onsen was really beautiful But too hot for us. You need a car to go to the different spots at the lake.

The staff was absolutely delightful, especially the one serving dinner. She really made sure that I understood everything and that I enjoyed the food. The food itself was spectacular. Granted, I am a Westerner, I am not used to the Ryokan experience but for that price I would have expected some small cold dinner. That was absolutely not the case! More than six different dishes for dinner and breakfast with sashimi, dumplings hotpot and many more. Honestly, I would have payed the price per night for the food alone.

The facilities are not the newest with relatively old sinks and showerheads. But that really doesn't matter since everything works fine. Other than that there is only the issue that doorframes are pretty small, because of which I bumped my head once or twice. This is a niche problem however since I'm unusually tall with 190cm.

Traditional rooms with lovely onsen. Our rooms came without meals but you can arrange to have traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast when you check in. Good base to visit the various Akan Mashu national park sights.

The older staff could not speak English well so communication is difficult. But somehow we managed.

Location is near train station. Breakfast and dinner exceeding great. Onsen is great. At night can see sky full with stars. If lucky can even see the Milky Way. Great location to get to lake mashu and kussharo. Lots of deers and foxes sighting.

Tatami Japanese futon beds.

The Onsen was excellent, we were in a ground floor room with simple futon on the floor easy to throw back to give you a bit of extra space when not sleeping. Complementary breakfast was very good. Property is well positioned for JR Rail and drives to the Lakes and there walks.

It’s a little dated but rural Hakkaido does not strike me as affluent.

Cute hotel. The dinner and breakfast were dainty but thoughtful. Shampoo and Body Wash included in public bathing area. We went at a time that wasn't busy so at times I had the whole bathing area to myself. The tatami sleeping mats were comfortable for me as I like a firm mattress mostly, but may not be comfortable for side sleepers or people who like soft beds.

There's no showers or baths in the rooms - you bathe in the public bath which we must've glazed over. No conditioner in bathing area.