Imagine that your Japanese grandmother lived deep in the mountains, across the street from a rare vine bridge across a gorgeous mountain river. And that she kept a hot bath waiting for you. And that she was expert at preparing and presenting local dishes for breakfast and dinner. And that her son was friends with the best tour guides and taxi drivers in the area. That’s what it feels like to stay here.

I only wish I had stayed more than two nights.

Great ryokan - old and quirky, and very enjoyable. The lady ( who would be classified as a senior citizen) who operates it is a living treasure in my view. She is so friendly and kind-of-heart - even though she does not speak English and I only know a few words of Japanese - we communicated well ;-). Meals were simple but fabulous. The dining room was an ode to the past - with tv playing and old record covers and photos of/from the Western 80's . It's a bit tricky getting here by public transport - but with research - very do-able as long as you keep your luggage to a backpack. It is SO close to the Iya vine bridge, that you can get up early and visit before the tourists are bussed in. Beautiful walks around the area and I suggest you walk the half hour or so uphill to the blueberry cafe (past the waterfall). ps. You can leave your bag at the ryokan for a while after you check out.

nil

Excellent place for those who want to visit iya valley without overspending on hotels. Very nice lady that knows and remembers every small detail. It was our anniversary so she even got us a very large plate of 2 full cakes (amazing cakes) and fruit as a surprise for us (her own initiative). This lady is something else she almost felt like our grandma ! She has insane style to the place and offers a lot of food and different paid snacks. Has great breakfast. She does it all by herself. Amazing. Would recommend. 10/10

The host and staff were very welcoming and helpful. The host made every effort to communicate with us in basic English, which is much much better than our very limited Japanese. Breakfast and dinner provided were local foods, tasty and filling. Though the building is old, it is kept very clean. The ryokan is a short walk from Iya Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, so it was easy to see the bridge lit up at night

The roads to the ryokan in the Iya Valley are windy and narrow. We would hire a more narrow car next time.

Lovely Japanese style room. The futon were comfortable and the shared bathroom was very clean. There were multiple toilet facilities as well so even though there were others staying, we never had to wait. The owner was so kind and wonderful. Despite not having dinner booked, she whipped up a meal for us and breakfast was also gorgeous. The location was excellent for seeing the vine bridges. It was a few minutes walk down the hill and she provided flashlights to go have a look in the evening as well. It was also handy to have a parking space as the vine bridges charge for parking.

The stairs are a bit steep and narrow. If you have a very big suitcase I would recommend leaving it in the car.

Located close to Vine bridge and oboke gorge. Also 45 mins from double vine bridge and Scare crow village. Dinner and breakfast was delicious and parking is across the narrow street. The night is very quiet since no one drives on that narrow road at night.

There is steep stairs to the rooms so luggage should be left in the car. You must check in before dark because the roads make it hard to see at night. The Bathroom is shared but it was not a problem at all. Hardly notice any other guest the whole time there.

Great location, just down the hill is the river with one of the vine bridges. We enjoyed walking there at night. Really friendly owners. We felt like we were at grandmas house (if she was Japanese). We felt really welcome. There is a parking in front of the door.

One of us had some trouble sleeping on the floor. So be sure you know what a Ryokan is like, before you choose one. There was no curtain so we woke up from the light.

The quaint inn is about a six-minute walk from one of the valley's features, the Vine Bridge. Nearby are Biwa Falls and access to the Iya River. We loved the atmosphere of the little inn and the lovely lady who ran it. If you like big concrete hotels, stay away, but if you like the quaint atmosphere of a small country inn, this is the place.

Transportation can be a problem as it is located way deep in Iya Valley. Bus run but not frequently. It costs about 3,500 yen from Oboke Station by taxi because we missed the last bus at 5:08 p.m.

This unique ryokan is perfectly situated to explore the Iya Valley from. Whether you're on foot or have a car. I travelled on foot, walking to the vine bridge which is only 4 minutes away. The bus stop it literally across the road from the entrance. Family run and very well managed. There are a few breathtakingly stunning onsens you can visit as a day visitor in the valley.

We came to Japan 10 years ago and had an excellent time. This time was even better and my family agrees that the Iya Ryokan was the best place we have stayed in Japan. We love the woman who showed us around, chatted with us, and served amazing breakfasts and dinners. We wanted to take her with us! Such a beautiful location.

I can't think of anything that would make this place better. It was the perfect authentic stay.