It was a deeply satisfying stay at Tamonkan. The beautifully timbered ryokan is hundreds of years old and has been in the host Toki’s family for 11 generations. Generously sized rooms in traditional style, all spotlessly clean, the timber floors so polished you can almost see your reflection. Toki is a genial and charming host with readily offered information useful to our stay. His wife Uki is the chef. Much has been written about the quality of the meals already, but that doesn’t quite prepare you for the creativity and care poured into every one of her dishes. Even after many visits to ryokan cuisine over the years, Uki’s dishes stand as some of the best of them all. She modestly explains each dish for you, and the offerings were different each night. No overstatement to say she is a master of her craft. Overall a wonderfully warm, welcoming and delicious stay at Tamonkan.

Everything was fine.

The meals were excellent! I got both dinner and breakfast. Authentic and heaps of variety in each meal. Also, delicious! I chose this ryokan because of its proximity to Mt Haguro, which was a short bus ride away, though I walked (about 700m to the start of the path). The owners (husband/wife team) greeted me warmly and introduced me to my room. They both speak decent English and were very patient when I attempted to speak Japanese. The building was owned by the husband's grandfather and there were several artefacts in my room from the past that reflected its history. At the end I received a postcard souvenir with a picture of the ryokan on it.

Your mileage may vary on the futon beds. I have a bad lower back and because they are quite flat I had a rough sleep. Had I spoken up I think this would have been accommodated for with some extra padding but I was too shy to do so as the owners were also in bed. Also, though this is typical for lots of older Japanese buildings, if you are reasonably tall you need to watch your head on the doorways.

Exceeded my expectations. The owners are so warm, kind and helpful. The room is quite large and clean, and a traditional Japanese style with tatami mats and sliding panel walls. My room had a window which you could crack open at night to hear the frogs and rain. I was worried about the lack of air conditioning but when the temperature was about 16-20 outside it was actually perfect. The location is ideal for exploring the Dewa Sanzan mountains and relaxing. The husband-wife team who run the ryokan are incredible- they take very good care of the property, crafted the meals with my dietary needs in mind and they even helped me arrange a taxi for hiking because the buses weren’t running. It truly felt like I was staying with family and the experience is an highlight for me. If I ever go back to the area I will stay with them again!

It’s a traditional Japanese ryokan so the walls are quite thin. The owners of course can’t control that nor the noise level of guests. So if you’re a light sleeper like me, bring ear plugs!

You can feel the passion both of the owners have for taking care of this really old Ryokan. Sure, the walls are thin, the interior is old, but everything is taken care of and clean. Never had I any thought of uncomfortability. We were welcomed to this home of theirs and felt right at home. Just bring something to stuff in your ears, and your set for the night. Also the food that was served was superb, everything was well chosen and presented in an old traditional Japanese style. They also considered that our Group consisted of Vegans, and prepared the food accordingly, something that is very rare in Japan. We definitely will come back to this Ryokan on our next Trip, as we still have a few Hikes to do in the surrounding area.

That we didn't stay longer and explored more of the surroundings and enjoyed more of the very delicious food. There is hardly anything to not like, maybe the bathroom and shower area is a bit small, but that's not something you can easily change nor is this something that really needs to be changed. The customers will manage somehow.

This was my second stay at Tamonkan. We rarely return to the same hotel, even if we had a good experience, but we’d happily come back to Tamonkan every year! This time, we rented a car, which made it even more convenient to explore the beautiful mountains and nearby cities. Tamonkan also offers free parking right across from the ryokan. The owners are incredibly kind and are always happy to provide information and recommendations for local attractions and shops where you can buy regional products. And, of course, the breakfast and dinner are super healthy, fresh, and delicious. We stayed for 4 days and 3 nights, and although the ryokan was fully booked on some nights, it was always quiet and relaxing. I never had to share the spacious, comfortable bath and shower room with any other guests. I really enjoyed my stay and felt truly relaxed. See you again next year!

Honestly, nothing! But just be aware that there’s no air conditioning. Personally, it wasn’t an issue for me, as two fans were provided in the room and kept things comfortable.

This traditional ryokan is located in easy walking distance from the stone steps up Mt. Haguro. The inn has its own parking lot across the street. It is kept very clean and is run very orderly. The breakfast and dinner served here is authentic and refined.

There seems to be little flexibility in accomodating guests who prefer not to be awake for breakfast at first light. The owner will dash out the backroom to intercept you at times. While this is obviously very attentative, it may leave you with the impression your every move is watched. Still, he is friendly and probably has the best intentions. Dinner is a bit expensive, especially the beer is marked up significantly.

Tamonkan was a lovely stop during my adventures in Tohoku and it left a great impression on me. The owners, a married couple that supports the ryokan together, are extremely kind. The food was the best I had during my 9-day stay in Tohoku, and the ryokan was tasteful, quirky, and clean. The baths are adequate and the owners went out of their way to engage with us and make us feel comfortable. It's a short walk from the path up to Mt. Haguro, and it felt very authentic and relaxed. I would recommend it to anyone.

I have nothing negative to say, but I can imagine that the thin paper sliding doors that border each room might make some guests feel uncomfortable. I personally liked them a lot, but if you are picky about privacy this is something you should know.

We've stayed at Tamonkan for two nights and we had a lovely stay. The start of the climb up Haguro-san is just a 10-minute walk from the property. Both dinner and breakfast were excellent, and very different on both days of our stay. We had a lovely room with a separate sitting area, which was very convenient (we also appreciated the chairs on legs, not being used to sitting on the ground for longer periods). As we were the only guests on the second day, and only two other rooms were booked on the first day, we had the baths to ourselves, which was great. The owners speak English very well and are extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the area. We would definitely stay here again!

Very friendly staff, very caring and they really guide foreigners very well about the locality, commute etc. Also, one person in my group got sick and they really helped us with temporary medicines to relieve symptoms. The accommodation is traditional and the interiors are very pleasant. There is plenty to eat for both breakfast and dinner. The dishes are delicious Japanese food typical of the locality

Shared toilets are tiny especially for foreigners it's a bit of a squeeze

The house was spotless clean and quiet. The meals were absolutely amazing, top notch! An orange ice cream after dinner was fantastic! Each meal was unique and presented by the owner. Most of all we loved the warm and welcoming hospitality. We had some trouble with the rental car and the owner of Tamonkan help us to deal with this. We are extremely thankful for that! The location was also great.

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