The host was just lovely. Rooms are great and very comfortable. The house is not in the busiest area, which is no issue because of the free bikes you can use. Plenty of restaurants easily reachable and the lake is just across the street. You can use the private Onsen in the house, which is super nice!

Not too easy to get there by public transport. In case you come by bus, get off at Yamanakako-murayakuba-mae (Station #143). From there it is a 1min walk.

I love my stay here! The female owner is very friendly and helpful despite the language barrier. The futon is very comfortable, I was able to sleep comfortably. The room is Japanese style with tatami floor. I would definitely come back here just to relax. The location is pretty much convenient, however, it was snowing and raining when I was here so dragging my carry on luggage was not that easy. It’s perfect for backpackers, solo traveler, or couples. It’s few minutes walk from the bus station going to Tokyo station or Shinjuku. The lady owner, can help you book for reservation for bus for Tokyo/Shinjuku. (Tokyo station has only two timings, Shinjuku is every hour). It’s near the lake but due to the weather, I didn’t get to see Mount Fuji. There’s restaurants around the area. There’s a restaurant just down the hill of Kouso. The rest are around 500-700m far. The nearest 711 is 30 minutes walk. It’s super clean!!

You can only shower in the morning between 7:30-9:00pm. You can reserved a bath tho in the evening between 6pm-10pm. There’s no water heater outside of those timings. You will have your own private toilet tho. Also, there’s no centralized heater (even in Tokyo and Kyoto I noticed they don’t use it). They use gas and kotatsu. It wasn’t a big deal for me because I just wanted the traditional experience. These are the only cons you might wanna consider, however, my entire experience was lovely.

The room was very comfortable and also very clean. I appreciated that there was some little booklet with recommendations about where to get a nice view of Mt. Fuji, restaurants, etc. I also checked out one of the both spots and got a very nice view. Bicycles are also provided, which are very convenient to get around here. I usually don't ride bicycles, but I loved doing it here in this area. Being able to book the onsen for yourself, so you get about 1 hour to relax is also a very nice experience.

I had some insect in my bed and one on the table right after checking in. Of course there are lot in the countryside, but maybe a fly screen would be nice to use for the rooms.

The woman who greeted us was very polite and thorough in explaining the facilities and rules when we arrived, and immediately helped us schedule our time in the two different baths they had. Although my Japanese is not very good, she knew a bit of English and we used a translation app and there were no issues understanding beyond that. Both baths were absolutely wonderful. My spouse and I stayed in the traditional Japanese style room and I loved drinking my tea while sitting under the kotatsu!

I only wish I had booked a longer stay!

Firstly the host. She is so friendly and welcoming despite not knowing much English. When you get settled into your room, she sits down with you to go over the amenities and things to do in the area. Love that. The Japanese style room with the tatami floors is a must at least once for your stay in Japan. It was actually more comfortable than expected. The bath was unbelievable. It was also an amazing value. 2 nights felt like the perfect amount. It was the perfect break after dealing with the chaos of Tokyo.

If you’re booking this, then you should already know the Lake Yamanaka area is not the same as the Lake Kawaguchi area. Yamanaka is not as touristy and thus is bit harder to get to and has less to do. Renting a car to us was mandatory but cost was offset by how affordable our stay was. Why stay in some cramped hotel when you can have this experience? In closing, there really wasn’t anything we disliked but I understand some people may not like the remoteness.

First time in a traditional Ryokan. The room was spacious and there were a heating system under the table and another heater in the room so you weren't cold. The duvets were also good and kept you warm all night. There is a really good Hoto noodle place near by. Nice views of Mt. Fuji in clear weather. And a nice path around the entire lake just outside the accommodation.

The beds were a little hard to sleep on as you sleep on the floor. There was no breakfast but there was a fridge in the room so we could store our drinks and food. It was a little far from the conveniece stores. Staff barely speak English, so translators are useful. A little tricky with public transport when off-season (Season appeared to be mid-April to December)

The staff is friendly and attentive to our needs. Very kind and welcoming! CLEAN ONSEN. Reservations for family Onsen times - tattoo friendly. Refrig and hot water kettle in room. Great location near the lake! Parking onsite. Free bikes available!

I found a futon to be adequate but I truly wish I were carrying my thermarest for added thickness under the futon. I am in Japan, so It’s not fair that I would make negative comment regarding sleeping mats. Stains on chairs need attention.

We had a lovely time at Kounso. The host is really friendly and even though she doesn't speak a lot of English we were able to communicate well. The rooms are lovely and comfortable. The onsen areas were nice and warm. Everything was really good. The only downsides were that we didn't know that we have to reserve our bus seats back to Shinjuku. But that was our fault. And I recommend to arrive with a rental car because when there is bad weather it's a bit difficult to get around by foot.

It was clean, comfortable and spacious, rooms get lots of natural sunlight too. The bath was so nice after a long day of hiking, and the property is conveniently located within walking distance of restaurants and a convenience store. The owners are also so incredibly kind and helpful. They saved me when I booked the wrong bus home, and called the station for me and got it fixed.

Literally nothing I’d rate it 1000/10 if I could, I will definitely come back and tell my friends to visit.

I’d stay here again if I’m ever back in the area. The reserved onsen is wonderful and if you’re not comfortable going in public ones, this is a good way to try it. The place is just beautiful and close to Yamanakako Lake. It is also close to Mt Fuji that we were able to see it up close early in the morning. My friends had fun exploring using the bike. Don’t stay overnight, stay for at least 2 nights to enjoy and explore the area.

A little far from convenience store but that’s okay.