Ryokan Yamashiroya

This was the first stop on our two-week introductory trip to Japan and it could not have been any more perfect. After a long travel day from America we arrived at Yunohira Onsen the following morning. The town itself is the perfect spot for relaxation nestled in a valley a few kilometers away from the local train station. The host met us at the local station to pick us up and even went out of his way to help us carry part of our luggage with 2 weeks worth of clothes to the van shuttle before transporting us to the Ryokan which was about 15 minutes away. Despite this being our first experience on our first day in Japan, the language barrier (English and Japanese) was not a problem at all. The hosts (husband and wife) graciously gave us a map and marked local restaurants, stores, shrines, etc. in a way we could perfectly understand. The town admittedly did not have many options in terms of restaurants, shops, and attractions, but this was made clear by the hosts. The restaurant the host recommended had delicious fish options and the cobblestone main street and local shrines provided the perfect solution for killing time until we were able to check in at the Ryokan. Once checked in we were provided a selection of yukatas that we would wear to dinner and were then shown to our room. After trying out one of the 4 baths we were summoned for dinner where we had an intimate and extravagant dinner provided by the hosts. The following morning we tried out another one of the 4 baths before having another equally extravagant breakfast before our check out time. After breakfast the host provided a shuttle service back to the train station and we were on our way. Shortly after leaving Yunohira, however, we discovered that my wife had left her JR Rail Pass at the Ryokan. Never fear though as after communication with the host. They arranged to have it be mailed to our hotel in Hiroshima where we picked up it up exactly as the host had said. Despite my insistence to pay for shipping the host said not to worry about it (that it was free). I do not believe that it was free as the host insisted, though, but this was just another example of the excellent customer service/experience the hosts at Ryokan Yamashiroya strive to provide. In all this was exactly the introduction to our trip we were hoping for and the experience exceeded any expectation we had going in. I can't recommend Ryokan Yamashiroya enough to both Japanese and foreign tourists and I can't wait to return to Yamashiroya in the future.

All 4 onsen are private rooms, with their status(vacant or occupied) clearly stated on their TV app. Both indoor and outdoor onsen are very nice.