Ryokan Wataya

“Lovely ryokan!”

This was my first time staying in this sort of ryokan (the nice kind). Parts of it were a little worn down, but it was comfortable, clean, in a great location (you can bath while looking out at the river!), it had 3 different baths (all very similar, but fun to try the variations), and the staff wa… Mais

This was my first time staying in this sort of ryokan (the nice kind). Parts of it were a little worn down, but it was comfortable, clean, in a great location (you can bath while looking out at the river!), it had 3 different baths (all very similar, but fun to try the variations), and the staff was wonderful. No one spoke English very well, but they happily explained all of the food in Japanese with gestures (my group spoke a little Japanese, so we did have an advantage there, though I don't know that any of the staff realized we understood them). The baths are segregated by sex, but were rotated every day (i.e. the outdoor bath would be women one day and men the next). For those that don't speak Japanese, be aware that there is a button outside of the bath to make it hotter (like cycling through more hot water). Find it and press it. You'll be happier that way. The food menu changed every other day as well (so if you stay more than 2 days, it will repeat). One reason I chose this ryokan over others was the option to pick a beef menu. Be aware of two things: even if you pick the beef, you will be served a ton of seafood dishes, and also, they will only serve the beef for one dinner. I don't like seafood in general, but I tried everything with a spirit of adventure. Some of it I even ended up liking :) There is always a ton of food, to the point where my group theorized that you weren't actually supposed to eat everything. You should try though, it is a waste to toss out all that effort. The ryokan is about a 10 minute walk from the station and within walking distance of several tourist attractions. The castle is maybe a 20 minute walk.

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