Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan

Hotel

Amazing food and service, despite staff speaks little English. Onsen is good, two outdoor (gender swapping once during the day), and public one that has a nice view of the ravine. We were there during spring after Sakura has fallen, but is still very beautiful. It is remote, so you have to commit to just relaxing and eating at this ryokan. There’s a suspension bridge to a forest nearby that you can explore. Room is huge, with room amenities such as free tea and snacks. You sleep on futons on tatami so if you are used to sleeping in bed, you might find it a little uncomfortable. I suggest staying no more than 2 nights. Breakfast and dinner will differ each night, and food is seasonal.

My wife and I visited here on our honeymoon. After riding the shuttle bus and taking in the scenic views on the way to the onsen, we were greeted in the lobby by an English speaking member of staff. They were happy to answer our every question, and provided a great deal of useful information about the hotel. Our suite was spacious and overlooked the river, with a clear view of the mountains and forest surrounding the onsen. There are six baths: four public baths (2 male and 2 female), and two private or "family" baths that are not gender segregated. We used one of the private baths, which featured a stunning view overlooking the river. The experience was enchanting. Dinner was a seven course meal with a large variety of traditional Japanese foods. Each was clearly painstakingly created with attention to presentation, and the staff explained each dish for us in English. Breakfast was similarly exquisite. The staff were polite and welcoming throughout the duration of our stay. Overall, I cannot recommend this beautiful place highly enough. If this is the quality of experience provided by the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, it is easy to see how they've managed to stay in business for over 1300 years.

It's really a remote mountain, but it's a great accommodation experience!
The room is spacious and comfortable, with four public soups + 2 private soups (scheduled by 10 o'clock in the evening, no one will be available after 10) and the dinner is delicious. Hard to pick faults, the hotel seems to 20几 years ago, so to a 1300-year-old hotel, "historical sense" is slightly less strong.