Yanagiya

I booked only 1 night here through Japanican. This is an automated booking engine so despite having a receipt I felt a bit nervous about not having made contact with a real person - but no probs - the hotel was readily expecting us. Yumura Spa is about 10 mins in a taxi (700Y ish) from Kofu JR station and is a little area of many onsen. People do don their yukatas and wooden sandles and walk around from bath to bath. there is also a short walk to through the nearby hills past ancient burial sites and shrines. Yamanashi prefecture is famous for the onsen, wine growing, crystals and senshokyo gorge (which is why we went.) The hotel has a couple of staff with reasonable english - most have none - but it is not really a problem. A large tatami room with a main table/futon area, and a small table with hole under the table and a small sitting area and an outdoor terrace looking over the garden. There is a full mini bar, A/C, private bathroom and toilet, yukatas and slippers - and fun touches like they hang a wooden panel with your name written in Japanese on your door. this is a fairly modern ryokan, spotlessly clean and in immaculate condition. standard toiletries are supplied. they have a women's and men's onsen area - both have indoor and outdoor baths with saunas and showers. these were quite busy and I got to chatting with the other women in the outdoor bath - although my husband said all the men were very silent and serious. Meals were HUGE - course after course kept coming for breakfast and dinner - cold stuff including big pieces of sashimi, pickles, salmon etc all looking a million bucks! Hot pot with mushroom and tofu, tempura veges, rice balls, meat balls, rice, miso, grilled fish, sesame jelly for dessert - so much food I couldn't eat it all. Dinner was served in the room and breakfast in a main dining room - this was partially laid out and also a buffet available - usual pickles, tofu, miso, rice, smoked fish, mushrooms, small pieces of eggy things and fishy things and hot dishes of rice and mushies, noodles etc - even a jelly fish dish. Another beautiful garden and a nice souvenir shop. We stayed here to visit the gorge which is popular - not overly crowded for a long weekend - and very beautiful. We accidently took the wrong the bus that took us to the top of the gorge and then walked downhill all the way - against the crowd - the main tourist route seems to be to walk uphill - but why? This ryokan is great for an easy traditional japanese experience with a great onsen.