The Aizuya

My wife and I stayed here for three nights, in one of their "private onsen" rooms, and it was our favorite experience we've had on either of our trips to Japan. Even before we left, my wife was saying that next time we go to Japan, we need to come back to The Aizuya. It's truly one of the most fantastic and memorable times we've ever had. The room itself was absolutely beautiful, with an open room for futons to be laid out, and another room with a gorgeous (low) table, chairs, and a small TV. On one side of the two rooms was a hallway with the entrance, the bathroom, and a sink/shower area. On the other side was a small seating area next to the windows and a "staging" room for the private bath. The private bath outside was gorgeous - stone-lined, and around the size of a medium-sized hot tub. It was under a roof, but you could see out into the trees and have a fairly nice "at home with nature" feeling. (Note to the shy: there were some buildings past the trees and a little bit of space between the trees where people could potentially peek through if they really wanted to, but it's probably not worth worrying about - still much much much more private than the public baths though!) The temperature, to us, was just about perfect - hot enough to really be relaxing, but cool enough to not be overwhelming. The minerals in the water made our skin feel outstanding. Our package included breakfast and dinner, which I emphatically recommend. They're served in a dining room, and you'll be sitting on the floor, traditional style. The food is likewise traditional, and absolutely fantastic. Breakfast had a variety of small dishes, along with soup, rice, natto, fish, and egg. Dinner was a huge affair - starting with a variety of small dishes and some (amazing) sashimi, then progressing onto multiple other courses - depending on the night, we had some combination of tempura, hot pot, grilled beef, grilled fish, and some other things I'm surely forgetting. Though I admit that I didn't know what half of the things I ate were, the tastes were unique and amazing, and the presentation was astonishingly beautiful. Note: wearing the yukata they provide you is encouraged, but not required (I'm on the tall side, and their largest one was just a bit too small to not be revealing when I sat down cross-legged) - if you don't wear it, at least try not to look like a slob though. :) The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating. When we got there, they welcomed us very warmly and served us hot yuzu juice while we checked in (which was super tasty). Throughout the stay, they did their utmost to help us with whatever we needed and make sure we felt at home and taken care of. Despite the language barrier, we never felt like we were imposing, and we were able to have an amazing, relaxing time. Some quick notes on language, at the hotel and around town: - Most of the staff at the hotel speaks very little English. This should be expected since you're out in a more rural area. :) Things will be a lot smoother if you put in the effort to learn some Japanese words/phrases relevant to staying at a hotel, eating meals, etc. You'll be happier not feeling helpless, and I'm sure everyone there will be deeply appreciative as well. - The man who helped us check in knew a bit of English (and knew how to use a translation app, with varying levels of success), so we were able to get checked in and have the facilities and services explained to us without too much difficulty. - The first night in the dining room, the lady attending to us knew English words for some of the food, but otherwise we were communicating in gestures and the little Japanese I knew. She was incredibly sweet and kind and tried her hardest to ensure we were happy. - Starting the second day, we had a younger girl attending to us in the dining room who spoke a lot more English - enough to communicate pretty well what everything was, to ask whether we wanted our sheets changed, ask if we were going out that day, etc. This helped streamline our communication a lot and we were very appreciative. - Around town, we didn't see much English at all. With our limited Japanese, we were able to get lunch successfully, but probably wouldn't have been able to communicate enough without it. - Cell service was decent even though we were up in the mountains. During the times we did need to break out Google Translate, we had enough of a signal for it to succeed in communicating with the server. Some quick notes on transportation: - Nasushiobara is a pretty sleepy little place. The station is small, but still easy to get to (via the Shinkansen) and get around. The JR agent at the window spoke a little English, but not much. Still, it was easy enough to get Shinkansen tickets back to Tokyo from him. - Getting a cab outside was easy - there were a couple lined up at the stand. I showed the address of the hotel to him (printed out in Japanese) and he had no problem navigating there using his GPS. The fare was ~8000 yen for the trip up into the mountains where the hotel is. It took 35-40 minutes or so. - There IS a shuttle that The Aizuya operates, but as of the time we stayed there, it only ran once a day - to the train station at 10:15, and back from the train station at 14:00. If you want a train station pickup, you'll need to call and request it. (if you're staying somewhere else first, the concierge may be able to help you)