Wanosato

It is an awesome place. when we arrived, it was almost 6pm and the sky was completely dark. When we saw the room, we were completely impressed by the snowy landscape outside. The service was impeccable and the attention to details was amazing. The food experience was also out of this world with many local customary dishes made from local produce. The place was very well maintained despite being 160 years-old.

The meals were sublime and the onsen was great. The river view cannot be beat, it's truly a great way to feel immersed in nature and at peace. I loved that they provided tea for you to make in your room. Yukata is provided which was fun to wear. The shuttle pickup service to/from the station was very convenient as we did not have a car.

Wanosato is a rustic, beautiful and peaceful Ryokan, where you fall asleep listening to the soft gushing sounds of the river flowing right next to you, Waking up to the view of the beautiful river right in front of you is so surreal. The villa is not old or dated. The whole place is meant to look rustic and au naturel, a place for one to detox and recharge, away from city life. We booked our accommodation with half board, which I highly recommend as Chef Kakuta Yamato prepares exquisite and delicious breakfast and dinners that not only taste excellent but also look aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Our waitress-host Aoki Rin, who is always cheerful, joyful and attentive, makes us feel so welcomed and all our meals taste even better. The fireplace at the reception is so warm and calming, and warm sake was served by an elderly staff, who also showed us some magic tricks. We sat by the fire, sipping our warm sake and chatting with strangers-turn-friends. Last but not least, the Ryokan has a beautiful onsen, which we can book privately for about an hour each day, relaxing after a whole day of walking and sight-seeing. Overall, the stay at Wanosato is one of the best experiences my husband and I have experienced. Kudos to the staff and management at Wanosato!

We had the annexe, it's a lovely very rustic house, that almost feels like it takes you back in time. There is a lovely open fireplace with a kettle over it, but we did not use it as it was summer. The half board catering was amazing, the presentation and flavour was above my expectation. They provide a shuttle into Takayama town. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There is sake tasting in the afternoon, and private onsen in the evenings. The views of the stream from the annexe makes it very relaxing, but there did not seem to be any possibility to go into the stream itself.

Wanosato was a magical experience, from the private onsen to the kaiseki dinner to after hours sake and magic tricks by the hearth, which the owner kindly treated us to (a hilarious and wonderful experience, transcending our limited ability to communicate in Japanese/English). We stayed here for one night while we were traveling from Kyoto to Kamokochi in the Japanese Alps. It was a prefect, restorative place to visit en route. The staff was lovely and the authentic ryokan decor made you feel transported back in time. The private natural onsen hot springs were incredible. We were able to try both of them—one the afternoon we arrived, and the other the morning before we left. As for the town of Takayama, we were only there for a few hours during lunch time (get a Hida burger and beer at the Americana-themed Center4Hambugers, if you're looking to mix it up) and a bit of walking around before the free shuttle picked us up to bring us to the ryokan. It also dropped us off at the train in the late morning the following day.