Welcome to Hanaya Ryokan. Built during the Edo Period (1603 - 1867), this Minshuku has been in business ever since. However, a new addition was built recently. Hanaya Ryokan's rooms are all Japanese-style, and the bath is made of Japanese "hinoki" (cypress). The bath is located in the ryokan's newer section and is open 24 hours a day. Seasonal, homemade cuisine is served throughout the year.

Important warning: Please note that this ryokan is not exactly in the center of the Tsumago village. It is a 15 minute walk to the Hanaya ryokan from Tsumago.
Hanaya Ryokan is a family run business (it's part of the charm), sometimes their children are staying at the ryokan.
If Hanaya Ryokan staff has enough time they will set up and put away the futon for you, otherwise you will have to arrange it by yourself. In the morning, while you are taking breakfast, the staff might enter your room and take the futon away.
Some rooms are newer than others, some guests like the old ones and other guests like the new rooms, however, we are not able to request a specific room (it would be too complicated for the ryokan to arrange it).

Facilities

Guest Photos:

You Must Be Logged In To Submit A Guest Review

Ryokan Reviews:

• Welcoming, Comfortable, Peaceful

  Hannah jane

  Date of Review: August, 2022

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: New Zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My Tokyo based family and I enjoyed the most wonderful stay at Hanaya last weekend. It was a great spending time in this well preserved, peaceful Inn, surrounded by bush and stream on one side and a very quite road on the other. Whilst it is not in the Heart of Tsumago itself, and a short drive was required to visit the historic town the location for us was perfect. As the town itself, is closed to traffic from 10am until 4pm daily, if we had stayed at an Inn in the main town a walk with our suitcase would have been provided as there the allocated parking (at a cost, each time you move your vehicle) Is some distance away. The Inn Keeper, and his family were very welcoming to us. The food was delicious, the rooms very clean and the soft pillows a dream to rest my tired head on. I would recommend this Inn to anyone venturing to Tsumago. This has been a highlight trip for me. Thank you, Hannah Smith

• Really great experience

  Isidoro

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Spain

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  We spent one night at Hanaya Ryokan and it was a great experience. Facilities really good, with a nice bath. Food was great! Overall you can enjoy a full experience ryokan, 100% recommendable.

• Kan beter

  Joost

  Date of Review: October, 2019

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  Dit is géén Ryokan. De ontvangst was niet echt vriendelijk. De eigenaar loopt wel mee naar de kamers maar kan geen bagage tillen, heeft het aan zijn rug. Je moet om zes uur verschijnen voor het avondeten en het ontbijt is om half acht, stipt. Een kopje koffie of thee kan er 's avonds niet genuttigd worden en van een lounche is ook geen sprake. Er staat een 'vending machine', daar kun je eventueel iets uit betrekken. De onse stelt niets voor, maar er is de buurt wel een hotel met een prachtige onse. Het eten was prima, echter nadat het was opgediend, verdween de bediening. Voor een extra drankje moest je naar de keuken toe gaan.

• Little Oasis on the Nakasendo

  Karynne

  Date of Review: September, 2019

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Hanaya was a lovely place. My room was nice and good that it had a lock, I was happy to make my bed up and nice they had western style pillows. The food was very good and the warm bath was great. The staff were all helpful. The place is run efficiently and communication was good. It is only a short walk out of Tsumago, there is a bus that runs through to the next train station where I was able to put my luggage in a locker and walk through to Nojiri from Nagiso. It was a highlight of my trip to Japan staying here and being able to access the Nakasendo trail. Also met some interesting travellers here. Definitely recommend this place.

• Comfortable stay

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: UK

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  Hanaya is not a destination ryokan, ie one that you make a special detour to visit, but is just fine as a place to stay for a night or two in the Tsumago area. The new wing has nice clean tatami rooms (the whole was very clean), the futons were the most comfortable of the 3 places we stayed at in Japan, the bathing area is pleasant with lots of sunlight in the afternoon, a reasonable sized cypress bath plus showers for the morning, the food was good and the staff were helpful. Location by the road wasn’t a problem as there isn’t much traffic and the sound of the river is louder (we liked it). Yes its 15 minutes outside of Tsumago but its a nice walk even in August and you have options to go on the trail, the road, take the infrequent bus, or ask the inn to call you a taxi. It’s a family run place and they are sometimes busy with kids so that may take away from impressions of service but we found them helpful when asked for an extra futon or luggage forwarding (to Magome direct from Hanaya, you don’t need to take it anywhere else). Be prepared for early and prompt meal times - expect a knock on the door at 1750 and 0720. A minor drawback was a relative lack of meal time service (meals are laid out and you are left to it) so getting another drink or a rice refill required a bit of effort but the food was nice and locally influenced.

• Very nice - great nature - unforgettable

  Bart

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  We have trouble understanding how the people who have written al these reviews managed to find something negative about Hanaya. Okay, it was our first visit to Japan and our first visit to a Ryokan, so we have nothing to compare it to. We had a great stay at the Hanaya. We stayed for two nights. The staff doesn't say very much, but were very helpful upon request. It's a small ryokan with just a few guests, and specialized meals. It made us feel special. We think the fact that the ryokan is on a 15 minutes walk of Tsumago is a plus point. Tsumago is very quiet (in june), let alone the quiet walk through the nature to the village. Tip: walk from Magome to Tsumago, not the other way around (mostly hill down vs mostly hill up). Also: no taxi's in Magome. Bus drives irregular, but the bus schedule is very well explained and easy to find (also online). We are very pleased with the ryokan, the staff and the surroundings. A wonderful experience. Greetings from two happy guests.

• Not worth the trouble

  Wendy

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 2

  Room Rating - 4

  This ryokan is okay, but the people aren't the friendliest and it's location is a nuisance. It's okay if you find out about buses, but if not, you walk the 1 kilometre or so back and in the rain or heat, that's a pain. No help with luggage up steep stairs and bath was only average in comparison to other places. Check out is early but they still enter your room during breakfast to strip beds etc. Saving Grace is that the Tourist Info can deliver your bags directly, but the next morning I had to drag my suitcase about 500m to a bus stop in the rain. Bit disappointed in this one.

• Satisfactorily

  Elena

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Germany

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  Our main impression - it was very cold! The temperature outside was around -1°C and it seemed to be not much warmer in the room. The A/C did´t work properly: it blew out hot air for 5 mins and then produced completely cold one, so there was no way to keep it switched on at night. The facilities are shared, we didn´t use the onsen as it didn´t look very clean (an old woodern box which you had to share with other people and the water is changed only twice a day). You can´t also book the onsen for your family (there are two separate ones for men and women). The staff was friendly, but spoke very limited English, the food was also very good.

• Reasonable Ryokan

  Michiel

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 3

  This Ryokan is OK although not excellent. Although on the Nakasendo trail, it is located on about a 15 minutes walk from the center. If you come from Magome and have your luggage sent by the Tourist Information they do drop it off at the Hanaya, so you won’t have to collect it in town and get back with your luggage. Staff is not very communicative. Food is ok, rooms are not very soundproof and if you are close to the diningroom and kitchen neither smellproof.

• simple ryokan

  Claudia

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Ireland

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  This simple ryokan is a 15-20min walk outside Tsumago. We asked in the tourist information for a description of how to get there and true enough we probably would have had difficulties without it although knowing now where it is, it's not a complicated walk. Compared to other ryokans we have stayed in it is simpler but the food was great as everywhere in Japan. The staff were lovely and brought a Japanese chair for my husband for dinner and breakfast when he had problems with the kneeling. The hot bath is lovely and there is a small common area where you can sit and chat with other guests.

• Minshuku rather than ryokan

  Lee

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 3

  Having spent a bit of time in the past in Japan, I have (like many) come to know the Japanese people as very helpful and polite people. Here, the latter was true. However, I felt my hosts were less than interested in me as a lodger. The food was acceptable, but sashimi was something I have come to do better versions of myself. Bed was folded up in the morning, but I'd not expected that I would make it myself in the evening. The company at my dinner table was good (from UK), the cedar bath (not onsen) was good, and a nice atmosphere is to be had in a beautiful part of the country. But I would not have stayed here except for the fact that it was the only place to allow solo travellers. Could be a lot better with a little effort.

• Aesthetic beauty

  Jane

  Date of Review: October, 2018

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  Our stay at Hanaya was wonderful, I loved the simplicity of the place, the food was excellent and for the price the place was very good value, very clean and the simple onsen beautiful, though simple and small. I have read some of the comments above and feel they do not reflect the experience we had.

• Lovely Ryokan stay

  Phil

  Date of Review: August, 2018

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: New Zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I had a very pleasant stay at Hanaya Ryokan. The room was lovely and comfortable and looked out on an interesting little garden. The dinner and breakfast were superb and the dining room had a great feel with the different guests all chatting or comparing notes. The food was fantastic. I was presented with about 13 different little plates and dishes - all very tasty. Although very little ENGLISH is spoken the staff are very friendly. The Onsen is small but very welcome after the walk from Magome. Although located a little way from Tsumago it is still only a lovely short stroll into town. Really enjoyed my walk on the Nakasendo, and my stay at this Ryokan.

• Nice place outside Tsumago

  Vera

  Date of Review: August, 2018

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  We had a lovely stay at Hanaya Ryokan. This ryokan itself looks lovely, with a river running beside it. We had a great traditional Japanese breakfast and dinner which was very enjoyable. I would say that hospitality and friendliness could be improved, but everything was clean. The room was big enough for 2 people with backpacks and airconditioning worked perfectly. All in all a lovely stay.

• Very disappointing - easily the worst accommodation we had in Japan

  Peter

  Date of Review: August, 2018

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: UK

  Atmosphere Rating - 1

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 1

  We stayed at a range of accommodations including other ryokans, over a period of 3 wks. We were very impressed with all, especially the Japanese hospitality. Disappointingly, "Hanaya Ryokan" stood out by far, as the worst. In summary: - The shared toilets smelled strongly of urine. - The bedding and pillowcases were stained. - The food was inconsistent; one night good, one night very poor. - The staff were inattentive; in stark contrast to our experience of Japan. - This has the feel of a hostel but is not priced as such; it is very poor value.

• Pleasant family-run ryokan

  Emily

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Hanaya ryokan is a well-kept ryokan that's like a big family house. If you're planning to do the walk on the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Tsumago, you can send your bag directly from the Magome Information Centre to the ryokan, rather than picking it up from the Tsumago Information Centre. Furthermore, if you stay overnight in Tsumago, you will receive a discount at the museum and the locker at the Tsumago Info Centre. The family was very welcoming (especially carrying my heavy bag to my room) and accommodating to my dietary requirements. The meals were amazing and very delicious so its worth coming down for the dinner/breakfast when called. In the evening, it is worth taking a short walk to the main street of Tsumago because the lanterns light up the street and it is still dark enough to see the stars. The ryokan also has plenty of showers if the bath is not available but the bath is worth waiting for especially after a long day of walking.

• An enjoyable stay

  Suzanne

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  A smiling welcome at this authentic Japanese guest house, nice local food for dinner and breakfast. As well as the communal bath-rooms, there were 2 extra showers, helpful as the place was busy. Hanaya is right next to the Ohtsumago bus stop and the guest house up the road will transfer your luggage while you walk the country path to Magome.

• Really nice ryokan for the price

  Michal

  Date of Review: May, 2018

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: Poland

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  As it was already said this ryokan is 15 min walk from Tsumago. But if you are going from Magome and want to transfer luggage from tourist information center, they can transfer it directly to Hanaya so you don't need to carry it at all! We really enjoyed our stay. Dinner exceeded our expectations, it was delicious. There is a small hot bath - we were the only people using it. One issue is that no one speaks english there. It seems like good value for the price.

• nice place

  Michael

  Date of Review: May, 2018

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 2

  Room Rating - 4

  Nice and cozy place with great food.

• Enjoyable

  John

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Hanaya is a traditional minshuku that would be enjoyed by those who want to experience something of the Japanese culture. It's just outside Tsumago (5 to 10 minute walk) on the way from Magome on the Nakasendo trail. We had a comfortable room, though small. The shared bath and toilets were not a problem. The food was great! Vegetarian food was available on prior notification.

• pleasant ryokan

  Rita

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Israel

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  Well located ryokan (we came by car)and the surroundings are very nice. The staff was very helpful. The food was great. Maybe because the ryokan was full, maybe because we asked for vegetarian food we ate alone in one of the dining rooms and we prefer meeting other people when travelling. The room and the bedding were fine, the bathrooms were clean but not so comfortable as in other ryokans we stayed in.So a pleasant stay but not something special.

• Great stay on the Nakasendo Trail

  Jun kit

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Great stay in a well run Ryokan. The food was delicious and staff were friendly. They allowed me to drop my bags at the Ryokan before the check in time before continuing the hike to Tsumago which was much appreciated. The room was comfortable. The location is just a 10-15 minutes walk from Tsumago and there is a bus stop nearby (1-2 minutes walk) if you are heading to Nagiso station after you check out.

• Nice Ryokan

  Uzi

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  This Ryokan is on the road between Tsumago and Magome (about 2Km from Tsumago). As such it is convinient for those who hike this path. It is a simple Ryokan, the rooms do not have private bathrooms but the onsen is nice and the hosts are plesent.

• Very Good Nakasendo Minshuku

  Terry

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  Hanaya is a very good family-operated minshuku-style traditional rural inn convenient to those who are exploring the Nakasendo mountain road from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo). Reading other reviews, I think many visitors were measuring Hanaya against a full-service "ryokan," leading to mild disappointment. As a more modest "minshuku," however, Hanaya amply lived up to reasonable expectations. The food is absolutely outstanding, and the owners obviously take pride in the meal service. Those who have any dietary concerns will find Hanaya more responsive to your needs than most other inns in the vicinity. I will note also that the dining room has typical low tables, which we used, but for those with orthopedic issues there are some European-style high tables and chairs. The staff is extremely friendly, and you might get to meet a charming, playful grandchild. The location is a brisk several-minute walk from town, so bring GPS and a flashlight if you want to see the lantern-lit streets in Tsumago at night. The rooms can be tiny; the futons for our party of three took up most of the floor. The inn is just off a main road, but behind the inn a mountain stream burbles and green mountains rise in the morning mist. As is typical for a minshuku versus a ryokan, keep in mind that you do have to set out your own futons in the evening. Lastly, do note--no credit cards, so be prepared with cash! If you set your expectations correctly, you should enjoy a short stay at Hanaya as you stop on your Nakasendo travels or wander about Tsumago and environs.

• Perfect ryokan experience

  Valerie

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Switzerland

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  This is what one would expect from a ryokan. The food was outstanding and the shared bathroom was like a mini-onsen and very nice as well. The only two drawbacks are that (i) the blanket did not seem to have been changed and (ii) the location is a bit far from Tsumago town. The latter I was aware of before booking, but it still did not make it very convenient to visit Tsumago at night alone in the dark.

• Pleasant

  Debbie

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Sweden

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  Sure it's slightly off from Tsumago, but that was alright with us as the walk there is rather nice! The family who runs the ryokan was really sweet to us, though it does feel like you're staying in someone's home rather than at an inn. We enjoyed the meals - stayed for two nights and got different menus. We didn't expect that at all but really appreciated it! Our room was alright, a little tired-looking here and there, but not something we found to be an issue that compromised comfortability. All in all, we felt very welcome and well taken care of at Hanaya!

• LOVELY FAMILY-RUN RYOKAN EXPERIENCE

  Tracey

  Date of Review: February, 2018

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: JAPAN

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  RYOKAN HANAYA WAS A LOVELY PLACE TO STAY WHILE ON A ONE-DAY TRIP TO THE NAKASENDO WAY. WE LOVED THAT IT WAS JUST OUT OF TOWN, BUT AN EASY WALK TO TSUMAGO, AND RIGHT ON THE TRAIL BETWEEN TSUMAGO AND MAGOME. FOOD WAS FANTASTIC, OUR HOSTS LOVELY AND THE ROOMS MORE THAN ADEQUATE. WE HAD THE ADDITIONAL DELIGHT OF SNOW FALLING. HALLWAYS ARE COLD IF YOU ARE THERE IN WINTER, BUT THE HOT BATH MAKES UP FOR IT! WE RECOMMEND HIGHLY.

• Great place to stay outside of TSUMAGO

  Diego

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: Japan

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  We stayed here and were greatly pleased with our Ryokan. The location, important to mention, is outside of Tsumago (10 minute walk). The service by our hosts was great. The WiFi provided is amazing, we were able to stream movies on Netflix at night. We took the bus to Megume (the stop is right in front of the Ryokan) and walked our way back. We were a group of college boys on an all around trip to Japan so for us this was great. If you are looking for a room with an en suite bathroom, proper bed mattress and above standard amenities this is not the place for you. Food was great also, cooked everyday by our hosts.

• Really Lovely Stay

  Catriona

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Brisbane - Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I'm in the same camp as a couple of others here, I was initially worried after reading the reviews; don't be! We had a lovely stay and it was another special part of the whole experience of travelling through the Kiso Valley. We understood that is was a family run guesthouse and everything about mealtimes and communal showers etc, so none of that came as an inconvenience. It's situated at the start of the trail and with the help of incredibly friendly staff at Nagiso JR station, easy to get to by bus. Also to be noted that the Vegetarian option at mealtimes was super decent. I can't be an authority on the 'authenticity'* of the place but it was a really pleasant stay. The food in particular was amazing. *which I feel is a bit of a farcical accusation of westerners who demand a 'japanese' experience, yet still want to be catered to in terms and language familiar to them

• A disappointment

  Dorit

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 2

  I'll start with the (only) good thing about this Ryokan - the food. It was traditional with many dishes and very tasty. The location was o.k. It was outside the village, but this I knew before reservation, and still was on the walking route. However there was not Japanese atmosphere in the Ryokan. The rooms were simple - as should be, but with no touch of any Japanese ornament to create some sort of atmosphere. The Ryokan was located in a beautiful spot near the riven but you ere completely disconnected from the outside, small windows, no sitting place by a garden to relax. The staff were not welcoming and cleanliness not as we were used to in Japan. Bottom line - not recommended

• Bare Essential Ryokan

  Shou pin

  Date of Review: October, 2017

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 3

  Hanaya ryokan is located slightly off the beaten path compared to the main town of Tsumago. The accommodation is one of those "no frills with basic essential" type. The dinning options for dinner and breakfast are fine - though guests who are not well acquainted with Japanese cuisine may not find it filling enough. Bathrooms and washrooms are communal types - it is not hard to imagine that it can get crowded if the Ryokan is fully occupied. Another issue is that if you are a light sleeper - you may be waken each time a fellow guest from another room wake up to get to the washroom as the floor creak each time someone walk past. This is however expected of building that are built once upon a time. This is a Ryokan recommended if you are just staying for the night while transiting through this part of the country.

• Average

  Supawan

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 3

  I stayed here coz there was only one ryokan available. Turned out to be very average one. You have to make bed (futon) by yourself. The room was neither new nor old. Shared facilities were sufficient given that the night i stayed was not fully booked, around 10 guests. The owners have kids and they ran around on the wooden floor until 9pm. Those who do not like kids could be difficult to deal with the noise. The dinner was ok, not special. So was breakfast. During i was having breakfast during 7.30-8.00am, someone entered my room and made the bed. This was not nice in my opinion. The ryokan let us check in 3 pm and check out at 10am. They should respect our time too. They entered the room while my stuffs were all over, camera, purse, etc. at least, asked for a permission if they were in such a rush. I would say if there s other choice, let s try others first. I m not sure if this is standard ryokan in this area or not.

• Poor Value

  Colleen

  Date of Review: August, 2017

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  The ryokan is pretty from the outside and the old section has character, but we were given a room in the new section, and it didn't feel traditional Japanese. It was busy when we were there (as I expected in August), so this may have affected the quality of the service, but the family running the place was not helpful/ not available to answer questions and it was hard to get into the tiny one-person bath house because it was busy. Also, the bath house is actually not open 24 hours as they advertise, but only from 3-10pm. The bus information provided in the room was incorrect. We stayed 2 nights land the first dinner and breakfast were outstanding- but the second dinner and breakfast were not special. We were so disappointed to receive a "Western" style breakfast the second morning- it was terrible. The guests around us had a delicious Japanese breakfast that looked the same as we had the first morning. The location was out of town which didn't bother us but for less money I think you could stay in town at a friendlier, more traditional ryokan. This was definitely a poor value.

• Relaxing stay after hiking

  Amanda

  Date of Review: July, 2017

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  The 4 of us stayed one night here after hiking the Nakasendo Trail from Magome in early July. The ryokan was right along the trail, so we were able to check in and drop off our daypacks before continuing down the trail to Tsumago. We had our luggage forwarded directly to the ryokan from Magome, which was wonderfully convenient. The location is beautiful: rushing river nearby and a lush forested mountain backdrop. We were the only guests in the ryokan the one night we stayed, so it was nice for us to have the bathrooms, soaking tub, and dining area all to ourselves. The bathrooms were very clean and shampoo and soap were provided. The rooms were simple, comfortable, and clean. The rooms came with TV's, which we didn't use, and the AC unit worked great. Each room comes with a book of instructions on how to make the bed, use the AC unit, and how to get to and from nearby towns/train stations via bus/taxi/train etc. Our hosts were kind and accommodating to our request for 2 vegetarian and nut free meals. The vegetarian dinner and breakfast they provided were excellent! Probably the best vegetarian meals we ate while in Japan. So much variety and flavor, and we left stuffed. After reading other reviews, we knew to expect an early knock on the door for dinner and breakfast, so this didn't bother us. They are very efficient about putting away your bedding and tidying up your room while you're at breakfast, which we also expected based on other reviews. However, I didn't get the impression that they were trying to rush us into leaving. Being a mom and pop establishment, I'm guessing this is how they stay on schedule when they are more busy with multiple rooms booked. It definitely felt like you were guests in their home, which we found charming (we saw and said hi to grandma, grandpa, and their little kid around the property). Upon leaving, we asked if they could call a taxi for us, which arrived within 10 minutes. None of us speak Japanese and we had no problems communicating in English with our hosts. This was our only experience staying in a ryokan so can't compare to other places, but we were pleasantly surprised by our experience and thoroughly enjoyed our peaceful stay in the mountains.

• a night in the mountains

  Laura

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  a nice place a bit out of the village but very quite. Clean and good food.

• Sur la Nakasendo Road

  Baptiste

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Nous étions initialement déçus car les bâtiments en photos avait l'air ancien mais en réalité un autre bâtiment moderne a été accolé à l'ancienne maison. Mais notre séjour a été parfait. Le Ryokan est très confortable, très bon futon, nuit parfaite! Le personnel est très sympathique. Au mois de mai la température est idéale, ni trop chaud ni trop frais. Et la balade entre Tsumago et Magome est très bien et permet de sortir de la foule qui attire parfois ces 2 villages. 2 salles de bains traditionnelles avec bain chaud type "onsen", un petit et un plus grand. Sexes séparés comme d'habitude mais la salle de bain des hommes devient la salle de bain des femmes après le repas et vice-versa!! A savoir puisque l'une est mieux que l'autre!! Repas OK. Le petit déjeuner nous a été servi gentiment plus tôt que prévu pour que nous puissions prendre le premier bus. Il existe un arrêt de bus à 5min à peine du ryokan, il n'est pas obligé d'aller jusque Tsumago pour reprendre le bus. Tsumago se situe à 15-20min du ryokan.

• a welcoming sight for a weary hiker

  Yinmeng

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  right on the nakasendo trail, just before you reach tsumago. small but clean room. extra shower rooms are a plus. a tad pushy about meal times.

• Very nice ryokan near Tsumago

  Julien

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Very nice ryokan located about 15 minutes of walk from the town of Tsumago, so it is perfect if you are walking between Tsumago and Magome or just staying in the area. Nice staff, very good meals and comfortable rooms. Overall a a very nice place to stay, I would recommend it.

• Hanaya Ryokan

  Pierre

  Date of Review: May, 2017

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: United Kingdom

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  All in all, a very nice place only 10-15 minutes walk from the centre of Tsumago village. Great if you're planning on doing the walk from Tsumago to Magome as there's a place to drop your suitcases 5 minutes from Hanaya Ryokan, which then takes them to Magome for your (against a small fee). Perfect if you want to catch the bus directly from Magome and avoid having to go back to the Ryokan. The food was really good and traditional.

• welcome rest after walk

  Date of Review: May, 2017

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  My husband and I stayed here for one night after walking from Magome, a wonderful walk, and it was lovely finishing up in this ryokan. We found the staff very welcoming, and loved our room - it was smallish, but as all we were doing was sleeping there, it felt very comfortable. There was a beautiful view of the countryside out our window, and the sound of a river. We enjoyed making our Japanese-style beds, and following the directions. We had an evening meal and breakfast at the ryokan, the food was wonderful, it was such a treat to be able to just go downstairs and be presented with a delicious array of food. We loved it... The next morning we walked the short distance along the path to Tsumago, and realised how pleased we were to have stayed a little out of Tsumago - Otsumago was very quiet and peaceful, and it was lovely being in a real family-run place. It is true that breakfast was early but we were up and ready to go, so it was perfect timing. The morning walk was a great way to start the day. A really good experience all round.

• Lovely stay

  Marloes

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  I was a bit worried about staying here, after reading the reviews, but it was actually highly enjoyable. Now, a couple of things people commented on are true: there are no private bathrooms -there are showercubicles or communal hottubs-, you make your own (futon)bed, and dinner and breakfast are served at set times and are 'eat what you're served'style. Having said that: all those things were communicated to me beforehand, so should come as no surprise. Hanaya is a 15 minute walk out of Tsumago. The ryokan itself is charming and fun and I found it a great experience. Granted, I have seen more beautyful ryokans - some things are a bit tired looking- but they came at at least double or even triple the price. Plus, this feels more like a family home, which I enjoyed. The staff is nice enough, I found everything to be very clean, the rooms are big enough and charming with tatami and futon, and the whole ritual of eating in your robe and going for hot baths after your hike was lovely. But the highlight was the food. Fantastic dinner, with 10 beautyful and tasty dishes and a very good (Japanese) breakfast. So all in all a lovely stay in a beautyful part of the world. ps, non related but valid: dont believe the walkingtimes the maps tell you, Magome to Tsumago is 2 hours max at absolute leisure and I'm not a fitgirl. Hanaya is easily reached from Nojiri in about 5 hours, Nagiso in 1,5 or from Ochaia in 3,5. The scenery on the 'extra' stretches is so worth it.

• Stay in Tsumago

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This was the real traditional Japan of what we all are dreaming. A very nice stay in the ryokan, if I could, I would rate the food and staff to 5+++. A nice walk from Tsumago to Magome, and back by bus. Although it was cold and we had some snow it was one of the most enjoyable parts of our stay in Japan.

• Hanaya Ryokan on the Nakasendo Trail

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Japan

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Easy to find on the walk from Magome and easy walking distance into Tsumago. Lovely welcome and great explanation on how to make our own bed!!! Would recommend this to everyone!

• Hanaya

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Spain

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We went to Tsumago looking for a great old-fashioned style town, with a nice place to stay. My brother recommended us this traditional japanese inn, and no doubt he helped us. The lovely people that run the inn gave us a great welcome, nice food, good advice for walking around and a torch for a nigth walk to Otsumago. We also had a great bath in the ofuro. Very nice stay. (Spanish)Fuimos a Tsumago buscando un pueblo de apariencia tradicional, con un buen lugar donde dormir. Mi hermano nos recomendó esta posada tradicional japonesa y no hay duda de que nos ayudo en la elección. Las maravillosas personas que regentan la posada nos dieron una gran bienvenida, buena comida, consejos para pasear y una linterna para hacer una pequeña excursión nocturna a Otsumago. También tomamos un buen baño en el ofuro. Una estancia muy agradable.

• Nice place to stay

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This was our first stay at a traditional japanese ryokan and we much enjoyed it. Nice rooms and a delicious dinner and breakfast.

• nakasendo

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 5

  Good place , reasonable price, friendly, japanese hospitality A few minutes walk from the ond town tsumago

• Not so special

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 2

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 4

  We booked a stay here based on other people's reviews of this ryokan which was a mistake. Aside from the fact the ryokan is next a main road, the location isn't too bad and can be reached easily by bus. I wouldn't however say this is a traditional ryokan. I understand that this is a very touristy area but this ryokan really caters for westerners who don't know any better. I'm not sure if tomato sauce on a small omelette is really part of a traditional Japanese breakfast... For the price of the stay, the food isn't the best. The sashimi on the first night was quite rubbery and the rest of the meal wasn't that great. After the meal, we politely enquired (in English and Japanese) if we could cancel the next night's meal to perhaps try a more traditional meal somewhere else in Tsumago (without mentioning the fact we weren't happy with their menu). The owner got upset with us and told us he didn't want trouble and walked away. We weren't looking to cause trouble, we were just hoping to work out a solution to a small problem however the rest of the stay was quite tense. Communication issues aside, we definitely saw some much more traditional looking ryokans in the area. However, if you don't mind what feels like a 'theme park' version of a ryokan, please do stay here but I think there are better choices. They might be a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for.

• Hanaya Ryokan

  Month of Visit: May

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My friend and I stayed one night at the Hanaya Ryokan on our way from Tokyo to Kyoto. We both enjoyed our night, especially the food and the sound of the small river near the ryokan at night. It was a very relaxing stay. It is a little bit of a walk (about 15 or 20 minutes) to get to Tsumago, but it's a very pleasant walk next to a lovely stream. I have lived in Japan for five years and stayed in several ryokan, and I found Hanaya Ryokan to be quite authentic and pleasant. My friend was visiting Japan for the first time and she really enjoyed our experience at this ryokan as well.

• Traditional Ryokan experience at a budget price!!

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 4

  I have stayed in a number of Ryokans ranging in price and I must say the experience here was fantastic! Received much of the same traditional Ryokan experience for a quarter of the price. One issue that it is not right in the heart of Tsumago. So if you have your bags catch a taxi. But, the walk to and from Tsumago village centre is beautiful (if you take the back path ;) The food also some of the best traditional food I have had in Japan. Thanks guys for having us.

• Good food, not so great value

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 4

  Room Rating - 3

  Our stay at Hanaya was pleasant. The highlight was dinner: we were provided with great, plentiful vegetarian food, at our request. The traditional Japanese breakfast was nice, too. The room wasn't very big, but that was ok. Our main problem was with bedding: there weren't enough sheets (we had to "steal" some from the empty room next door) and no proper pillowcase. We had to make the bed ourselves, which we don't mind, as long as we have the right bedding! Breakfast time is at 7.30, which is pretty ludicrous when you're on holiday. However, due to the sheerness of the paper window shades, you'll be up from 5am anyway! The ryokan does not take credit cards: be prepared! Overall, it was an interesting experience, but definitely poor value. And Tsumago was a ghost town in early July.

• Pleasant but not so special place

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 3

  Food Rating - 3

  Staff Rating - 3

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  My stay at Hanaya was enjoyable, but not as special as I had hoped. The location is great, and being on the main road was not a problem. The hike from Magome is wonderful, and the walk to Tsumago equally so, although someone with difficulty walking a mile or so should bear the distance in mind. The inn has a homey feel, but the hospitality has a somewhat offhand quality about it - it felt more like a Japanese home that takes in paying guests than one's image of a Japanese inn. I didn't really mind making my own bed, but was a bit surprised nonetheless. The food is more than ample, but not exceptional; it could be characterized as solid Japanese country cooking. All in all, a pleasant stay in a wonderful part of Japan.

• Could do much better

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: United Kingdom

  Atmosphere Rating - 2

  Food Rating - 4

  Staff Rating - 2

  Location Rating - 3

  Room Rating - 3

  It is a basic place, a bit of a walk from the main 'town' of Tsumango, but during the day it is a nice walk through the countryside (or up the road for those who prefeer this). I booked last minute and did not mind this. However it is almost run like a bit of a 'boot-camp'. I totally understand that they want to serve breakfast and get it over with between 7.30-8am. And what they do is shout and knock very loudly at everyone's doors at 7.15, and than again in a few minutes if you don't respond. Same for dinner. The air conditioning (it was very cold at night) was set to work only up max 20 degrees celsius, and than it would switch off, so the room was quite cold. The bed was rolled up the moment you got up. So on my last day, despite check out being at 10am, they rolled up the bed and took away all the towels while I was at breakfast, so at 7.30am. So you can not have a shower, or god forbid relax in the room after breakfast. Overall the atmosphere is that of - get them in and out asap. The food was ok, although in a couple of other places where I stayed it was better. So there was nothing very wrong with this place, but if I had a choice next time I would rather stay at a place that cared for their customers a bit more.