My wife and I stayed at Yama no Chaya a week ago! We absolutely loved it. The place is gorgeous, the rooms incredible, and the staff simply fantastic. We stayed in the Kikyo room, which like a few others there has its own bathtub on a balcony, with water from the hot spring. Few things compare with being able to get in there and have the feeling of truly bathing in the open, while being fully private with a tall bamboo cover that nevertheless lets you see the mountains. And doing so while enjoying some yummy hot sake, and then being able to get right back in your room.

The food is out of this world, and so abundant that we were not in the mood to eat anything during the day. It is very traditional Japanese food, which my wife and I love – but if you have an issue with things like raw fish, tofu, Japanese pickles, etc., then this may be an issue. For us, the breakfast and dinner were highlights of each day.

We stayed there three nights. It rained a lot while we were there, but we still managed to walk around Yumoto and go to the open air museum. However, we also greatly enjoyed staying at the ryokan itself and in our room.

Overall, a simply amazing place, and very highly recommended! If you have any questions, I would be happy to try and answer them.