We really enjoyed our stay at Nukumorino-yado Komanoyu. It’s around a 20-minute drive from Kiso-Fukushima, but the ryokan offers a shuttle service and we were picked up directly outside Kiso-Fukushima Station, which made getting there very easy. One of the highlights was our room. We loved the mix of traditional Japanese design with modern comforts, particularly the tatami, beautiful use of wood throughout and the overall layout. It felt spacious, warm and very relaxing. Being able to connect to YouTube on the TV was also a surprisingly nice touch after a long day exploring the Kiso Valley! We slept really well. The dinner was probably the standout experience for us. I’m vegetarian and the ryokan tailored both dinner and breakfast for me, with no meat or fish. This can sometimes be difficult to arrange at traditional ryokans in Japan, so I really appreciated the effort they made. Rather than simply removing dishes, I was given a proper multi-course meal with lots of different flavours and textures. I particularly enjoyed the tofu dishes, tempura, soba and the small local-style dishes. Everything was beautifully presented and it felt like I was still getting the full ryokan dining experience. My husband eats meat, so he was able to enjoy the standard menu alongside my vegetarian version. We also booked one of the private onsens, which was perfect for us as a couple. The mineral water had a distinctive brown colour and the whole experience felt wonderfully relaxing and private. Overall, this was a lovely place to stay while exploring the Kiso Valley. The combination of the beautiful Japanese interiors, private onsen, very comfortable night's sleep, excellent food and the care taken to accommodate a vegetarian diet made it particularly memorable. I’d definitely recommend it, especially to vegetarian travellers who want to experience a traditional ryokan meal.

The shoes that we had to wear outside of our rooms were a small fit and I ended up going barefoot with just my socks down to the dinner hall.

Lovely property in a natural setting at a great price. Starry night trip is a highlight even if they don’t speak English

Nothing. Very cute. It would have been nice to have someone speak English a bit better but when in Japan

It is a calm, peaceful location, by a river, we had a small waterfall just outside our window. It is neat and tidy although some areas need attention, eg worn carpets and marks on walls, but overall quite a smart impression. Meals are fun, local produce and staff very friendly. We stayed 2 nights and things became a bit familiar food wise, we observed most people only stayed for one night. There’s no western breakfast which was fine for us but may put some people off. Beer and local sake is excellent! We were picked up from Kiso station and returned there, communication beforehand was not very good compared to what we expect, that’s the main improvement I’d suggest (clearer comms comms to visitors). Plus I couldn’t get coffee after our evening meal even though it was only 8pm, but I survived! Private Onsen is bookable when you arrive and worth doing; public Onsen split by sexes has indooor and outdoor pools which were amazing but be prepared for nudity!

Overall we did love this place, it is greater than the sum of its parts….each bit is excellent esp. the Onsens but it’s slightly let down by bad comms and faded nature of some rooms.

Good dinner and breakfast, shuttle to/from station, large room, Onsen facilities

Some of the staff were inexperienced and lacking in training. The place is well worn and, in places, in need of repair or replacement. Situated in a forested area but no way to easily spend time outside.