Iya Bijin

A pleasant stay, individual onsen in each guest room but the only concern is it is cold in Winter. Great local food, on a separate note, the duvet is the best! Light but super warm.

Fantastic place to stay in the heart of the Iya Valley. The staff and food are amazing. The traditional rooms have a hot bath on private balconies. Staff were so attentive and waved us off from the car park as we left. Highly recommended.

Such a great location with wonderful views of the Iya Valley. Even though the staff didn’t speak much English, everyone went above and beyond to assist us. They helped us book a taxi to and from the hotel to Oboke station with no fuss.Dinner was excellent with specialties from the area, and included,, several traditional dishes from the area and delicious soba noodles from the above restaurant. The private hot bath was a great way to enjoy the sensational view.

We did not stay here but rather had a fantastic Soba noodle dinner with a fantastic view on their terrace. I could imagine staying in the ryokan as well, considering the location, and the cleanliness. But you would have to check other reviews for comments.

High CP value hotel.Nice room with good mountain view and private onsen.Staff can speak English.

Simply wonderful! Peaceful small ryokan with the most wonderful views. The rooms too have a stunning view over the valley and river below. The cedar wood outdoor bath was amazing, especially after a long day exploring the valley. Taking the inclusive meal package is an absolute must, the dinner and breakfast was something to behold. Fit for royalty! The staff are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !! They even took a photo at dinner and handed it framed to us as a gift on the day of our departure, what a touching gesture. A place to reconnect with your soul and nature. If you have the opportunity - GO! I’d recommend a car to visit all the sites the valley has to offer, but we managed well enough without one. The famous cone bridge is a short hike away. Great to work up an appetite for dinner!

Truly the highlight of our 2023 stay in Japan! The Iya Bijin was not available through any of the big travel booking sites at the time of booking so we chanced it and did it through their Japanese only website, thanks to Google translate. We then had our Osaka hotel call them to confirm the reservation and everything went amazingly well. Upon arriving with the very recommendable scenic Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari train (look it up, it's worth getting to Oboke from Tadotsu with that train) and the local bus (very small so don't be carrying several suitcases! Taxis can also be booked but we only booked one for the return journey to the station from Iya Bijin), we had to wait a short while at their restaurant located just outside the main accomodations area and already the service was amazing. My husband and I both have some Japanese conversational knowledge so we were able to fully enjoy ourselves thanks to the friendly yet very professional staff. By the way, they serve amazing soba dishes at their outside restaurant! As for the room itself, overlooking the amazingly beautiful Iya valley, it was just perfect! The tatamis, the shōjis, the yukatas they changed every single day with matching obis and haoris, we could have stayed there forever. It's just peaceful and serene. Now, the kaiseki for breakfasts and dinners was an eye opener for us. The delicacy of the multitude of dishes, the visual appeal as well as the deliciousness of it all, not to mention. The smiling and cheerful oba-sans who served us every day, we couldn't get enough. The fire pit in the middle of the table to grill dangos and fish and to keep the nabes hot, was a never experienced feature for us. On a side note, whenever we'd go out to wait for the bus to get to one of the many scenic points in that area, they'd come out to offer us free coffee or tea at their restaurant and they'd even stop the bus for us. If we came back and our room was still being cleaned, they'd also offer us coffee or tea at their restaurant until the room was ready (and the Onsen filled with hot sulfuric water). All in all, an experience we'll cherish forever and it really makes us want to go back. Too bad we live so far!

Had a quick meal at this restaurant after taking an onsen bath down the road. Had their fried tofu udon and “dango stick”(mochi, tofu, konjac) I really enjoyed the fried tofu & udon. The dango was really good too, especially the konjac jelly. Sitting outside was super pleasant too!! The view was amazing.

Well run Shikoku Island onsen in a gorgeous forested location perched above the Iya river. The trip to Shikoku from Okayama JR train across the Inland Sea via the Seto Bridge is a wonderful trip with island & azure sea views aplenty. The JR stop to get off is Oboke, a small station that has both taxi & bus service. Our spacious & very clean corner Room on 2nd floor provided a lovely view of the mountains & the Iya River. This onsen does not have a public bath but rather each room holds a large tub & shower area separate from tatami floored bedroom. Bath water is piped in from lightly sulphuric hot-spring beneath the ground. The water is clear & refreshed by the room occupants as they see fit. Our package included traditional Japanese style Kaiseki breakfast & dinner. Seasonal Menu. Come with an appetite & prepare to be wowed. A highlight of the menu are buckwheat soba noodles offered as cold plate or in hot soup. There is also an attached casual restaurant separate from the Inn that is open to the public serving a variety of ramen & soba dishes. I rated this inn 5 stars but would have happily given it a 10 if I could. I have been to many onsen throughout Japan over the years & this is one of the best.

Can you imagine relaxing in your own private little hot spring bath while looking out into the river flowing through the narrow valley full of trees in all their autumn majesty with gold, red, orange, and yellow hues? Well, if you stay here in late autumn, this is the kind of relaxing experience Iyabijin gives. The view from your private little onsen is the highlight of this ryokan experience. The way the clouds drift through the valley like different levels of fog adds to the atmosphere. The bath itself is small, but the view makes up for it. Hot spring water flows into the bath, but you can adjust the temperature by adding a little cool water if it is too hot for you. The view and the privacy is why I give it four stars. The room itself is a small, basic tatami room. I found the whole space to be very relaxing. Dinner is filling and a lot of food, too much really to be honest. I felt very wasteful because I physically couldn't eat anymore. Everything is good, but nothing stands out. I liked the private dining area and the little hearth that your fish was roasted at in the middle of the table. It adds to the old style atmosphere. The roasted river fish on the skewer was my favorite part of the meal. The ryokan met my request I put in my reservation of no beef or pork with my meal which was great. I was able to enjoy all the courses. I thought service here was lacking compared to other ryokans I have stayed in though not bad. It was at the minimum to be acceptable by Japanese standards. Here are a few examples. I got the impression that we were inconveniencing them by having bags by the hostess's reaction when I pulled them out of the car. Also, no sweets, tea, or welcome drink are served to you in the lobby or room when you arrive. I think this was the first place in this price range I had stayed at that did not offer this. It was also hard to get someone's attention during dinner if we needed anything. While in your room, you feel like you are worlds away from civilization when in fact, this resort is located right on the main road, even though that's not so big in these parts. It is easily accessible by car and there is plenty of free parking in the parking lot out front. There aren't too many places in the area with private onsen, so I would consider staying here again if I return to the Iya Valley.