Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen

This inn is located along a mountain stream at the foot of the snowy southern Hakkoda mountain range. The only light inside the inn is lamplight, and it is a remote area with no cell phone reception. There are no electric lights, televisions, or power outlets in the rooms, and in the evening, lit lamps are brought in. In this silent, silvery world, you can enjoy a tour of the outdoor and indoor baths scattered throughout the property. At night, the moonlight illuminating the blanket of snow is also beautiful.

One of the worst experiences me and my friends suffered and the staff were rude and unhelpful. we made a reservation through a booking site which did not inform us that the road access to the property was closed during winter months due to snow, and that only the hotel shuttle service was permitted. Unknowingly, we travelled to the property through a long, narrow, snowy, and un-lit 5km road but finally arrived safely to the destination. On arrival, the staff immediately made an issue about our arrival with the car and insisted that we had to call a tow truck (emergency services) to take our car out of the way in case that it got stuck in the ice on the way out the next day and possibly disrupt their shuttle service (as the road was narrow and could only fit one way). There is zero cell service in this isolated location, hence we were not able to make any phone calls nor check the internet for options, so we asked for their help using their hotel landline. However they were even un co-operative to help and initially insisted we use a coin operated payphone to make this phone call. obviously we also couldnt speak japanese which made it impossible for us to communicate with their local service, or have any translation available. It is also very surprising that despite this hotel serving many international guests (90% of guests that night was international), none of the staff could communicate in english and some were even terribly rude at not wanting to try, the manager in particular. after a lot of frustrating back and forth, we finally managed to convince the staff to help us make a phone call to the tow service using their landline, despite this being at their insistence in the first place. i dont understand what's so difficult, and why they insisted we use the payphone (do they realise we are paying over $150 usd per pax for this 1 night stay?? surely a mere phone call they could assist with). In the end the whole arrangement took over 4 hours to negotiate and completely ruined our entire night. and they made us pay $160 for this tow service, ridiculous. There was clearly a lapse in communication between the booking site (JapanIcan - who were also TERRIBLE at trying to help us resolve this issue, claiming it is our fault for not checking the original hotel site, even though there was zero mention or warning on their booking site) and the hotel, but what was most frustrating was how unhelpful both sides were, their attitude was downright rude.

I can just recommend you to also read the other low rated reviews because all is true and we definitely should have. Another good tip don’t visit this ryokan at all, we cut our stay short because it was honestly a joke. Worst was the welcome which was very rude and the fact that hey kind of lie to you by not mentioning that half of their Onsens are not functioning currently, although we had a Japanese friend calling for the booking and they would have been able to tell her. Thus, a real rip off. Further points: You will smell like parafine, the staff is rude, the beds are as old as the house and will give you the worst night sleep you ever had. It’s not clean, and the bathroom smells. I am going to enhance this review at a later date but let this be a intermediate warning if you like to go ….

Charming and remote onsen ryokan. Perfect for those seeking quiet relaxation in a rustic forest environment. Visited in the winter with friends and absolutely loved it. It seems like a lot of the negative reviews are from people who booked this ryokan with severely mismatched expectations. This is a ryokan that you go to precisely for its remoteness, rustic character, digital detox (no electricity / certainly no wifi), and very very good onsen waters. A staff member comes to deliver an oil lamp to your bedroom every night! What to expect: 1. It's located in the middle of mountain wilderness 2. There's a strict bus schedule to get there in the winter (because a giant bus with special snow tires comes to pick you up from the bus stop at the base of the mountain) 3. There is no electricity or wifi in any of the guest areas 4. They're a very "local" place - their Japanese website contains more information than their English one. The staff doesn't speak anything but Japanese (but will try their absolute best to ensure your needs are taken care of) 5. They use kerosene for heating and lighting. It's smelly and you should crack open the window while using the heater 6. There are no private toilets or showers If you're ok with all of these, then you're in for an awesome time. Hands down would visit again.

Location is faraway. 3+ hours on the trains/buses from Aomori airport. Food is traditional. Environs is beautiful. There is a grocery store in this hotel, where you can buy almost everything. 2 out of 4 baths was out of service due to excavation works.

Simple, no frills, comfortable ryokan set in a very secluded beautiful narrow wooded valley with a rushing stream outside the windows. Be aware: the smell of paraffin from the lamps is unmistakable, pervasive, catches in your throat, and your clothes will smell of it after you have left. Having got that out of the way, everything else is makes it a really special experience. There is no wifi, phone signal, no television, so you can slow down, relax and appreciate the onsen and the nature surrounding you. The meals were healthy and delicious, featuring fresh foraged ingredients. You will not go hungry. We requested vegetarian meals a few days in advance. Eating the meal in the tatami dining room in the lamplight and watching the light fading outside was beautiful.|You will make up your own futons and there are shared toilet and tooth cleaning facilities. Everything is spotlessly clean. |There are several baths: two with a view of a delicate waterfall, which are not very hot, so good for summer, a mixed sex rotemburo with times for women only, an ofuro in the main building, and 2 cypress baths in a cypress building with a view of the river, and the water is gloriously hot. Plus an outdoor footbath. All are lit with atmospheric lanterns. |There is a car park a short walk up the hill from the ryokan.|The old wooden main building is full of character and decorated with items of local folk art. There are some small areas of garden planted with native plants near the entrance, but the rest of the surroundings are just the area's flora and fauna.

To reach this place, have to drive up a long narrow winding road. (Of course, can arrange for the bus) There is no electric outlet in the room. There is not even have any mobile network. The hotel has no wifi. The oil lamp is quite dim at night. I need to use a touch to see what I was eating at dinner. But this is the charm of this place. Because of the dim light, we can see the star clearly at night. I find the place very comfortable and relaxing. I also find the place beautiful. Do take note, the outdoor onsen water is only lukewarm. During the autumn nights (when I visited), it could be quite cold to bath outdoor. And also to take note that, they only accept cash there.

Very unique secluded oil lantern lit ryokan in the mountains of Aomori Prefecture. My second visit there - I absolutely loved the experience last year and decided to return. Unfortunately, half of the baths were closed due to flooding that destroyed the inn's suspension bridge across the Aoni River. Worse, they closed one of the remaining baths for cleaning prior to checkout time - without any advanced notification of the bath's closure. Disappointing - they should have considered leaving the remaining two baths open until checkout time - or at least advised at check-in time when the baths would be closed. Also, it would have been beneficial to reach out to guests ahead of time regarding the closure of the other two baths due to damage. Their website mentioned it in Japanese, but when I called I was told all the baths would be available for my early-September stay. Again, very disappointing considering the primary appeal Excellent rustic Japanese meals - both dinner and breakfast are included. Staff was friendly and accommodating besides the abovementioned issues. Sadly, unsure if I will return again.