Minshuku Goyomon

Much better than I imagined! The place was so clean, convenient, and the owner was incredibly friendly.A few insects were present, but nothing out of the ordinary—it was totally acceptable.The food was amazing. Although it mostly consisted of wild ingredients like river fish and unusual vegetables, I enjoyed every dish! Especially the grilled fish cooked over the irori—exactly what I had dreamed of experiencing!The bathroom was lovely too. I didn’t expect to relax in a hot tub, but I did! After a long day of hiking, soaking in the bath at the minshuku Goyomon was the perfect way to unwind.The village was so quiet that I felt safe strolling around alone at night.Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, even though patches of snow still remained on the ground—it was such a magical contrast.I didn’t expect they would accept credit cards—but they did! It made everything even more convenient.I truly wish I could stay there again with my family!Oh, and I met a French family who recommended a beautiful Gassho-style house to visit the next day. Since there were only two rooms available, we had the chance to get to know the other guests as well.

Lovely Japanese-style room in a minshuku of two guest rooms. The host was welcoming and kind and even accommodated fresh and delicious vegetarian meals. A memorable stay in a beautiful location. Thank you!

We spent two nights at Goyomon & totally love our stay! The host is very kind & friendly, & cook very good meals for us. The toilet & bath facilities in the inn are superb, much better than many hotels. Kerosine heaters were used in the inn & in our room, although it doesn’t run whole night. However, with futon we managed to get good sleep despite the cold weather. We were the only group of guests on our first night there, & there were 2 other groups of guests on our second night. It did feel not as comfortable but I’ll still highly recommend this place!

It's a beautiful house in a very cozy and comfortable setting. The host was awesome, and we loved the dinner and breakfast.

We stayed one night with my husband to experience a quiet night in a small village. Before I continue the review I must state that we have no problems eating Japanese food (raw or cooked) nor we have problems sleeping in a tatami room. Our experience was amazing, we loved the place, we loved the food (abundant and tasty, made by the hostess with local products), and we loved the hostess, who makes sure that you are comfortable and having a nice time. ||||The house is an old Gassho-stye house. Our room had a good size to fit 2 futon beds, a table, and our luggage (2 back packs and 2 carry-ons). The room were separated from other two rooms by sliding wall panels, which gave enough privacy to change clothes and talk quietly. In the room we had yukatas that we used to be more comfortable at night to have dinner and have a nice hot tub bath before going to sleep. The hostess received us with hot green tea and some delicious cookies (then we bought more because they were soooo goood!). She said that dinner would be served at 6 pm, and whether we had any food preference in case we didn't like certain kind of ingredients (the main issues is whether you like or not raw fish, as one of the many dishes in the dinner is sashimi).||||The whole place feels homey, very (very!) clean and with good light. If you open any window you can hear the water running down the mountains. There are heaters everywhere to make sure that you don't feel cold. There is a shared bathroom with 2 modern Japanese style WC (yes, buttons everywhere) and a washbasin. Outside the bathroom there are another two washbasins. In a different room, you find a big bathtub. Dinner was served in the common room. You have a choice to stay seated in one of the tables (if you prefer chairs) or the hostess will put some cushions to serve the food around the fireplace, where she is cooking some fish. Dinner is composed of several dishes made with local products that you can later see and buy at local shops.You can order beer or sake (with an additional charge) if you want. The village is very quiet, so after dinner you naturally feel like going to sleep early. The other 2 rooms that were beside ours had guests; we had no noise issues and slept very well. We asked the hostess to have our breakfast at 7 am, and she served it in a table. We had once again a delicious and plentiful meal. We were taking a bus after noon, and the hostess double check with us the bus schedule to make sure that everything was OK, and she let us leave our bags in the house while we were out in the village taking pictures and visiting the Washi paper factory. ||||I was really a magical stay!

We were greeted last fall by a wonderful surprise while arriving to Ainokura: a beautiful snowfall. From the bus stop, it's around 5 minutes walking. ||We got there a little wet from the snowfall and the owner helped us to put everything on heaters to dry. We made our reservation through japaneseguesthouses and we requested specifically a tatami room (some of the reviewers suggest this). ||Our room was very small compared to the ryokans we've been to. I kept wondering if we were the guests the other reviews talk about that are accommodated in a luggage room. It was cold though, and our small room was always warm with the heater we had, so I decided not to complain. It was a tatami room anyway, only not a big one. It was clean but the futon's sheets were not too clean, I found a few hairs and for me that unacceptable. ||Service was friendly, and dinner and breakfast were on time. The food was good, but we've had more quality in other ryokans. This is homemade food though, so it was definitely special in a great way. ||The shared bathroom was clean and comfortable. Many towels were provided. There were 2 other rooms with 2 other couples. At night, I waited awhile for the shower because there was one girl taking a long bath. In the morning, I woke up early and took a shower and it was available. I never share bathrooms or toilets in hotels, so one night wasn't a big problem. ||The traditional gassho house is very charming and super cozy, and the owners are very friendly and helpful. Winter boots were provided and there were enough for every guest (the give you your size or similar). ||The best part of the trip is the town. It looked like a winter wonderland. Truly amazing, and not to be missed. |

Ainokura is a kind of Open Air Museum. The good thing about this place is that it is sufficiently remote not to attract too many tourists. This hostel is japanese style. You'll sleep on a futon and toilets and bathroom are shared with other guests. Everything is very clean. You'll be served a japanese breakfast and dinner of very good quality. Dinner is served in the common room seated around a fire. We had a great time talking with the other guests.

Loved the beauty and quiet charm of the village and the fabulous hostess of the county inn in the world historic village of Ainokura. One of the thatched farmhouses. The tatami rooms are modest (with floor mats and comforters) but the food decadent. You will get real Japanese fare-multiple dishes that will tantalize the taste buds...but be prepared for unique dishes. So if you are a picky eater, you may not like all of it. But we thought the food served were by far some of the best meals in our japan trip so far. Breakfast and dinner were served with the room and board. And did I mention the hostess? She is a dynamo that is fun and kind!