Satoyama Jujo

Satoyama Jujo is a 14-room ryokan that opened in 2014, and is owned and operated by Jiyujin Hotels, who run an eclectic mix of 6 properties in places like Matsumoto (Matsumoto Jujo), Shiga (KOO Otsuhyakucho) and Hakone (Hakone Honbako.) Jiyujin Hotels itself is owned by Karatt Inc., which has subsidiaries specializing in things like magazines (especially on sustainable agriculture) and organically-grown food products.||In addition to 12 rooms in the main property, there are two "houses" that are an extension of the ryokan - The House Izumi and The House Sen. These two houses are restored "kominka" (old farmhouse) and accept one group of guests per night. Sen, however, is 30 minutes away (as opposed to Izumi, which is 10-15 minutes by shuttle), meaning Sen guests are not afforded shuttle service nor can they dine on Keiko Kuwakino's famous cuisine. Rather, they have a choice between BBQ, Spicy Hot Pot or Shabu Shabu in the house itself. There is also The House Kiroku, which accommodates two groups of guests per night; however, the rooms are small, rustic, has no Onsen and are actually the cheapest accommodations in the entire Satoyama Jujo collection of rooms. The rooms in the main Satoyama Jujo building are 35-50 square meters in size, seem kind of bland (especially compared to the main lobby/lounge area), and only a handful of them offered Onsen (there is a communal Daiyokujo on site, however.) Also, House Izumi guests who arrive via rental car can go directly to Izumi itself (a person is assigned to greet the guests upon their arrival and manage all of the check-in formalities there), but we erred by visiting the main property first. No problem - we explored Satoyama Jujo for a while before heading over to Izumi. Note - The House Izumi guests are offered private shuttle service between their accommodations and Satoyama Jujo (about 10-15 minutes drive time), which you will use at least one time, since dinner is served at "Sanaburi," the ryokan's signature restaurant. Get all of that? Yes, it's rather confusing - I'd get right to it and suggest you snag The House Izumi if it's available. One final note before getting into The House Izumi - the main ryokan, while charming, was in the middle of having its grounds completely redone, meaning there were cranes and bulldozers everywhere and the landscaping and koi ponds were ripped apart to shreds when we were there. They've probably completed the work by now, so you are unlikely to share the same disappointment we experienced upon arriving at the main building.||The House Izumi was huge (182m²), private, comfortable and just quirky enough to be memorable without getting in the way of our comfort. Location wise, it sits atop a small hill that overlooks the Minamiuonuma valley as well as the mountains surrounding it. They've managed to maintain the old folk house vibe while sufficiently modernizing the interior to suit the needs of contemporary luxury travelers. It has bathrooms in both of the two floors, several living rooms and tatami rooms, an indoor sitting area to enjoy the valley views, a dedicated counter dining area, a sauna and an open-air Onsen bath. Izumi gets its hot springs source directly below its land, and therefore is the only one that has access to "Echigo Yukiguni Onsen," a unique type of Onsen. Another perk: breakfast is served in Izumi itself, so we at least got one use out of Izumi's dining room during our stay.||Dinner is served at "Organic & Creation Sanaburi," the renowned restaurant that was awarded one star in the Michelin Guide Niigata 2020 Special Edition. Additionally, the head chef Keiko Kuwakino was recently anointed as the world's best lady chef at the We're Smart Awards in Brussels - We're Smart is a culinary organization, and supposedly a leader in the culinary world of fruits and vegetables. As expected most of the courses were vegetable-based, although there were several fish dishes, so there was still plenty of animal protein on the menu. At times Sanaburi offers game meat such as wild boar and wild deer, although it was not part of our evening's offerings. Additionally, for an additional 5,500 yen guests can chose to have A5 Japanese Tankaku Gyu (Shorthorn cattle beef from Myoko, Niigata) Shabu Shabu, Tankaku Gyu filet steak or Tankaku Gyu Roast Beef; I opted for the Shabu Shabu and Steak, and I'm glad I ordered them. The rest of the courses were similarly impressive - the Kotake Mushroom Risotto (made with Minamiuonuma Koshihikari rice, naturally) was incredible - light but flavorful, and not just from the mushroom broth... the rice itself really aided in making this dish a masterpiece. The the (lightly) charcoal-grilled Sado Island (an island off Niigata's mainland) Bonito with grated Murasaki (purple) Daikon and Kagura Nanban green chili peppers played very well together. The sweet (yes, sweet and not at all bitter) radish together with a touch of spiciness from the peppers really worked well with the fish. Finally, the variety of fungi used in Ms. Kuwakino's dishes was astonishing... Japan truly is a treasure trove for mountain vegetable foraging, whether it's roots, flowers, mushrooms or leafy plants. Overall, we loved the contrast of the cuisine here relative to the kaiseki meals that are typically served at ryokans. And while we did pig out, none of what we consumed made us feel at all bloated. Breakfast was also heavily vegetable-based; the vast majority of the rice condiments were simmered, pickled or steamed plants from the land and sea.||It is worth mentioning that Sanaburi has three koshitsu (private rooms), with two of the three being "special private" koshitsu. The special private rooms are the only ones that come with a surcharge (10%.) Additionally, there are a handful of semi-private koshitsu - everyone else is served in the main dining room, so if you'd like a private experience, make sure to request one of the koshitsu in advance.||From talking with the GM, I was informed that about 1/3 of the guests are foreigners, and the ratio increases to about 70% during the Winter ski season (they do have English speaking staff on hand.) I also learned that a new, 10-house property is opening near Oze National Park (bordering Gunma and Fukushima), and more accommodations based on restored abandoned farmhouses are in the works. While I'd expect some extensive research will be necessary to weigh the pros and cons of each of their ryokans (and the rooms/houses), we love their mission statement: to help revitalize rural communities and comfort and enjoyment to those that visit them.

Extremely professional service at the place. I think winter is the best time for the retreat. It’s remote and heavy snow in winter, better to take the hotel shuttle if you can time your train to reach Osawa station at 2.27pm. We stayed only a night and longing to go back. The restaurant has many awards and 2 lounges with snacks, coffee and tea 24 hours a day so don’t worry about food there. Just be there and relax in the beautiful place.

The highlight here is the food and breathtaking views from the outdoor onsen. Set in an old Japanese structure, the lobby and dining rooms are beautiful. Rooms, however, are not luxurious and lacks the traditional characters you expect from Japanese ryokan. Many luxury Japanese ryokans, while offering kaiseki presented beautifully, don't offer amazing food in our experience- it's different level here. Every dish is carefully prepared with fresh local ingredients. We stayed here for 2 nights and soba they served for lunch was also to die for. Amazing chef. We'll definitely return.

The meals are very special, you can see the chef’s concept behind everything. The hotel itself, the lobby, the lounge, and the atmosphere are great. The room is not as great as the hotel. I have high expectations for the room since the hotel is pretty expensive. The air con is not cool enough and they cannot do anything about it. The bed is not very comfortable and the pillows are too soft. Although the staff are really nice, I cannot say it’s a good stay.

Located in the mountains of Minami-Uonuma, one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions, this inn allows you to experience the traditions of this region. The reception building, a renovated 150-year-old traditional house, conveys the lifestyle of a region with heavy snowfall, and the meals, which incorporate locally produced ingredients and traditional cooking methods, express the climate and history of Minami-Uonuma. The open-air bath at "Yudokoro Tennogawa" is exclusively for guests. You can enjoy the bath to your heart's content while gazing at the mountain ranges and starry sky.

Impeccable farm to table meals here! We loved it very much. Chef and team are so amazing! So much thoughts and effort creating each dishes. Room / furnitures used was okay but the view, meals, staffs compensated it! 10/10 will return! The Public baths and bath tub in the room were slightly dirty with many particles in them.

Stayed at the House Kiroku of the group but visited the main building. The onsen and lounges were elegantly furnished.

Staying at Satoyama Jujo is an experience through and through. The beautiful surroundings in the wooded hills, the warm welcome by the smiling staff, the outstanding, breathtaking cuisine, the beautiful, exquisite rooms and the unique onsen are simply impressive. The hotel and the cuisine exude an incredible complexity without sacrificing authenticity and honesty. These are places that touch and move you!

This boutique ryokan/onsen resort has been featured in several design magazines. I wanted to go because of the food and the sake. The chef at the hotel's restaurant trained at Kichisen, which was the first kaiseki restaurant that really spoke to me many years ago with it's seasonal simplicity and elegant dishes. The chef here features the natural ingredients of the area, and vegetables and local rice shine prominently in his courses. The area is famous for rice and sake and being near the mountains, there are plenty of interesting wild plants. The room we chose was a tatami room with a mountain view and a private outdoor hot spring bath. The room was very modern and had furniture designed by famous designers from around the world. The view of the mountain was truly spectacular. However, it was even better from the large communal hot spring bath. Dinner was amazing. So many interesting veggies. I had a tiny peanut that had more flavor than a bag of peanuts. I don't even understand how they did that. The local rice was the best rice I've ever eaten. They had sake from top local producers in special limited releases including a rare one from Hakkaisan! It is worth it for the meal alone. Make sure you get the local sake and wine pairing. After dinner you can take another dip in the hot spring, relax in your room, check out the shop, or hang out in one of the lounges with local drinks that are included in the cost of your room. In the morning you are treated to a delicious breakfast before you head We drove here, but I am guessing that might be rather difficult in winter as this area receives a lot of snow. A courtesy shuttle can be requested in advance for those who don't drive. It was the most relaxing, enjoyable time here. I have already booked my next stay. That's how much we enjoyed it. We can't wait to return!