wanoi KAKUNODATE

Pros: Really beautiful old buildings. Well-kept and tidy. Cons: In general, it's lacking love and thought. For example: - when we checked in and were shown around in the early afternoon, all the blinds / curtains were drawn - the whole welcome tour was in darkness - there are no living plants in the place. - the welcome items feel quite spartan. - the provided crockery feels incomplete, like the people who provided it have never stayed there / really thought about staying there Bottom line - if you want to stay in an historic building, and a really beautiful one, this is your chance. But don't expect to be made to feel super at home.

As noted by the other reviewers, we stayed in one of the 3 renovated classical buildings, in the samurai district. I don’t know what we expected, but we couldn’t have anticipated a more beautiful, elegant and thoughtfully decorated space. I say space, not room, because we had the entire house. Every single detail is curated and presented. Since we stayed in the house of a cloth merchant, we walked into the landing were a sublime kimono was displayed. Many of the other decorations are ancient tools (spoolers, weaving equipment, etc). The beds are very comfortable, the wet room with circular bathtub is perfect, there is a kitchen space with artisanal cups … I don’t know that we have ever stayed in a place that we have liked more.

The comfortable special space is two floors and spacious.The bath is wraped in ascent|of cypress, the living room is warm with floor heating, and the breakfast is freshly prepared using local ingredients. We enjoyed dinner at the reccomended restaurant while strolling around the histric city. The special experience of staying at the old storehouse was more comfortable than I imagined. I want to stay again.

There is so much care and thought put into every element of the space to retain the roots of the kura, yet also be beautifully traditional and functionally modern. We were especially impressed with the bathtub area of our kura, and the radiant heating, as well as the compactness of the emergency escape ladder, should you need it. Breakfast was the best breakfast we had during the whole of our stay in Akita! The ceramics were also lovely. Location is great proximity to the station and main area. Staff were friendly and willing to drive us to and from the station. Would definitely stay here again if I'm in the area again.

THis accommodation was a completely separate converted storehouse in a very historic and convenient part of the town. The reception staff at the main building close to the station were extraordinarily helpful and kind, and drove ahead of us to show us the way to the building. ||The building is a superbly converted spacious and very modern yet authentic space, with a fabulous downstairs bathtub (Olsen really ..) that can accommodate two (wonderfully cosy ..) and makes for an authentic Japanese bathing experience alongside the deliciously served breakfasts from the staff who appear at the given time. ||The upstairs bedroom is sumptuous and has futon style bedding but raised up somewhat which makes for a more comfortable night for westerners used to that height. Just about every possible amenity one could imagine wanting has been catered for, and we could easily have stayed more than our two nights with great pleasure. However, Kacunodate is probably ‘done’ in about 2 days, so long enough. We cannot recommend this accommodation highly enough!

Amazing experience from check in to check out. Driven to our accommodations and shown around by a very kind and funny team member. Large space that was very clean and comfortable. Fun place to stay and very on theme for the village. Breakfast was good and worth adding on if for the experience alone. Highly recommend

What an astonishing place! If you're looking for a more authentic experience, this is a great choice. Although it is very Japanese in character it also has concessions to older western visitors. Although the dining table is at a level to suit people who sit on the floor chairs they have, the table also has a recess for those who wish to sit more conventionally. We were lucky that we had the whole place to ourselves. Terrifically atmospheric.|Breakfast is described as a Bento box, but that does not do it justice. It is brought to your rooms in a fabulous ceramic box with 12+ different dishes.|Well worth more than the single night we were able to stay.

With samurai armor being displayed in the entrance, katana sheathed on top of your bed, and bar counter to serve your friends sake - This is definitely my recommended place for anyone looking to time travel to get a feel of traditional Japanese housing. Make sure you bring a couple of your friends as the place is big!