it would be a shame if you visit Japan not to have a ryokan experience so I recommend it as a one off. This one is a good option, though seemed virtually empty, was everyone in the new wing or have western hotels taken all the business?? More people may have enhanced the atmosphere, though as you dine in room you dont see others much anyway..

I presume you know the ryokan drill to be considering one - slippers not shoes, tatami mats, sliding doors, meal served in room etc. Very Japanese, lovely woman serving, we got by with her bit of english, my few japanese phrases and lots of gestures.

Lovely views over the lake, though early sunday morning motor boats werent very tranquil!

Nice onsen bath, but unless you read japanese you must remember the red cloth means female and the blue male, as there was no english sign and they rotate daily so we had to guess which to enter. We were mainly alone but relieved when another man entered and we knew we had made the right choice! Lovely to use the bath first thing in the morning too, and as they rotate you get to try both. One is bigger and better then the other.

Japanese meal is extremely pretty and goes on and on, served in your room, though there isnt alot of flavour to most of the traditional japanese high cuisine for western palates , and you wont always know what you are eating but thats part of the fun too.

Bed laid out for you on the floor after dinner was fine though return to western bed next day was better!

overall, great fun to do once as part of a japanese trip.