Akasawa Onsen Ryokan

Due to various circumstances, my husband couldn’t make it, but to mark our 30th wedding anniversary I stayed in a suite with our two sons. We were so excited about the Room and the animals that we lost track of time, ended up going to the Onsen late, and asked to extend dinner time by 30 minutes. It was last-minute, but they kindly agreed. I think most of the staff are not Japanese, but seeing them earnestly explain things in Japanese will stay in my children’s memories for a lifetime. Our pet guinea pig passed away on New Year’s Day this year, and I was still feeling some pet loss, so the cats were incredibly comforting. There were also stink bugs and ladybugs, but insect spray was provided, so I think even those who dislike bugs will be fine. The ladybugs do move around, so we were careful not to step on them. For our family, it was a perfect 100/100!

The cats came up to us and were absolutely adorable. The free-flowing Onsen was also amazing. We were soothed by the kotatsu in our Room as well. There were Southeast Asian-style goods placed here and there, doTERRA products, and the manju and coffee were delicious—there was a gentle warmth throughout the entire Accommodation that made it incredibly relaxing. The lobby feels open with views of the natural scenery outside, and it was so cute seeing the cats sleeping there too. The owner was very kind—everything was wonderful!