Sakahijiri Gyokushoen (formerly Gyokushoen Arai)

This was my first stay, and it was wonderful!The staff member who prepared our meals and the front desk staff were friendly and kind.The foreign staff member who assisted us also spoke excellent Japanese and had a lovely smile.Overall, it was a great place to stay.

The exterior may feel a bit dated, but as a historic Ryokan, this was expected and did not bother us. Our room was on the 5th floor of Shikitei with an ocean-view semi-open-air bath (Onsen), offering a great location and a pleasant experience. Enjoying the Onsen while sipping beer and watching the sunset was truly delightful. The public bath also showed some age but was not uncomfortable. Having separate hot and warm baths is thoughtful for families with children.Since we stayed over New Year's, the meals featured special New Year’s dishes. The breakfast on New Year’s Day included Osechi-style cuisine and Ozoni soup, which were delicious. The front desk staff and other team members were cheerful and welcoming, making our stay enjoyable. However, the Wi-Fi in our room did not work properly; when we reported it to the front desk, they mentioned that it might be due to high usage by other guests and suggested waiting for improvement—unfortunately, no resolution came from this advice. We couldn’t connect until the morning of our second day, which was inconvenient and slightly impacted our rating of the facility.Overall though, it was a pleasant stay that left us satisfied. Thank you!