Naruko Onsenkyo Kawabata Onsen Echigoya Ryokan

I’ve been on Onsen trips to Shintoro, Nakayamadaira, and Naruko, but I was truly impressed by everything at Echigoya—the hot spring water, the Room, the food, and the hospitality—and had a wonderful one-night stay. It’s first prize.The Room has all the everyday amenities you need, the TV is placed where it’s easy to watch, and it’s so bright that the sunlight feels dazzling. Even the maze-like corridors leading to the bath and dining area have a great atmosphere. Since it’s a Ryokan, I expected smaller portions for dinner and brought cup noodles just in case—but dish after dish kept coming out, so I didn’t need them at all. The Onsen water has less of a sulfur smell than Nakayamadaira or Naruko; it feels soft and warms you through.What moved me most was walking down the corridor to breakfast and catching an incredibly wonderful aroma of miso. You often smell grilled fish or sausages, but it was my first time experiencing such a lovely miso fragrance. Sure enough, it was also my first time having miso soup that delicious.Pardon my bluntness, but my husband and I went home happily saying, “We can’t believe there was such a soothing Ryokan in a place like this!”We will visit again. To all the staff—please take good care of yourselves and keep up the great work. Thank you very much.

I believe my last stay was in June of last year, and no matter how many times I visit, this is a wonderful Ryokan that always helps me relax. The kind hospitality of the proprietress and the young proprietress is the best part, and the Onsen water quality is excellent as well. This time too, to save money on my pension income, I chose a Plan without dinner, but I truly enjoyed the delicious breakfast. This year as well, I plan to save a little from my pension and stay here many times again.