Inawashiro Shikinosato

We were simply blown away by the service and hospitality at this hotel. From the time we checked in, even though they spoke very little English, we felt welcome and well looked after. We would especially like to single out the manager, Kobiyama, who was so helpful in helping us organize our outings, and even driving us to the train station and up into the hills to the Goshiki-numa lakes – and asked for nothing in return! We were humbled by his generosity. The hotel is located a few kms out of the town, so having a car is definitely a good idea, as there really isn’t too much around the immediate area. Just down the hill through a forested pathway is a shrine. And passing through that is a beautiful water race which you can walk along for miles and miles in either direction. The hotel is large, 3 or 4 stories, and set amongst forest and green lawns – quite a nice setting! The upper floor of the hotel even has lake views over Lake Inawashiro. The tennis court hasn’t been used in years and is covered in thick moss - unusable. Likewise, they no longer have bicycles for rent. Our Japanese style room was of average size, bright and airy, clean and well-maintained. We had a balcony with nice views over the grounds and out to the lake in the distance. There was no bath or shower, so we had to use the onsen just down the hallway. The wifi was good and there was a TV as well which we never used. The AC worked well. The breakfasts were nothing special, typical traditional Japanese fare, but we did get some eggs and ham on our second day there. We did get a great dinner, a set meal of local beef steak, fries, and salad, and it was probably one of the better steaks I’ve had. Overall, we had a great stay and loved the great hospitality. We would definitely recommend this hotel to other travelers.