Nipponia Hotel Koyasan Pilgrimage Railway Operated by Kirinji - Self Check-in Only

At the time we made this reservation we planned on staying in the Koyasan area overnight. Our plans changed and we were no longer able to. I attempted to cancel through *******. I was unable to. I contacted an agent who was sure he’d be able to help. He also was unable to. Turns out the hotel has a 30 day cancellation requirement - I had absolutely no idea; it was not clear on the listing. My attempt was 25 days ahead. They wouldn’t budge, or even offer a partial refund. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. It was our only negative experience in Japan.

From the outside, it looks like an old, quiet train station. You would never know there were actual rooms in there. But once you are inside. WOW! The furnishings are exquisite. The latest modern plumbing and lights but with enough of the old beams and train paraphernalia to give the place character. And so CLEAN. There weren't even cobwebs anywhere. My toddler son ran behind the curtains and rubbed his hands all over the windowsill and there was not a speck of dust. There is a heater, and air conditioner and the wifi speed was the fastest we've had on the mountain tops. The shower was the perfect temperature, and we had an excellent time soaking in the tub after a long day, with the scent of hinoki coming off the wood panelling in the bathroom. There is a fridge, a microwave, a kettle, you could have a whole cozy meal in there. Yes you can hear the trains come and go, and you can hear people coming past your door on the way to the train, but the station itself is very quiet. I counted no more than 10 passengers passing by in my one day stay here. And they provide ear plugs if necessary, though I personally didn't find the sound of the electric trains passing too noisy. But then again i love trains and my son and I spend a long time sitting by the window watching them pass. We've noted that the first trains start around 5am, and the last trains about 11.30pm. (do remember to close your curtains if you are changing though the train passengers can see right inside if they wanted to.) And yes this place is not right at Koyasan, but the train up to Koyasan -Eki takes only about 30-40 min so its a nice quiet base for a trip up the mountain to see that lovely world heritage site. We would love to come back again and stay 2 nights so that we can take time to explore the area. The station itself, Koyashita is a charming quiet small village. Not much going on, but my family and I had a lovely walk around pass the shrine behind the station to see the river nearby (the sound of the water pass our window was relaxing). The neighbouring station Kudoyama has some lovely resturants/cafes and a wonderful museum. And yes that is where you get your complementary riceball breakfast with tea prepared fresh by the lovely team in that station .