Toshimaya was beautiful and we really enjoyed our 2 night stay with half board (breakfast and dinner). we booked a room with a private timber onsen bath which was outdoors, under a roof and absolutely amazing. the two basement communal onsen were also beautiful and located right next to a mountain river that made a constant sound as it flowed over a waterfall right in front of the hotel. the across to the hillside was very picturesque despite most of the snow having melted when we were there. absolutely get the half board breakfast and dinner. these were a definite highlight of our trip to Japan. very traditional with some delicacies that I imagine are a bit less common nowadays. the tatami room with big window to the hillside was mesmerising. a beautiful hotel with very friendly staff.

the hotel common areas could do with a fresh lick of paint in areas like the skirtings and some of the walls. some of the dishes in the set dinner were a bit “controversial” for us (soft shell turtle and raw horse sashimi anyone?)

The food was great and so filling that after breakfast we would usually skip lunch because we wouldn't get hungry until dinner. The room was lovely and nice and spacious. The private bath and outdoor shower was a great. We also walked up to the town to explore and the stores had some great souveniers so it was definitely worth wondering around the area as well.

Shima onsen is in a fairly remote location which is part of its benefits as a country escape but it does mean that the travel time is fairly long when visiting to/from Tokyo. There is also limited transport options with a single bus running to and from the train station and no taxis, so you need to be organised to make sure you leave on time.

We booked the room with a private onsen for our honeymoon. We arrived with our rental car and were greeted by the valet whom parked our car. We were then seated to a separate table where a lady (who I assumed is the manager) talked a bit of English and explained the rules (onsens) and times (breakfast and dinner). She then walked us through our room (no elevators btw). The room was a beautiful traditional Japanese Ryokan. It is right next to the flowing river. I wouldn't recommend opening the window though due to the insects. The bathroom is very nice and the shower is outdoors next to the private onsen. The beds on the tatami will be set up for you while you are having dinner. The dinners and breakfasts were delicious and yes very exotic (horse/deer sashimi, boar soup and tiny deep fried crabs). The flavours and portions were abundant. The lovely and friendly lady that served us for dinner explained everything very well and she was a happy personality. Overall, I loved the whole traditional experience and felt very relaxed throughout the stay. Definitely recommend if you are coming here to unwind and eat delicious food.

There was a bit of miscommunication with our luggage. We thought he said he will bring our luggage in our car to our room, but that was not the case. So the hotel driver drove up with us in the hotel car to their parking (like very fast Tokyo drift style haha) and got our luggage. We were fine at the end and he apologized for the confusion. Also, the temp of the onsen water was too hot for use during the day, it was bearable early morning. Maybe it's better during snowy winters.

Great highrise riverside ryokan furnished with good taste of traditional interior. Much better than many ryokans of this type which use cheaper artificial materials. The private onsen was fabulous and met our expectation.

Although the private onsen was the main reason we picked this Ryokan, the public riverside onsens were a little smaller than expected. But at some selected hours they were still very good to enjoy onsen next to river (just need to avoid peak hours going with the crowd)

This was the first traditional stay we did in Japan. I love how they stayed true to their tradition. The location was perfect for nature lovers. It felt like we were in another world. The private onsens were beautiful. We were greeted with smiles and hospitality, and a young lady who spoke english well guided us with what to do. Thank you so much!

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The room with the private bath looking at the river was amazing. We had an exceptional Japanese style accommodation. Breakfast and dinner were satisfying and delicious. The staff was very friendly. We had a great time at this onsen hotel.

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staff is very attentive and do their work perfectly. clean and traditional japanese room and onsen. much variety of food. location is in the nature between mountains, so you get always nice views.

perfect location for a relaxing vacation, but if you ate younger and want to stay more than a few days, than it could be a little boring, because there is not much to do in the close area to the hotel without a car (but with the bus).

Staff were exceptional in the Ryokan, they looked after us from start to finish! We really enjoyed our time in the private onsen being able to relax surrounded by the sound of the river next to the baths and the dinner which followed was amazing!

Incredibly comfortable, the onsen was great, the atmosphere was class rustic Japan, the meals were superb, and the beer was cheap, delicious and readily available

The private onsen had some gaps in areas where you could see some of the other onsens. The pillows were a little uncomfortable

The staff went out of their way to ensure that i had an enjoyable stay. In particular the staff at the dining facility took the time to explain the meals in great detail.

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