Yagyu No Sho

My wife and I just returned from an incredible 1-night stay at this ryokan. We really enjoyed our time, including the room, the dinner, the private outdoor onsen in our room, and the beautiful little onsen town of Shuzenji. The stay is very private - all rooms were booked during our stay, but we never heard nor saw another guest. We woke up early in the morning and went for a walk to the top of the forested hill above the town where there’s a great view of Mount Fuji, then returned in time for the beautiful breakfast in our room. Service was wonderful, with minimal language barrier. We would love to come back again some day. Shuzenji is about 1.5 hours from Tokyo on a combination of Shinkansen to Mishima, then local train to Shuzenji, then it’s a 10-min taxi ride from the station to the ryokan. You can also take the daily Odoriko Express (the regular Odoriko, not the super fancy Saphir Odoriko) straight from Tokyo Station to Shuzenji, but it’s 2 hours and doesn’t give you much flexibility when you travel. On our way to Tokyo, we ended up having the taxi take us all the way from the ryokan to the Shinkansen station in Mishima, which was 8,000 yen and faster and more comfortable than the local train. If doing this again, I may also consider renting a car in Mishima so as to have more freedom to explore the surrounding area around Shuzenji. It may be helpful to know that the ryokan is adjacent to a street that runs through town. We stayed in the Ichiju room, which was one of the largest rooms at the property. I was a little surprised that the view from the front of the room was over the front of the ryokan and the road. The road was not terribly busy and it wasn’t a big deal, but know that all rooms are not looking out over a bucolic garden as the pictures may suggest. Our onsen was on the side of the building and was completely private.

I DON’T recommend this ryokan! It fails to deliver the quality of service that matches its pricing. Firstly, having a few bugs in the room might be tolerable, but finding them emerging continuously from the futon and mattress is unacceptable. Around midnight, bugs resembling termites started appearing from the bedding. We had no choice but to call front desk for assistance. Despite their efforts, the staff couldn't contain the infestation. Instead of offering a room change, they simply replaced the futon and mattress. Having stayed at luxury hotels worldwide, I've never encountered such an issue with bugs in the bed. This is intolerable, and the hotel’s response was inadequate and disappointing. The quality provided does not justify the cost. I have stayed at many onsen ryokans in Hakone and Izu, where the occasional insect might enter through the window, but the bedding has always been clean. Even at less expensive hotels, I've never experienced anything like this. It was extremely unpleasant. We couldn't rest or relax here. Even after the bedding was changed, insects occasionally appeared on the floor, and we spent the night worried they might crawl back into the futon. This is not the standard I expect from a luxury establishment like Yanagi no Sho. I am deeply disappointed. Telling someone that I had to call staff at midnight to deal with bed bugs would make it seem like I was staying at a roadside motel. The next morning, I voiced my complaints to the hotel’s general manager, who offered apologies but no substantial compensation. I recorded videos and took photos of the bugs on the bed. I won’t be returning and will advise my family and friends to avoid this place. Moreover, the onsen’s cleanliness was also a concern. The outdoor bath had leaves and insects floating in it, and the bottom was littered with dead bugs. I even took a photo of a large spider in the indoor rest area. Finally, the dinner was underwhelming and not worth the price. Despite hearing high praises about the food at Yanagi no Sho, the meals at other ryokans in Hakone and Ito, which cost half as much, were far superior. The only satisfactory aspect was the polite and attentive service from the dining staff. They were very courteous and meticulous in their service. The overall ambiance of the hotel was decent. I hope my unpleasant experience was an isolated incident.