"As you would expect from an inn that originated as a bathhouse that was used by the great feudal lord Uesugi family for generations, the large stone baths for both men and women (which are changed in the morning and evening) are wonderful, and there are a total of 11 baths (including saunas). The spring water is a highly acidic sulfurous water, but the smell is not too strong. It was snowing this time, so we were able to enjoy the open-air bath with a view of the snow. The food was Japanese, mainly Yamagata beef, and for breakfast we had grilled fish, and the local potato soup was delicious and plentiful. There is also a reference room for the Uesugi family, and a service where you can freely use helmets, battle coats, swords, and spears for photos to take selfies. There was no problem with the hospitality. This time we stayed in the largest of the two rooms, which was spacious enough for four adults, and we were happy to see that it was equipped with a free full-body massage machine."

"If you are only able to have one luxury experience in life, make it a stay at the Takinami Ryokan, for as many nights as you can. It is easily accessible by train from Tokyo or Sendai, and this provides many opportunities to explore the local area. I can’t give more than five stars for the service, and the staff deserves it. Visiting from outside Japan, we were very glad that all of the staff was happy to interact with us. Even before we arrived, the staff reached out to us to confirm details and to ensure our stay would be spectacular. A shuttle was provided to pick us up at the station, and our shuttle driver was the President’s brother, who told us about the town and history of the area and the ryokan. We instantly felt welcome! We were warmly greeted upon arrival and provided several options for a welcome drink and a snack as we reviewed our check-in details and selected the times for our activities during our stay. We were then given a tour of the facility as we were shown to our rooms. The room was clean and as beautiful as the pictures from the website. We had a private onsen for the room, which was incredibly convenient and enjoyable. There is a public onsen available for guests as well. The beds were very comfortable and the facility has been beautifully renovated while maintaining its historical beauty and charm. Lounge clothes of two different styles (several designs/colors for each) were provided for use throughout our stay. The food was phenomenal, and I ate every bite. I cannot say enough about our dining experiences for dinner and breakfast (both included), so I will just say it was some of the best food I’ve had in my life, and the counter dining experience was beyond amazing. I have been looking for a “chef’s table” type experience and this exceeded my expectations. I did not expect to be provided so many opportunities for experience during our stay, but they provided many. We got to see the soba noodles (very special flour) made for us before we were served them for dinner. We were provided a site seeing tour the following morning (spoken in Japanese) on their beautiful bus, with a stop atop the mountain for some coffee and juice in the clouds. While I don’t speak Japanese (my wife is my translator) the experience was one I will cherish for the rest of my life, and the joy and passion with which the stories were shared makes me wish I did understand Japanese (time was taken to ensure important details were provided in English, and I’d never have expected everything to be repeated for me). President Minami-san took a lot of time throughout our stay to speak with us and the other guests, so we felt very cared for. If you’re looking for an amazing time in Japan, look no further. We will be back on our next trip and for a longer stay, and while we have a lot more time in Japan now, our next visit can’t come soon enough. To everyone at Takinami Ryokan, thank you so much for this magical experience!"

"I suddenly had the day off work so I made a reservation on the same day. The service was polite, the room was clean, and I was able to spend a satisfying and relaxing time."

"This is an affordable hot spring inn. The hot spring is apparently a free-flowing spring, so although the water is quite hot, you can still enjoy a truly authentic hot spring. We stayed at a fairly reasonable price, and both dinner and breakfast were satisfactory in terms of both quality and quantity. The building is a bit old, but thanks to the reasonable price and the warm service of the staff, we didn't mind at all."

"The first time I experienced a traditional Japanese-style hot spring hotel, I felt novel, the hot spring hotel was so big."

"Although it's old, it was carefully cleaned and comfortable. It had the feel of a traditional inn, with rooms that didn't have automatic locks and required guests to leave their keys at the front desk when going out. A kettle, tea set, and cold water were provided in the room. The convenience store closes around 7 p.m., so if you'd like to have a drink, I recommend buying some alcohol and snacks in advance and bringing them to your room, or heading out to a nearby izakaya (it was delicious). I booked a room with a hot spring bath, so I was excited to have hot spring water in the bathroom as well. The hot springs in the large public bath are alternated between men's and women's in the morning and evening, so it was nice to be able to see both. Only one of the open-air baths offers a view of the beautiful garden. The other, while open-air, is covered by a roof and fence, so you can't enjoy the view. Breakfast included four types of all-you-can-eat rice cakes, which were freshly pounded, chewy, and delicious. Overall, I was very satisfied with the price. I'd like to return."

"Thank you for taking your forgotten items. I would like to stay for a slow fishing next time."