Takimotokan Yukinosato
B · 7.3 / 10right inn, right place
An 11-room mountainside onsen ryokan above Yoro Falls, an hour from Nagoya, known for in-room open-air baths and its Hida beef chateaubriand, and it caters mainly to a domestic crowd and bans children under 13. KI-NRT and one member had great stays, but a second member found everything mediocre and vastly preferred Shogetsu in Gero, so opinion splits between love it and shrug. It is awkward without a car, and the shuttle from tiny Yoro station is near-mandatory.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
The kaiseki dinner comes with an optional A5 Hida beef chateaubriand at extra charge, and KI-NRT found the dinner wonderful and the succulent, perfectly marbled steak well worth the additional cost; buggy51 agreed that the dinner was excellent, especially that chateaubriand, which he called fantastic. A member who stayed two nights in 2024 found the food mediocre to disappointing, along with everything else.
Bath 4 / 5
The two suites, Kazahana and Kangetsu, have open-air onsen baths with great views, Kazahana's in its own yard and Kangetsu's on a balcony a floor up, and even a standard 20 m² room comes with a little outdoor bath. The public onsen is quite nice, and with only 11 rooms buggy51 had it to himself for the time he was there. The member who found the inn disappointing was unimpressed by the onsen as well.
Service 2.5 / 5
Nobody in the thread has written warmly about the staff. A shuttle picked buggy51 up at Yoro station, but the couple who stayed two nights in 2024 called the service mediocre to disappointing, and the website lists a phone number and no email.
Room 3.5 / 5
Rooms are Japanese-style with tatami, and the two suites are Kazahana and Kangetsu; KI-NRT says Kazahana is the choice, because it has its own yard and a more serene setting, whereas Kangetsu is on a higher floor. buggy51 was happy in a standard 20 m² room with a little outdoor bath, and the couple who stayed two nights in 2024 found the rooms mediocre.
Place 3.5 / 5
Yukinosato is perched halfway up a mountain in Yoro, Gifu, a 3-minute walk from lovely Yoro Falls, with a commanding view of the landscape below, especially from the reception area. buggy51 loved walking the falls area and Yoro Park with its quirky Site of Reversible Destiny, while a couple who stayed in 2024 found the park underwhelming and had to trek half an hour downhill along a highway just to get lunch.
Getting there
- Nagoya — ~1h20, 1 transfer (estimated). JR/Yoro Railway to Yoro ~1h, then ~15 min by car.
- Ogaki — ~0h35, 1 transfer (estimated). Yoro Railway Ogaki->Yoro ~25 min, then ~15 min by car.
Sources
FlyerTalk review #1 · FlyerTalk review by buggy51 #294 · FlyerTalk review by Michaeljinnyc #325 · TripAdvisor 5★ (March 2021) · Ikyu 4.33 / 5 · #442 (thread mentions)