Wanosato
A · 8.3 / 10anchor a leg
An eight-room farmhouse ryokan on an idyllic river in the forest outside Takayama, with cooking that fans and detractors alike call superb; KI-NRT found the dining far superior to the equally renowned Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan in town. His 2020 stay surpassed his high expectations, but a 2023 guest found the Garyu villa mouldy and the staff too few and will not return, and a 2024 guest did not enjoy the stay either, so the whole falls short of what the parts alone would suggest. You stay for the setting and the food and should not expect polished upkeep.
Scores
Food 4.5 / 5
Food is the one thing every guest agrees on. KI-NRT called it exquisite and up there with the best of Japan's luxury ryokans: Takayama's forte is vegetables, Hida beef and river fish, and the kitchen is creative with them, from a Hida beef sukiyaki with a broth unlike any he had tasted to a tofu with foie gras he called phenomenal. Even Koen dc, the 2023 guest who will not return, put the meals among the best of a Michelin-heavy trip.
Bath 4.5 / 5
The hot-spring water is only in the communal baths (men's and women's) in the thatched main house; the in-room tubs are plain hot water and there is no open-air bath in the rooms. With only eight rooms the communal bath is rarely occupied, and KI-NRT went twice and never shared it with another soul. He does not think the lack of in-room onsen is a big deal, though it is not ideal.
Service 3.5 / 5
On KI-NRT's 2020 stay service was discreet, and everyone was professional and charming but rather reserved (except Momoka, the second night's dinner server, a big ball of charm, energy and sweetness); nothing went unattended and there were no major flaws, though he was not expecting big-hotel service from eight rooms. Koen dc in August 2023 found the staff welcoming, friendly and hardworking but too few, so the service he expected was not there.
Room 3.5 / 5
The Garyu villa, one of four detached villas among the eight rooms, is 110m² on the riverbank, with two sitting rooms, a bedroom, a big living area with an open irori hearth, old beams and a bathroom with shower and wooden tub, and you hear the river from the room; KI-NRT found it well-appointed. Koen dc stayed in the same villa in 2023 and found it mouldy and dusty on entering, with housekeeping too thin to keep up houses this large.
Place 5 / 5
Wanosato is eight rooms, four of them detached villas, beside an idyllic river in a gorgeous forest about 25 minutes by car from Takayama, around a gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouse whose lounge has an open irori hearth, exposed beams and antiques on the walls. It feels a world away from town, and even Michaeljinnyc, who did not enjoy his 2024 stay, posted his photos because the scenery deserved it. Koen dc found the grounds poorly kept in 2023.
Getting there
- Kanazawa — 2h25, 0 transfers. Reverse of: Nohi/Hokutetsu highway bus Takayama Nohi Bus Center→Kanazawa Stn west exit via Shirakawa-gō (~2h15, direct, reserve — the bus centre is at Takayama Stn, a 7-min walk from the inn). No rail link exists; the bus is the fast way.
- Tokyo — 4h55, 1 transfer. Reverse of: JR Ltd Exp 'Hida' Takayama→Nagoya (~2h30), change ~15 min to a Tōkaidō 'Nozomi'→Tokyo (~1h42) + hotel/station ends. (Via Toyama is nominally quicker — 'Hida' ~1h30 + Hokuriku Shinkansen ~2h06 — but only ~4 Toyama through-trains run per day.)
- Kyoto — 3h50, 1 transfer. Reverse of: JR Ltd Exp 'Hida' Takayama→Nagoya (~2h30; 10/day — hourly only ~11:30–16:30, with 2h gaps outside), ~15-min transfer to a Tōkaidō Shinkansen 'Nozomi'→Kyoto (34 min). Alt with NO change: Hida 36 departs Takayama 15:33 direct to Kyoto, arr 19:17. ⚠ The Takayama line is snow-exposed — JR Central posts 大雪 advisories most Januaries; keep same-day slack. (All-reserved Dec 25–Jan 5; mixed seating otherwise.) Equal-time alternative that dodges that exposure: the Nohi highway bus Takayama→Nagoya + the same Nozomi — Maps returns this chain, not the Hida, as its three fastest (3h25–3h33 station-to-station), so take whichever the weather favours.
- Osaka — 3h55, 2 transfers. Reverse of: JR Ltd Exp 'Hida' Takayama→Nagoya (~2h25; 10/day, hourly only ~11:30–16:30, 2h gaps outside), ~20-min cross-platform transfer to a Tōkaidō Shinkansen 'Nozomi' Nagoya→Shin-Osaka (~50 min, frequent), then the Midōsuji subway Shin-Osaka→Umeda/Namba (~5–10 min) + the walk to the hotel. Two changes, at Nagoya and Shin-Osaka. ⚠ the Takayama Line is snow-exposed — JR Central posts 大雪 advisories most Januaries, and Dec 25–Jan 5 is all-reserved; keep same-day slack. Equal-time alternative that dodges the exposure: the Nohi highway bus Takayama→Nagoya + the same Nozomi. Sources: japan-guide Takayama access; JR Central Tōkaidō/Takayama Line timetables.
- Nagoya — 2h45, 0 transfers. Reverse of: JR Ltd Exp 'Hida' Takayama→Nagoya, ~2h25 direct, 10 a day (hourly only ~11:30–16:30, 2h gaps outside), ¥5,610 unreserved / ¥6,140 reserved, + the 7-min walk from the inn/old town. ⚠ Snow-exposed — JR Central posts 大雪 advisories most Januaries, all-reserved Dec 25–Jan 5. Equal-time alternative when the line is under an advisory: the Nohi highway bus Takayama Nōhi BC→Meitetsu BC Nagoya, ~2h45, reserved.
Sources
FlyerTalk review #1 · FlyerTalk review by Koen dc #159 · FlyerTalk review by Michaeljinnyc #320 · FlyerTalk review by peakshaving #411 · TripAdvisor 5★ (September 2020) · #52 · #778 (thread mentions)