Chiyotaki Kutsurogijuku is an expansive ryokan sitting atop the hill overlooking the beautiful Higashiyama Onsen Town of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture. Originally we were meant to arrive a little earlier to explore this famed samurai town, however due to the heavy snowfall, one of our shinkansen connections was delayed over an hour which resulted in a domino effect upon our connections.

In the end we ended up arriving pretty much as night was falling, and we were so exhausted we just decided to enjoy the ryokan itself! Sometimes you just have to scrap your initial plans when the it’s all thrown into disarray! However that gives me an excuse to visit this pretty area again in the future!

There are a variety of room styles available in Chiyotaki, from western style, to a fusion of Japanese-Western to a more traditional design. Generally I always choose a traditional tatami style room, as you generally end up more space and its normally a tad cheaper than a western-style room. So if you have no back problems and enjoy sleeping on a futon, I would always say choose the Traditional Japanese style room, plus I always love the little sitting area that most of the rooms come with. I also choose a room which had a view overlooking the onsen town below. In the winter, with snow falling in graceful flurries, it really is a magical sight. The room is a rather simple tatami room, with minimal adornments, however it is spacious and has it’s own bathroom and toilet.

THE PUBLIC ONSEN BATHS

The main baths at Chiyotaki are located on the top floor and are meant to offer breathtaking views of the mountains and the town below. Obviously since we arrived so late, we missed those views but were still able to enjoy soaking in the wonderfully hot onsen waters to relax after our slightly stressful travels. Both men and women’s baths have a bigger inside onsen, with a smaller rotemburo style outside where it was delightful having snow flurries fly around you as I soaked.

MEALS

Dinner is served in their main restaurant (it’s extremely rare to have a meal in your room with the larger style ryokans) and was a delicious, filling assortment of local specialty dishes, from Aizu beef, to numerous others which unfortunately I didn’t catch the names, as I was too busy stuffing my face…

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

FOOD

Dinner was delicious, hubby and I were quite pleased with the amount of food, as sometimes we’ve found the larger style ryokans serve smaller meals (for us) then we would like. We were seated in a separate area of the main restaurants (buffet style on the other side) and for me personally, I prefer small intimate dining areas with a ryokan experience. The best is always when your meals are served in your room. Breakfast was a buffet which hubby adored. There was a lot of choice, but again I prefer the more traditional intimate style when we stay in ryokans.

ONSEN

The main onsen baths on the top floor were lovely, and generally I was the only person there. I do wish I could have seen the views during the day time as they are said to be lovely and more time to explore all the other baths properly. A private onsen is available for reservation which is always a good option for those who aren’t comfortable with public bathing.

ROOM AMBIANCE

A simple spacious Japanese tatami room with a sitting room with views of the onsen town below. The winter view was very pretty, and was lovely scenery to start our next day’s adventures. Our room was large, and had a separate bathroom and toilet ensuring you didn’t feel cramped.

VENUE AMBIANCE

The ryokan itself is warm and friendly, especially after being stuck in the cold! We didn’t explore too much, but there is a reading room, and a sake bar specializing in Aizu sake, which we unfortunately didn’t have time to try (you can try some of the sake at the main restaurant as well). Generally I find the larger ryokans too much like a huge hotel, and I prefer more boutique, intimate family-run places. However it is a good base for a couple nights stay to explore the local area.

SURROUNDING AREA

Aizu Wakamatsu is a former samurai town and holds lots of history along with a beautiful castle, and the onsen town we were staying above is meant to be especially charming and quaint. Unfortunately with all the delays in our travels due to the heavy snow, our plans had to be shelved. Nonetheless it gives us an excuse to return to properly explore.

CHIYOTAKI FACTS (at time of stay)

• COST: approx 14,000 - 30000+JPY per person per night

• MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast & Dinner

• CHECK IN/CHECK OUT TIME: 1500 / 1000

• PAYMENT: cash & credit card accepted

• ROOMS: unsure

• ENGLISH SPEAKING STAFF: not so much

• WEBSITE: Chiyotaki

• IG: @kutsurogijuku