Nagataki

This was one of our favorite stays in Japan! It was such a unique experience and one we'll never forget. You stay in your own private "house" on the property with access to their Onsen. The property is so carefully curated--the garden grounds alone are worth the visit. The service was perfect--they were warm, attentive, and went above and beyond. The food was exceptional. We had a few traditional meals before our stay here, and this one definitely felt the most special. (At one point during the meal, I asked about a chestnut that was served because I was curious about how it was cooked. It was a small accent on the plate, not a main part of the course, and when I asked about it, I learned that it took 4 days to prepare!) The house was clean and well-kept, but it is a special historical property. In a way, it felt a little like "glamping" but I only say that to try and mentally prepare guests for a "non-typical" hotel experience. It is definitely a top-notch stay! The area is so special as well. We felt it was the perfect balance to some of our city experiences. We only had a full day in the area (which was worth it) but we also could have spent two. If you can, I highly recommend the hike/walk from Magome to Tsumago. It was much more stunning than the brochures could describe and stays beautiful the entire way. It's not difficult, just long!

We stayed here for one night. It’s lovely place. The staff is very friendly and speak good English. There are a couple of old Japanese homes and an old outside onsen with a beautiful view. Our home was very cozy. We had dinner snd breakfast inside our own home. They bring you all the different courses of an extensive Kaiseki dinner. We had a vegetarian option and it was all do delicious. They can bring you to the Magome - Tsumago trail and we did a lovely trail to the castle ruins. We had a great stay. Highly recommended!!

This traditional Japanese ryokan was simply amazing! We were picked up from the train station and brought to a beautiful garden where small thatched or tiled cottages, some 200 years old, nestled in the greenery. The cottage had everything we needed including modern bathroom, and a dining room and sitting room where our futons were laid out at night. Our 11 course exquisite meal was brought to us, course by course, and each was a delight. We slept so well after our long day hiking. We would completely and utterly recommend this place to stay- make a special trip to Nakatsugawa to do so!

Nagataki was perhaps the highlight accom of our whole 2.5 week Japan journey. It cost more than any of our other accommodation but it was worth it as our 2 nights here were so memorable. Our 200 year old traditional house was full of character with a beautiful view and so spacious and with modern bathroom - even had hosted a Japanese Emperor! We read some reviews that said it was cold but with the ample heaters on before we entered every day and hot water bottles delivered each evening for our warm comfy futons, we were so cosy and never cold despite wintery conditions outside. The included food by chef Maseyo was incredible- such skillful traditional sushi and dishes using local unique fruits, vegetables and fish and so ample (7-10 courses each breakfast and dinner!). And he created amazing creative vegetarian alternatives for me while my partner ate the full range and we both loved every dish - and the warm sake! Maseyo speaks excellent english and is descended from a long family line running this historical Ryokan hundreds of years. The woman who brought us most of our meals and helped show us how to wear our yukatas (belted up with a resounding “CHOTO!!”) was so lovely and had a great sense of humour. Such warm and genuine hospitality. We had the onsen set in the beautiful grounds and facing the forest all to ourselves and that was such an unmissable relaxing treat every morning. We could have happily stayed reading and relaxing in our room and soaking in the onsen the whole time, but we also really loved exploring the surrounding area with drop off and pick up to the train station by the accommodation and great suggestions for what to see from Maseyo. Perfect authentic place to begin (or end) walking the Nakasendo trail. We definitely will go back one day!