Yamatoya Besso

Frommer's Review

The ultimate ryokan experience awaits you at this famous ryokan in Dogo Onsen. It's the little things that make it special: the rustle of kimono as you're met by bowing, smiling women in the front courtyard; pillars of salt at the front door in good Shinto fashion; lit shoji lanterns guiding the way through hushed hallways; scrolls of haiku poems, in beautiful calligraphy, decorating all the rooms and changed seven times a year to fit the season. With a history dating back 140 years -- it was rebuilt in 1988 as a refined, luxurious inn -- it offers rooms that preserve the integrity of the past with TVs hidden behind shoji screens and old-fashioned cypress tubs that use water from the hot springs. For a real splurge, there are even four rooms with their own open-air tubs. Lavish kaiseki meals feature seafood of the Seto Inland Sea. The only thing lacking at this superb ryokan is the requisite garden.

Facilities:
Public indoor and outdoor hot-spring baths; in-room massage; same-day laundry/dry-cleaning service

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.