Ochiairo Murakami

The Ochiaro is a special place. And we will miss it very much. Thank you for your exceptional hospitality, amazing meals( Michelin star). We experienced, hatsuyuki, in Ochairo, a magical place indeed. Special thanks to Vincent and Yuki for being our exceptional and thoughtful guides! We hope they can travel to Seattle, USA and visit us someday

We've stayed at a few ryokan in Hakone, spanning from modern to more traditional and nothing has held a candle to Ochiairo. It's historically significant while being modern, renovated, and comfortable. To start, we booked months in advance (as soon as bookings were available for that date I wanted...I think it was ~7 months out) and stayed in Ukifune and also booked the package to include transportation to and from Shuzenji station. First off, the car ride was timely and luxurious. Upon arrival, we were seated in the gathering area with a drink and small sweet while dinner preferences were collected. I should also mention that there was an expert level English speaker on staff to assist us this entire time. We got a tour of the facilities, recommendations for the public onsen, and then shown to the room. Ukifune is a large room and my favorite part was the sitting area. It's very quiet in the ryokan and the hallways smelled of incense and wood. Ukifune has what's advertised as an open air bath but it is closed on three sides by bamboo shades, connected to the shower. The fridge was well stocked with free drinks and snacks, including water, juices, and a hot water kettle for in room tea and coffee. You can also bring back the free snacks from the common area(s) to your room. The common areas were thoughtful and had a little bit for everyone. Downstairs leading out tot he bridge, sauna, and cold plunge, there was an arcade with two retro game machines and also video game system. The upstairs had a manga library with mostly older series. The larger gathering area was very nice with free snacks, drinks, and alcoholic options. The fire crackling gave it a cozy cabin vibe. While I did not visit the public onsens, from what I could see in the email that Ochiairo sends prior to your check in, they look amazing and the women- and men- only onsens do switch during the day so you can experience both. There is also a mixed gender onsen that can be used with a bathing suit. If you did not bring a bathing suit, you can borrow one from Ochiairo! Also, tattoos are allowed in all public baths, affirmed by the Ochiairo staff! The kaiseki dinner has been the best I've had so far in a ryokan. The portions were appropriate, and I didn't feel tuckered out halfway through, which has happened with other meal service. I can't speak highly enough of the staff, especially a very kind Vietnamese team member that assisted us throughout most of the meal service. Dinner and Japanese breakfast (no Western option) is served in their dining room. Getting to Ochiairo from central Tokyo took a few train transfers but it's worth the journey. The ryokan is unforgettable. It maintains 150+ years of tradition while modernizing in both facilities, furnishings, and service. I hope to be able to come back in the future.

My family and I stayed 3 nights in room Tokonatsu and had a wonderful experience. The entire staff is extremely friendly and they did their very best to meet all our expectations (although their English was quite limited). Our room was well maintained and very quiet, with a nice garden. They have an excellent restaurant and served 3 very different, high quality, traditional meals during our stay. Breakfast and lunch were also included in the package, as well as the laundry, which was amazing. They also have a large and beautiful private onsen which we could book twice at the last minute without any problem. An unforgettable experience in the midst of the beautiful Izu peninsula. You did yo book well in advance though, as they are in high demand!