Japanese Inn Yoshimizu

and apparently I never wrote a review, strange : maybe I wanted to keep it secret ? You love it or you are very disappointed ? Other reviewers are describing it as best as possible : impossible to describe. Very Japanese and yet not traditional Japanese at all. No luxury and yet the luxury that is almost impossible to pay for enough : quietness, gentleness, care. No there are no locks on the rooms : trust the staff and your fellow travellers, a scary thing to do ? No lies, no faking, not wanting to show off, simply be. Be yourself. Looking forward to my 7th visit. Arigato daimas.

Kyoto Yoshimizu was the 3rd Ryokan I stayed at whilst on my visit to Japan. It stood out from the others in that it's sited in a fairly rural spot at the base of a large forested hill, this hit home when the host mentioned I might get to see some of the local wildlife out of the window (monkeys & wildboars if the signs dotted around are correct). Whilst being out of the way it's easy enough to get to, and I didn't find it onerous to return after a day seeing the sites (although some might if walking is a struggle for whatever reason). The facility itself was really very pleasant, the (single?) room was a good size and light+airy in the day, fed light by large French-type windows that look out onto a sort of wooded clearing (felt very private also - I believe it was inaccessible to walkers). The Host Suga-San was really accommodating, friendly and attentive plus his breakfasts were great. I opted for breakfast which was well worth it, usually a warming miso, bread, fruit, scrambled eggs - whatever was fresh that day. It always really set me up for a days exploring. If you're staying at Ryokan and you're not that confident with Japanese food I'd recommend always opting for breakfast at the Ryokan as you get to sample various Japanese-style foods in a sort of 'safe' environment and you get to have a fulfilling meal to start you off on the right foot. The facilities themselves were very good: Japanese-style baths were lovely, everything very clean, very ordered. If you like walking location of the place won't be an issue, you can walk to several really interesting temples/Shrines (big temple just next door with a huge bell I only realised was there when I was leaving!), the old Geisha district and bus stops to take you further afield around Kyoto. If you don't like to walk may not be the best location for you, but the mere fact of it being slightly remote means you get a little more sense of peace & nature than perhaps you would further into the urban areas. I'd definitely stay again if/when I return to Kyoto. Thank you to Suga-San and all the staff for making my short stay so pleasant. Top tip would be to walk up the trail to the rear/side of the Ryokan all the way up the hill to the very top, there's a wonderful look-out platform with fantastic views over Kyoto.