Kishigon is a lovely traditional ryokan with an unbeatable location right next to the historic stone steps, making it incredibly easy to explore the local shops and eateries. The onsen facilities felt a bit aged, but in my opinion, that only added to the authentic, nostalgic charm of the stay. A major highlight was the dinner—an impressive spread featuring fresh fish, high-quality meat, and seasonal vegetables. While the breakfast buffet was tasty and offered a good variety, a bit more daily rotation in the menu would have been the icing on the cake. Overall, a wonderful traditional experience!

My wife and I are regular onsen/spa visitors around the world. We can’t find anything attractive about this place but the location is convenient. This hotel is very old yet not up kept. You will be waken up by neighbor’s toilet flushing at night. The wooden structure is constantly making squeaky noises or otherwise ghosts were walking around. The shower room is definitely a scene from paranormal movies. The smell of the room and robes are unpleasant. We had a tatami room and they don’t bother to make room during the dinner time but instead they left the beds laying around the entire time. It’s terrible…

For the room, we took the western-style twin rooms, and they were spacious (it could have probably fit 4 beds and it would still have space to move around) and had a nice unobstructed view of the mountains. The room also had a shower, though I didn't get to use it since the ryokan had 3 different onsen facilities. My only small complaint was that the pillows could have been better. For the food, we didn't get the dinner course, since there was a restaurant a few steps from the ryokan that was open until 7pm where we had dinner instead. We did get the breakfast, and that was excellent! It was a breakfast buffet-style of both Japanese and Western dishes. There were so many choices and even an omelette station. And it was delicious. For the onsen facilities, I tried all 3. The public indoor bath 2F was nice and hot, but it was too dark and didn't have a view. The public outlook bath on the 6F had a view, but it was a bit small. The private "Hototogisu" bath on the 6F was the best one, and I think it's best to take a bath there in the afternoon right after checking-in and before it gets too dark. There was a time limit of 45mins though, but it was enough. Each bath also had a lot of choices for soaps, lotions, and skin care products.

Had a great stay at Kishigon Ryokan for a couple nights! The hotel staff were extremely kind and accommodating throughout our visit and the Onsen/Ryokan experience was fantastic. Had a chance of visiting both the open air, and communal Onsens as well as both of the premium private Onsens offered (you have to reserve a time slot in advance for these locations). The amenities offered in the bathhouse were more than adequate and the Onsens themselves were warm and inviting. If you have the opportunity, the private Onsens are well worth their price! The hotel breakfast we had each morning was also amazing and offered a wide variety of food options. The only downsides are that there aren't many shops/restaurants open on Tuesday and Thursday in the surrounding town, so be aware of that. Also it's a solid climb up a few hundred stairs each time you go down, so be prepared for a nice workout each time. Overall definitely a recommended experience!

Shower doesn’t work in the room, there is barely any water coming out from the shower head. And no hot water. So had to shower in the public bath. Some weird smell in the room as well.