It's a little hard to find at first, but all you hear is nature. Domomo barely had a signal, and Softbank was not much better. Next to the river, what a relaxing sound. Best night of sleep in years, if not decades. There are two dogs so if you are allergic, do not go. They are friendly and full of love and might I say, spoiled! My partner is Japanese and he said this experience is authentic. Steve is very personable and welcoming. Note: I believe up to 10 guests can be housed (verify with Steve to be sure).

Stayed in May 2025

The location is essentially inaccessible if you do not have your own vehicle. The owner (the only staff) charges an extra ¥1000 (one way) to go to the local train station, a 10-15 minute drive; buses run less than hourly, and it is a 2 hour walk to get to the same station. It is about a one hour walk to the nearest convenience store. The owner does not know the buses that go by or their schedules. He does not act in a professional manner. I understand that traditional ryokans have sliding wall-screens. However, as a single female traveller, the fact that none of these had a lock was a bit disconcerting. More uncomfortable, though, was that the only shower area was in the middle of the onsen room, which is shared between all the guests. The door to the onsen room itself does not lock. The door to the changing area does not fully close, and neither does the door to the hallway from the guest area. The ryokan itself had apparently been abandoned for a long time (akiya). It is still not in great shape. The front doors cannot fully open (one of them cannot open at all). The top stair up to the only toilet I think must have rotted through and has been replaced with a sheet of plastic that sags dramatically when you step on it. The building smells of mildew. There were visible water stains on the woodwork in my room. All the sliding panels in my room had obvious patches in the screen paper, and several had gaps/holes in the wood. The door to the wardrobe in my room was so badly warped it could no longer close; the extra blankets in the wardrobe had visible damage. I did not see an air-conditioner or any heaters. The property itself is not well kept. It is easy to see piles of detritus if you look out of windows. The garden is overgrown and uncared for. It is "pet-friendly" because the pets of the owner (2 large dogs and 3 cats) roam freely on the grounds at all times.

I was allowed to bring my pet.

Stayed in October 2023

The only major issue I had was transport. I was relying heavily on public transport and some of the information on google map was incorrect. The innkeeper, Steve, did tell me that the city changed the location of the bus stop but out of my own stupidness I forgot and the bus left with out me. The buses come maybe once an hour in the area, so if you're on a tight schedule double check your transportation plans. Steve helped me out a lot to deal with this problem. He first offered to call me a taxi, but the local taxi service wants you to call an hour ahead, which didn't work for me. After this Steve went way above expectation and drove me to my next destination (Akiu Great Falls) and showed me some sites of the local area. And he went even further beyond expectation and drove me to a train station were I could take a train back to Sendai on time to stick with the rest of my itinerary.

Steve (the owner) was exceptionally friendly. Steve accommodated me with both a dinner and breakfast even though I didnt choose the meal option when orginally booking. I still had to pay for the meals, but they were well worth it. The meals were homemade Japanese style meals. I believe he mentioned he could accommodate western pallets. There's also a kitchen provided if you would prefer to cook your own meal. The location is amazing for scenery, if you love nature and Steve is knowledgeable about his property and is able to give you some history about it. The room I was in was a japanese style room with a kotatsu in one section and the sleeping section had a japanese futon mattress. It was early spring when I stayed and it was cold for me outside (iirc it 5°C/41°F), but under the plethora of blankets and comforters that were provided I stayed comfortable. Taking a dip in the onsen really helped me get comfortable before dinner and helped me get a restful sleep. Akiu-Canada innkeeper is friendly, very helpful and kind. The scenery is amazing for nature lovers and there's even more nature to explore relatively close by, if you have the means of transportation. The food was delicious. The on-site onsen is relaxing. And the sleeping arrangements are great. There's more pictures I wanted to share, but I can only submit one per prompt.

Stayed in April 2023

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Stayed in June 2024

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Stayed in November 2023

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Stayed in April 2023

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Stayed in October 2024