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alihuho

ロサンゼルス, カリフォルニア州

523

Very friendly, with room for improvement

Name: Very friendly, with room for improvement
Item: Gassho no Yado Magoemon
Rating: 4
Author: alihuho

Review of Gassho no Yado Magoemon

Reviewed January 17, 2013

I stayed here with my husband and my 5 year old son for 1 night on 1/11. I would have given it 3 stars for the facilities and food. The extra star is for the experience and for the super friendly and helpful hostess. It is supposed to be a real Japanese style experience so I did not expect anything luxurious or fancy, but I did think we were going to enjoy the view outside while enjoying the warmth of the irori fireplace after dinner. The house is located along the beautiful Sou River but they closed all the shoji sliding doors facing the river and hence no view to enjoy. The host (an elderly who did not interact with the guests at all) did lit up the irori to grill the iwana fish and dengaku tofu for our dinner, but he let the fire died down and there was no arrangement for the guests to sit around the fireplace and interact. Food was pretty good but the portion was small. There were 7 guests (including my son) that night and we all gathered in the irori room for dinner. Food was served in silence and it was a bit awkward for 7 strangers to eat together without any conversation. Fruit was brought to us and we all sat there looking at each other waiting for the host/hostess to come out to talk to us or something. Nothing happened. It...I stayed here with my husband and my 5 year old son for 1 night on 1/11. I would have given it 3 stars for the facilities and food. The extra star is for the experience and for the super friendly and helpful hostess.

It is supposed to be a real Japanese style experience so I did not expect anything luxurious or fancy, but I did think we were going to enjoy the view outside while enjoying the warmth of the irori fireplace after dinner. The house is located along the beautiful Sou River but they closed all the shoji sliding doors facing the river and hence no view to enjoy. The host (an elderly who did not interact with the guests at all) did lit up the irori to grill the iwana fish and dengaku tofu for our dinner, but he let the fire died down and there was no arrangement for the guests to sit around the fireplace and interact.

Food was pretty good but the portion was small. There were 7 guests (including my son) that night and we all gathered in the irori room for dinner. Food was served in silence and it was a bit awkward for 7 strangers to eat together without any conversation. Fruit was brought to us and we all sat there looking at each other waiting for the host/hostess to come out to talk to us or something. Nothing happened. It slowly dawned on us that that's it for the night.

It would have been great if we could sit around the irori eating and chatting.More

Date of stay: January 2013

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42 - 47 of 86 reviews

CoolDudes2011

Trinidad

913

Reviewed January 9, 2013

Amazing food, great experience!

A family run place that clearly welcomes its guests with open arms. The farmhouse is alongside the river and at nights, the gushing river can be heard. The communal dining area is quite large with windows on one ending showing the amazing Shirakawa-go scenery. Rooms are typical Japanese rooms with a heater providing extra comfort. Shower/onsen and toilet facilities (separate from room) were spotless and regularly cleaned. Doors can be locked on the baths for additional privacy.

The standout for our stay was the meals! Having had traditional Japanese meals at a modern ryokan and buddhist temple, we thought we knew what to expect. We were wrong – the meals (dinner and breakfast) were amazingly tasty and hearty.

Very little English is spoken but that was not a problem.

Suggest exploring Shirakawa early and late in the day, before and after the day-only tourist coaches which brings in lots of elderly tourists.

Date of stay: October 2012

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Charu K

San Francisco, California

1211

Reviewed January 1, 2013

Great view, Great food

The one rainy summer day we spent in the village was probably the best of the 10 days trip to Japan! Or maybe it was Koya-san.
Talking of Magoemon - Had a lovely stay here. Traditional room with a view and sounds of the river flowing . Food was yummy - community style and rustic/hearty. English isnt spoken - but doesn't matter with the Japanese hospitality!

Date of stay: July 2012

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Yufei W

Melbourne, Australia

Reviewed December 13, 2012

Great hospitality. Excellent dinner included in price.

My friend and I really wanted an authentic experience in a Gassho styled accomodation and this place definitely lived up to our hopes. The room we had was fairly small and cosy. We didn't get the river facing room but were still fairly happy with ours. The tatami matted beds were really comfy. Dinner was served in the main living room with an old fashioned hearth in the middle. The meal was extremely well done. Loved everything that was served. Very limited english was spoken but the old lady we had was extremely nice. I was initially a bit surprised at the steep price for an old farmhouse, but after the stay, I'd say it was definitely worth it.

Date of stay: November 2012

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SoonKuan

Singapore

3652

Reviewed November 11, 2012 via mobile

Great countryside hospitality in a rustic house

No English was spoken but the lady owner and service staff ensured us a very comfortable stay. Meal were served round the fire-place.

The only disadvantage was the toilet was not attached to our room but shared by all the guests.

Food served comprised mountain vegetables and fish.

Date of stay: November 2012

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The_Travelling_Trini

Tokyo

716

Reviewed January 2, 2012

A room with a view!

Shirakawa-go is flooded with elderly tourists during the day, but around 4 pm once they all leave you can really relax and feel the vibe of the village.

Magoemon is a very old farmhouse but they have refurnished the bathrooms and put in an onsen. The main living room is where the meals are served, and the old man grills the fish right there on the hearth.

We were lucky to get a room on the side facing the river. When you open up the shoji (sliding doors) you see the mountains and the clean water. Very beautiful.

Food was amazing too!
Not much English spoken.
Parking available.

Room tip: Try to get a room facing the river side

Date of stay: October 2011

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Very friendly, with room for improvement - Gassho no Yado Magoemon

Very friendly, with room for improvement