The outside of this multi-storey buildings is unprepossessing but once inside the guest is transported into a Japan of the past. Kimono clad reception staff - friendly, efficient and a number with excellent English language skills - crafted wood interiors, tatami mat flooring - barefoot or socks only allowed once past the lobby - and a number of onsen options (public and private), this is a great place to experience Japanese life as one might imagine it in the past. Our room was quite small as is the Japanese way, and those travelling with large or many bags will struggle to accommodate them in the room. The bed was futon-style on the floor, quite comfortable but without bedside tables. There was also a very small two-seater couch with coffee table facing a TV. There were no English language channels. The bathroom too was adequate with a sink outside the bathroom providing more flexibility. The hotel also provides free fixed Internet (but no wi-fi), free washing and modestly priced drying, and the free open air onsen is a great experience. We had a D, B & B package and were treated to two traditional dinners - shabu shabu and hida beef and roasted vegetables, both cooked at the table, supported by a buffet of Japanese delicacies, not all too this westerner's tastes. Breakfast too was predominantly a large array of Japanese foods but there were sufficient, albeit modest, western options, including fruit, fruit salad, croissants, yoghurt, cereals and scrambled eggs. The hotel is well located near the station and not far from the centre of town and the old town, a feature of Takayama.