Kotobukiya

The woman who runs this Ryokan speaks very little english, but she makes up for it in how sweet she is. We had a great time staying here. The baths are gender separated. The water is very murky and has sediment but don't be alarmed by this! In fact, this area is famed for its opaque onsen waters, apparently brimming with magnesium and calcium. So it is actually a good thing, and very sought after by the japanese! She can make dinner and breakfast for you if requested. You should take her up on this and try her soba noodles. She makes them by hand and they are delicious!! WIFI was provided and was superb quality. Her Ryokan is very conviently located a 5 minute walk from the Bandokoro bus stop, and you can get there in a little over an hour from the Matsumoto Shin-shimashima station by bus. Be advised, the buses only run once per hour. If you would like to visit Kamikochi valley from here using the bus system, it is doable but be advised you have to transfer once. Just let the driver at Bandokoro know you want to go to Kamikochi and he will make sure you get off at the right spot to transfer. Two last notes: Make sure you book a room for the correct amount of people online, as the japanese charge per person, not per room. If you book incorrectly, you will have to pay the difference in person using cash, and there are no atms in the area. So 1) make sure your room is booked with the correct number of people and 2) make sure you bring a lot of extra cash up the mountain with you (and remember bus tickets can be expensive if you need to buy them up there!) Overall, great experience in a relaxing location with a kind host.