Originally Posted by Fc912

We stayed at Shiguchi in November and found it to be an interesting experience. Felt the experience was somewhere between a hotel and ryokan to be honest, but great atmosphere and lovely collection of art in the main house. We were lucky enough to spend some time speaking to Shouya and he showed us around his impressive gallery / workspace underneath one of the guest room buildings which added a lot to the experience. He mentioned he's working on a big project in Kyoto - will be interesting to see when that's complete.

Service was above average. The food was fine but felt a little forced at times. You should ask to dine in one of the private rooms which provide much better atmosphere and privacy. We were assigned to have dinner in the main "dining room" where we were checked in and it felt empty and the set up was strange. Breakfast the next morning was in a semi-private area next to the coffee bar in the back and it felt much better. I can see some groups using Shiguchi as a longer term accommodation during ski season and the rooms all have full kitchens.