Originally Posted by
spheres_pnw
Hi KI-NRT, thank you for all the great info in this thread! I registered a flyertalk account just to post here.
I was wondering if you have any suggestions or insights regarding Shoraiso vs. Yamagata the Takinami for a mid-December trip.
RE: Yamagata the Takinami, it looks like you didn't have super high expectations initially, but then you ended up really enjoying it. I see a few 1F rooms still available and the price is the same as the 2F rooms at Shoraiso. We'll be coming from Kyoto, so the trip here would be a bit longer and more expensive, and maybe not as nice as going through Kiso valley to Shoraiso.
RE: Shoraiso, you suggested it as a Nagano area option, but I didn't see a writeup - have you stayed there, and if so, how did you like it? It just re-opened in 2024 so it has fewer reviews than Takinami, although they all seem very effusive. Almost all the Google reviews have a 'Response from Owner' which makes me wonder how much of them are totally unprompted vs. carefully stage managed - which is understandable for a new business, but makes them harder to judge.
If you have any other recs within 2.5-3 hours of HND, we'd be grateful for those as well. We're looking for a high-end, traditional-leaning ryokan renowned for its food and onsen, ideally with private rotenburo. Thanks again.
We have not stayed at Shoraiso, and as you mentioned, it reopened in March 2024 after completely burning down in 2021. There are not many reviews on Google or TripAdvisor, but there are tons in Japanese travel sites, and they're overwhelmingly positive.
Between the two ryokans, it depends on what you're after. Takinami has more things to experience, and the food is phenomenal. It appears that Shoraiso, by contrast, is more quiet and caters to adults that want peace and tranquility, which isn't surprising when you consider Shoraiso only has 5 guest rooms. Onsen wise, I'd give the nod to Shoraiso - the in-room onsens are larger, and you can cross the street and try out the communal baths at sister property Yorozuya - some of them look phenomenal.
Also, Shoraiso guests can either have meals in koshitsu (private rooms) or in their own rooms (in higher category accommodations only). Room wise, we've only stayed at KURA01 at Takinami, which was great, but looking at the photos of the nicer rooms at Shoraiso, it probably is better laid out, offers a private garden outside each room, and - as I mentioned - the onsens outside the rooms are larger.
It will be hard to top the cuisine at Takinami, however, which is firmly in my top 10 (possibly top 5) among all ryokans that I've experienced.