Ryokan Wakaba had everything I was looking for in a Ryokan. I stayed at Kurokawa Onsen with the idea of getting a two nights halt during my trip in Japan while enjoying hot spring and I could do that. The staff made me feel very welcomed and are able to speak english which was very convenient. The food was fantastic for Breakfast and Dinner, which local products and they took into account my dietary restrictions that I informed them of via Booking prior to my arrival. Someone was there to pick me up at the bus top to bring me to the hotel and I could leave my bag there while waiting for check in which gave me the opportunity to explore Kurokawa Onsen. And the onsen, they were fantastic. Even during the day it was never busy so I could always enjoy a peaceful soak at any time. The room was huge for one person, but very comfy and everything was so peaceful, I spent really lovely nights. This is a must place to stay at if you're visiting Kurokawa Onsen ! Also, one nice discovery is that they take debit card (visa and mastercard for sure) which was very practical as I did not have much cash with me as usually in Japan I mostly use Suica. This was perfect for me to get myself a little souvenir from the hotel but also enjoy drinks from there without restraining myself due to limited amount of cash. I cannot talk about the alcohol as I don't drink but they seemed to have a large choice, but in terms of soft drinks I really appreciated their freshness. I had a smoothie once and an amazake that were both lovely.

There are many ryokans and hotels to choose from in Kurokawa onsen. We chose Wakaba because the listing looked like the sweet spot between budget and tradition and we were not disappointed. Staff - Wakaba is very much a traditional Ryokan but with weirdly (in a good way) the feel of a youth hostel. It is immediately clear that the staff is young. Even the managerial staff is significantly younger than those you will see in the other ryokans when you go onsen hopping. They bring with them a particular enthusiasm that genuinely elevates the experience. My wife and I have stayed in other traditional ryokans and there is always a vague sense of these places (for better or worse) being of a different era. Not so with Wakaba, Wakaba is alive and kicking and the enthusiasm is contagious. They are all kind and we felt very taken care of. Food - The food was traditional ryokan meal, i.e. refined and lots of it. Hot spring - the rotenburo has a lovely feel and a good temperature. Location - Wakaba is close to the centre of town so it is a great starting point for an onsen hopping day. It's also at the top of a slope so your legs get a bit of a workout (they drive you when you have luggage for a reason).

There are only a few tiny nitpicks which I do implore should not keep you from choosing this place. The staff might be young, the building is a bit tired. Everything is intact and functional but we couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of fixtures and elements could do with a mild "sprucing up". The extractor fan in the men's indoor bath comes to mind.

My stay at Ryokan Wakaba was absolutely exceptional. The staff were so friendly and helpful, even driving me to and from the bus stop when I arrived/when I was leaving the town to save me carrying my bags (even though it’s not that far!!) When I checked in the staff immediately gave me a map which helped me greatly in getting my bearings and being able to locate the visitor centre to get up to date information about the Onsens available for the day of my stay. On checking in, they provided a yukata for me to wear which was incredibly comfortable and fun to walk around the town in. I had told the Ryokan in advance that I was vegetarian and they were happy to accommodate this for me. Rather than preparing me nothing but tofu, I was absolutely stunned by the amazing menu they created for me of things I’d never tried before. Even though I don’t eat meat, I didn’t feel like I had a lesser experience as a result. The breakfast was similarly wonderful. Ryokan Wakaba’s own onsen is lovely – a babbling stream runs just underneath it and you can see out to all of the trees. There’s an indoor and outdoor onsen for men, though even the outdoor onsen is still covered. Everything is very well maintained and spotlessly clean. The Ryokan is situated just at the edge of Kurokawa Onsen town – very easy to access the town and all of the other Onsens available!!

No complaints!

A well-maintained property. We enjoyed a small private bath in our room, and the main onsen was beautiful too. Both dinner and breakfast were excellent—served in a private dining room with multiple courses, and we got to choose the main dish in advance. Our ground-floor room overlooked the trees with a partial view of the river, making for a peaceful sleep with the sound of flowing water. Service was excellent throughout. Overall, a wonderful ryokan experience.

Not much to dislike! If I were to be picky, the property is on a slight slope, which might be a minor inconvenience for some, though you only really climb it once or twice. We also wished there were more pillows, as the ones provided were a bit thin.

They are so nice to pick you up from the bus and also to bring you. Because it is very steep to come to the Ryokan. The place is good for a Ryokan, but I did not really feel the charm and warmth that I expected when I entered the reception. My room at the contrary was very comfortable and everything was there coffee, green tea in the little coffee/tea corner. A comfortable big bed. In my room I felt the warmth because of the sight of my window (green tree leaves filtered the sun) and the spaciousness of the room. But most of all I enjoyed my private onsen. I could comfortably prepare in the spacious dressingroom and I could easily adjust the onsen’s water temperature. I stayed one night because I didn’t feel like onsen hopping. But the village and it’s surroundings are very charming. I also went to walk in the evening and it’s so beautiful. Diner and breakfast was included and served in my room. They serve excellent food. But for one person it is a lot. But the people serving the meal are so nice to explain everything. All the people working in the Ryokan are very nice. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

Incredible stay at Ryokan Wakaba. The location is perfect and makes it super easy to hop between the different onsens in town. Both the male and female onsens at Wakaba were very large and had fantastic views of nature and the river. The meals included (dinner and breakfast) were both very very good and includes a lot of food, so definitely come very hungry (I definitely recommend adding the Horse Sashimi and the Steak to the dinner). The staff was very very nice and helpful. Our stay here was very magical and we are already dreaming of coming back again next year.

Lovely rustic ryokan in kurokawa onsen. We stayed for one night and greatly enjoyed the dinner and breakfast there. The staff is friendly and helpful. We used the onsen once while we were there and it was similar to other ones we tried in the area. We got the onsen pass which allowed us to try out three other onsens in the area but actually would not recommend getting it if you’re also staying only for one night as you can just pay for individual onsen visits. Dinner was at 6 or 6:30pm (you can choose) and breakfast was at 8 or 8:30am. The room was clean and we were provided yukata sets and slippers to roam around.

The stuff was great, I had my dinners in my room and the food was amazing, especially the horse sashimi. I was lucky enough to get the Kiku room with the private bath, and that was such a luxurious experience.

To reach the property you’ll need to walk a bit of a downslope from the bus station, and it wouldn’t be easy to find it if it’s your first time. However, when you check out and need to go to the bus station, they can offer free ride to take you there which is very nice.

I really appreciated that the staff came to pick me up from the bus stop. It made the start of the journey really enjoyable. They were also able to provide recommendations on where things were and how to move around. Checking in was extremely smooth and I was able to book the private bath. That was definitely a highlight for the stay. The private bath was comfortable and it was great to be able to relax by myself. The dinner was fantastic! I was served by Hiroyi-san in my room. She took great care to explain each dish to me and to have conversations in between. I really appreciated that service! The onsen was also very inviting and a beautiful place to relax and enjoy nature! I was so glad that I got the chance to soak in it. Chef Imamura made absolutely delicious and nourishing meals for dinner and breakfast! It was great to be pampered in that manner.

It was really nice to stay at this beautiful Ryokan Onsen for 2 nights. Service was superb and staff very friendly, always with smile on their faces! Food was excellent, really local, Kaiseki cuisine, breakfast and dinner, for us westerns sometimes challenging to eat (raw fish for breakfast heh), but delicious. :) Our room was traditional with futon beds, spacious and beautifully designed, with view of the green, river and village... we enjoyed our tea by the window and slept great. Onsens are nice too, we especially liked the outdoor pool and option for private bath. We paid a bit extra for halfboard and traditional room, we think it was worth it, as special once-in-a-lifetime threat while visiting Japan. Kurokawa Onsen in early spring was a magnificent place to stay... beautiful village, a bit remote, not too many people, good options to eat. :)