Kounso Yamanakako

A homey Japanese-style inn, 30 seconds' walk from the shore of Lake Yamanaka

Kounso Yamanakako is a homey inn with 8 rooms, standing 50 m from the lakeshore in Yamanakako Village, Yamanashi Prefecture. The beautiful lake scenery is close at hand from early morning through dusk, and the location works well as a base for activities around Lake Yamanaka such as lakeside walks, birdwatching, tennis, horseback riding and fishing. It is about a 3-minute walk from the Yamanakako-mura Yakuba-mae stop on the Keio / Fujikyu highway bus, which reaches the area from Shinjuku without a transfer, and there is free parking for 7 cars.

Traditional Japanese-style tatami rooms, where the family can sleep side by side on futons

The inn has 7 Japanese-style tatami rooms and 1 Western-style room. The tatami rooms are built in a traditional, purely Japanese style, with 10 tatami mats plus a broad window-side space and a toilet, so the whole family can lay out futons side by side and sleep together. Babies at the crawling stage can spend time on the tatami with peace of mind, and there is no worry about a child falling out of bed. The Western-style room has twin beds plus 2 sofa beds. A refrigerator, microwave, yukata, towels and a hair dryer are provided free of charge.

The hinoki family bath is reserved by time slot for each room

There are 2 bathing areas: a bathroom with a large bathtub, and a hinoki (Japanese cypress) bath that serves as the family bath. They are available from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. as a private-hire bath, with time slots reserved for each room, so families can take their time bathing on their own. Even with small children along, you can enjoy bath time without worrying about other guests.

Dinner: a barbecue or a nearby restaurant

For dinner, guests can eat at a nearby restaurant, or borrow barbecue equipment for a fee of 1,000 yen per person, bringing their own ingredients, seasonings and paper plates. There is a barbecue garden on the grounds, so a summer family trip can include a lakeside barbecue. Indoors, the open-ceiling entrance lobby has a free billiard table and a massage chair, along with a lounge and a game corner, leaving plenty to do on a rainy day or in the evening. Bicycles are also available to borrow for a ride around the lake.

Staying here with children

Rates for a Japanese-style tatami room run from 15,000 yen for 1 guest to 35,000 yen for 5 guests, varying by season and event, and children under 3 co-sleep free of charge without bedding. Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and checkout is at 10 a.m., and the inn will discuss other times with you, the kind of flexibility a family-run place can offer. The curfew is 11 p.m. Rakuten Travel rating: 5.0 out of 5 (5 reviews). Also used as a base for sports training camps and music concerts, it is a simple, warm place to stay at Lake Yamanaka.