Sokotei Gennai

A stand-alone ryotei ryokan at the foot of Mount Shizugatake, for 4 groups a day

Sokotei Gennai is a stand-alone ryotei ryokan tucked away at the foot of Mount Shizugatake in Nagahama, Shiga. It is a small inn that takes only 4 groups a day, and the grounds, where thatched-roof buildings still stand, have a countryside atmosphere in which time seems to have stopped. All guest rooms are Japanese-style tatami rooms, each with a toilet and heating and air conditioning. Besides the main building, there is a detached annex where 3 Japanese-style tatami rooms are arranged around a wooden-floored area with a sunken hearth, laid out so that groups and families can spend private time together.

Meals in private rooms, with Omi beef and charcoal-grilled eel as the specialties

As you would expect from a ryotei ryokan, the food is the signature. Alongside kaiseki courses featuring Omi beef sirloin steak, charcoal-grilled eel, and lake fish from Lake Biwa such as biwamasu trout and koayu sweetfish, there are also plans with an Italian dinner made from Kohoku ingredients. Meals are served in private rooms - either a detached private room or a room with a view of the garden - and most accommodation plans include private-room dining for both breakfast and dinner. For families with young children, being able to relax even when a child gets fussy, without worrying about other guests, is a real reassurance. Children's rates differ from the standard rates, so you need to inquire by phone or email before booking.

Goemon baths reserved family by family

The baths are in a thatched bathhouse down a flight of stone steps, and there are 2 of them: the Goemon barrel bath, with the gentle warmth of wood, and the Goemon Choshu bath, which passes on its heat softly. Each is used privately by one group at a time (1 hour per group, available at any time except the 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. cleaning period). There is no communal bath, and because bathing is by private group reservation, you can take your time in the water with your children without worrying about other guests. Since the baths are reserved this way, you may have to wait your turn at busy times, and guests have reported that in the morning the baths are sometimes run separately for men and women. On the way back, the tatami-floored corridor helps you stay warm after your bath. The water is Komyoseki onsen, drawn through the medicinal stone "komyoseki" as its source, at 42°C; it is an artificial hot spring rather than a natural onsen. Whether children who are not yet out of diapers may bathe is not stated, so please confirm in advance.

Access and practical notes

Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and checkout is at 11 a.m., so you can take your time in the morning. It is about 5 minutes by car from JR Kinomoto Station, and if you come by train, a pickup service in a London taxi is available; please contact the ryokan in advance. By car it is about 5 minutes from the Kinomoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, and there is parking (look for the large soy sauce brewing barrel sign). Pets are not allowed, but several cats live on the property and spend their days at their leisure, so if anyone in your party has a cat allergy, please discuss it in advance.

One thing to keep in mind is the layout of the grounds. The ryokan is built on a mountain slope, and besides the stone steps up to the entrance, there are many stairs inside the buildings and around the grounds. Getting around with a stroller is difficult, and small children will need to be carried up and down. The bathhouse, too, is a separate building down stone steps from the main building. Dishes are only started once the kitchen has seen the guests arrive, so the meal is served at an unhurried pace. Bringing a light snack so your children can wait without getting too hungry is a good idea. The surrounding area is a quiet foothill setting near the Mount Shizugatake trailhead and Lake Yogo; there are no busy tourist facilities, but that is exactly what makes it a place to spend family time in quiet surroundings.