Overall amazing experience, level of service and dedication from the staff was amazing and the amenities offered were better than I had expected My room was pretty much like an appartement with high quality showers and toilets

A couple of things did frustrate me a bit , one was I was traveling solo and at dinner i felt that sometimes the staff focused a bit more on larger groups and didn’t clean my table as fast My room was amazing but the outside bath is open early in the morning until later in the evening which means that I would still hear the cable car while trying to sleep and hearing it when I was still in bed in the morning They should probably try to do something about sound proof with the walls and windows

As expected from a traditional ryokan. The service is impeccable. We are coming from Takamatsu and Oboke is right on the path to toward Hotel Kazurabashi. Allowing us to check out Oboke Gorge along the way and reach there just on time for check in. Upon reaching, the staff immediately help to remove the luggage and park our car. Check in is quick and we able to ready to enjoy the onsen Stayed in a standard japanese style room. Booked the private onsen upon check in. Even though this was my forth visit to Japan and after countless onsen i had went to quite a unique experience having to reach the onsen via cable car. The 45min time allocated is short but still it was enjoyable. View was great and onsen felt even better as the weather is cold. Dinner was well prepared and the staff explain each and every dishes so that we can enjoy it to the fullest. Variety of seasonal dishes was served. I'm particularly like those citrus favour dishes like sudachi agar, yuzu-orange miso paste. Also we have hotpot, grilled eal, noodle and even amago don. It was truly satisfying. The hotel owner gave us a perform during the dinner. Her voices is so comfortable, beautiful and memerizing. It felt like you can listen to her all day long. You definely have to come and stay and listen by yourself~~ XD Then we quickly head back to room to get change for the bus tour to Kazurabashi bridge. Probably the fastest 5min cloth change in my left as the tour start on 8pm. Luckily we still manage to get on the bus. On the next day, the breakfast is serve on 7am. Since it was a cold day and raining, yuzu citrus to stimulate the appetite and chicken hotpot is great way to start the morning. Normally i am only meat eater but ended up ate all the vegetable and the mikan pudding was a perfect ending. Yes, we could understand and speak little japanese but the staff tried their best to also speak in our language which makes this even more heartwarming. Definitely will be back again.

Yes, the only this we hate is that we had to leave. TnT

Beautiful hotel hidden between the mountains in the valley. The japanese rooms were big and comfortable, loved having access to very fresh water all the time. The staff were really attentive, friendly, helpful and kind. The hotel also offers a free night tour to the vine bridge, which I highly recommend. The outdoor onsen is breathtaking, you reach it by using a cable car(or climbing it yourself). Very well maintained and beautiful setup, and you can literally sit for hours looking at its beautiful real nature background. Outside of the onsen, there is a very old rest area with tea and water, and a sunken hearth (irori). The smell of its burning wood creates a very pleasant aroma. Highly recommend sitting on the tatami in the room while the sun shines through the windows so you experience shades of red you have never seen before. Dinner and breakfast use local ingredients, and everything you try is explained in great detail. Also, you get to hear the beautiful singing voice of the owner of the hotel while she sings you a traditional japanese song during the dinner time. Because the hotel is located in a remote valley and unless you have a car, it will be hard to get around. The buses pass scarcely and they are small and can be crowded. If you try to walk, you will always be walking on the road. You can rent assisted bicycles in the hotel, which makes it easier to get around. Oh, and you will probably see wild monkeys crossing the roads if you venture around.

tldr: perfect stay, we'd stay there again! Nice staff, good food, amazing Onsen, good value for money. Long version: Well kept, well maintained and clean hotel. We stayed in a tatami-style room, which was very roomy for 2 people. Our room on 3rd floor was facing the road, with a nice view of the mountains. Despite being located next to a road, it's no problem as there is little traffic during the day and almost none at night. There is an outdoor Onsen with a view of either the mountains during the day or the stars at night. It is so relaxing to enjoy the stars in the onsen after a day of hiking! For people arriving by car, there's plenty of parking spaces right in front of the Hotel. For people arriving by bus, the bus stop is right in front of the Hotel. Very convenient. The staff is amazing! They really, really made us feel welcome and put in a lot of effort to make our stay great. Big "Thank You" to the staff!! The food (breakfast and dinner) was great as well. It's a variety of local and general Japanese food, served on traditional low tables (that allow western type of sitting with a hole in the floor below the table). The Hotel is a bit more expensive than what we usually book and we were hesitant when we booked it, but after staying we think everything considered (food, onsen, staff) it's good value for money and we'd stay there again. Iya Valley: We stayed for 3 nights, which means two full days. We didn't have a car so we relied on the public bus, which means there's basically one bus to Mount Tsuragi in the morning and one bus back in the afternoon. We went hiking on Mount Tsuragi & sight-seeing in Ochiai village on one day, to Nogoro (Scarecrow) village & double vine bridges the other day. By car, it can be done on a single day, by bus you need 2 days due to the timetable. Arrival & departure day can be used for the vine bridge close to the Hotel, visiting Oboke and the temple in Kotohira.

The open-air spa is situated atop a hill at the hotel. My sister and I took a small self-manual cable car to reach the spa. It was a fantastic experience that I had never encountered before, even though I have visited many ryokans. The owner of the ryokan was very welcoming and fluent in English. She sang a beautiful local folk song and placed a plaque with our family name in front of the dining room entrance, which made us feel special. My sister and her friends are already planning to come back to the spa in the next six months. I also plan to return when I have the time. There are trains from Tokushima that arrive at Oboke station, where you can take the ryokan's service bus. They even offer to pick you up from the station if you inform them of your arrival time. Alternatively, there is a bus from Tokushima station to Iya, or you can rent a car from JR Tokushima station. There are plenty of fun activities to do in the area all year round. However, I would highly recommend visiting from the end of October to mid-November, as it is the best time to experience the area's beauty. I would like to express my gratitude to Okami-san, the ryokan's owner, for making our stay so special.

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Hotel Kazurabashi has all the elements of a Magical onsen experience at a very high level of quality and authenticity. The suite was so spacious, and with attire supplied to allow for a full traditional onsen experience, the scene is set for complete immersion in the traditional elegance. The restaurant is exceptional and special at both breakfast and dinner with staff putting on a show of excellent local dishes and ingredients. The host’s performance of a traditional song was gentle and perfect for guests. The onsen experience includes so many options but all of them are stunning and reached by the phenomenal and scenic funicular at the hotel. Oh and the nearby vine bridge is amazing.

We had a really unforgettable experience at Hotel Kazurabashi. We booked the room with a private indoor bath and were pleasantly surprised with how spacious and clean the room was. The service at the hotel was excellent as well. The service staff gave us a very detailed brief on meal timings and amenities around the hotel. During breakfast and dinner which were included in the booking, the food and service provided was amazing. The meals covered all the local Iya delights that we would otherwise have needed to travel around the area to discover. The onsen was amazing too, especially the outdoor one. Highly recommend this hotel!

One thing that we found regrettable was the construction site right in front of the hotel. It is directly seen from the hotel room window and affects the view. But not a problem if you're not picky with that

Japanese omotenashi is well embodied in this establishment; the owner of the hotel personally comes to greet guests during dinner with a traditional folk song and also attending to guests table by table and all staff were polite and helpful. Room was comfortable and all the baths were great, particular the outdoor bath available for all guests blasting a great view.

Most Japanese hotels seem to use very flat pillows and this was no exception. Maybe an extra pillow can be provided for guests to stack them up if necessary. Perhaps they may wish to look into the main sink’s water supply (room 410) as the hot water was inconsistent and the water supply was also sputtering a little in the morning, though it didn’t really affect our washing up.

Staff were fabulous. Incredibly helpful. They were very accommodating, organised taxi to meet us at the station, accepted delivery of a parcel and held it until we arrived, organised for us to have a late dinner on arrival. Room was extremely comfortable as were the beds. Couldn't fault the accommodation. Fabulous outside Onsen. Loved the tiny furnicular to take you up to the Onsen.

Nothing. Couldn't fault the service or accommodation.

Great location to escape the city crowds. The private onsen was great for our family to enjoy the experience together rather than in the gender segregated public onsen. The food at dinner was high quality and authentic for the region. Close to some great nature. We went swimming in the river which was welcome after sweltering in the city for days. Facilities were great. Very clean. Attentive staff.

The Japanese food was a step too far for the kids on some dishes.