This is a lovely ryokan with lots of history. There are private onsens, great after a long walk. Staff are very attentive, right down to drying my wet trainers after being caught in a downpour, without me asking. The food is just amazing, and what was surprising for a ryokan, we had a choice of main dish for dinner. Cannot rate it highly enough. Note that we have been twice, once with, and once without a car. Even without a car this time, and being in such a remote location, the bus service is very handy/convenient for the Shinhotaka ropeway, and Kamikochi, which are both absolutely worth a visit.

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After reading some of the reviews I was a little concerned about staying here but this was a very spacious and beautiful setting with great facilities and a nice balance between Japanese & Western tastes including mattress beds instead of futons and upright dining. The hosts were very pleasant and we had a separate bedroom and living room which was a welcome surprise. The food was lovely with generous portions and side dishes. We tried all the Onsen which we had to ourselves each time. The library and other social areas were a nice addition and there was adequate parking on the opposite side of the road. Lovely pyjama sets and and jackets. Despite the warning, we did not encounter the stink bugs. I was grateful that they let me change my mind re having the full course meal given the additional high costs.

I think correspondence could have been improved - I had requested the room with the onsen included and was told I could book it for an extra fee which I said I was willing to pay but heard no more. The additional costs for Hida Bwef seemed quite high compared to the cost of meals elsewhere but it was very good. The pillows (which seemed to be mini bean bags) were not comfortable whatsoever and I reverted to using the thin cushions on the chairs and doubling them over.

We absolutely loved this ryokan. The property is beautifully maintained, and our room was perfectly clean and comfortable, offering everything we could need. The food was generally excellent, and we especially enjoyed our first breakfast, which was a wonderful Japanese-style experience.

However, we were disappointed with some aspects. The outdoor onsens were not well-kept, with leaves and insects present, which took away from the relaxing experience. Additionally, our second breakfast fell short of expectations — a simple offering eggs, sausage, and ketchup — which was particularly disappointing after the exceptional breakfast the day before.

We loved this place. Stayed for four nights and used it as a base to visit various places in the Japanese Alps e.g. Shirotoko ropeway, Kamikochi and Norikura (driving time 25 minutes or less from each). The ground floor room we had (room 101) was spacious with a living area and separate bedroom and bathroom and overlooked the garden. Dinner was excellent - we tried all the options fish, beef, chicken and pork and you can buy wine, beer, sake etc to have with your meal. There are two public onsens (one for men, one for women) with large indoor bath and great outdoor bath, plus two private ones you can use as a couple etc. The hotel is quiet and the owner and staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. There is a laundry onsite (300 yen to wash, 100 yen to dry) which is very handy for cleaning hiking gear. There is a grocery store and a liquor store in the village 3 km down the valley. Free parking on site.

The choice of mealtimes is limited - when we were there 8 or 8.30 am for breakfast and 6 or 6.30 pm for dinner but this is understandable as it's a small hotel. Should you get a rainy day you can't spend it in the onsen as these are closed from 9 am - 3 pm each day.

We loved our stay in Kazeya. Its location in a beautiful part of Japan was the highlight of our trip. As Westerners, we were not used to sleeping on futons but appreciated the experience, and staying at this ryokan gave us great perspective after luxury hotel accommodation. We loved the food and the attentive service provided as we were offered a wide array of Japanese delights across breakfast and dinner. There was so much pride in presentation and the flavours were exquisite. Kazeya is a very old building that provided a unique ambience and was very clean. Thank you for sharing this lovely place with us.

A beautiful ryokan in the mountains near to Takayama. The staff are super friendly and the rooms and onsens are absolutely beautiful. However the stand out was the food. The Kaiseki dinner was one of the best meals I have ever eaten, and going from an onsen, to dinner, to drinks, and then finally being wrapped up warm in bed in the mountains was just the perfect addition to our stay in Japan.

The property is a bit dated as others said. It’s also very important to note that they do not serve lunch and the nearest restaurants are a 45 minute walk away. We liked this as we saw snow monkeys and eagles on the walk (and you’re not doing much else!) but it’s worth being aware of if like us you do not have a car.

The onsens were lovely. The staff working there were very friendly and nice to us and we loved the dinner and breakfast it was extraordinary! If you’re looking for a real deal ryokan experience with all the trimmings then this is a great option. We stayed in the special room with private onsen and it was such a highlight of our Japan trip.

I would recommend adding thicker futons or doubling up the futons as it can be a bit hard to sleep on. There are a few things which could use minor renovations and this would have a big impact. Like changing some of the old sofa’s etc in the shared area.

All the ryokans in this remote onsen village can be hard to get to depending on weather and travel restrictions. However, Kazeya is absolutely worth the price and the time spent on the road. It has 4 beautiful and relaxing onsens (2 private, 2 public), the rooms were incredibly large, and it is one of the few ryokans in the area that allow solo travelers to book. The one course hida beef dinner (not included in the hotel booking) was my #1 favorite meal during my 26 days in Japan. I still think about this meal often. The staff are also responsive and will provide instructions on how to get to their ryokan. Would definitely stay again!

Room was very clean. Very easy and clear communication with the staff about food request etc. They showed amazing hospitality. The private onsens were always available whenever we wanted to have a dip, as the ryokan did not have a whole lot of visitors. I do recommend ordering dinner with them; though not heaps of choices, they were all delicious with generous portion. Plus there won't be any choices for dinner in the area, especially when you don't drive. 3-5mins walk from the bus stop. 20mins to Shin-hotaka ropeway (must-go!!). 30mins to Hirayu onsen.

Skincare amenities in the room were not provided. Just make sure you bring some with you. It was a very quiet area. When buses / large vehicles drive past, you will definitely hear them. The room was quite dry too, and the humidifier in our room did not seem to help much unfortunately. Still, we enjoyed our stay.

Great traditional Ryokan. Comfortable rooms and we got a free upgrade to a room with a private onsen - although the water was very hot. We also enjoyed visiting the indoor and outdoor private and public onsens too - water more of a comfortable temperature in those. We upgraded our dinner to have the full Hida beef set menu which was delicious and we also had a wonderful traditional breakfast too. Easy to get to via bus, just check the bus schedule for timings.

Some areas are a little old and worn but this didn't detract from the experience for us.