YAMAGATA THE TAKINAMI

Service

4.74

Location

4.52

Room

4.61

Facilities

4.58

Bath

4.81

Breakfast

4.69

Cleanliness

4.70

• ★★★★★Jason Rollins3 August 2026

  Fantastic experience from top to bottom and start to finish. Five giant gold stars for Yamagata The Takinami. This is going to sound like the most pretentious thing ever (you have been warned [laughs]), but I do want to give some context for my review to give it credibility. My wife and I have two hobbies (ok, we have lots of hobbies, but only two are relevant here), Ryokan-ing our way across Japan and enjoying the experience of fine dining. [I promise we work very diligently every other waking moment to afford these things] I cannot recall having a more special ryokan experience than the one we had here. We truly do enjoy an authentic local experience, always make a point to seek out these types of stays, and were actually very pleased to find ourselves the only Americans present for our two day stay. Nevertheless, English proficiency is quite good among some members of the staff, with the general manager having spent time there and the owner's children doing some studies in the USA. My wife is a very particular planner for our vacations and the staff went well above and beyond the call of duty to answer all of her emailed questions before we arrived. I would like to extend a special thanks and an "It was so nice to meet you!" to the concierge, Tomoka-san, who was incredibly helpful in suggesting and coordinating some local activities for us (say "yes" to the cherry farm). On site, the general manager even helped us sort out a very complicated train transfer to our next destination (for which we are much in his debt). I can only vouch for room Kura 1 personally, but it was spectacular. Enjoying the private onsen in your own personal Japanese garden, complete with a perfectly manicured rock lawn was next level. We could not have left the hotel feeling more relaxed and fortunate. [I'd snatch that room up if it's available] As mentioned above [and instantly apologized for] fine dining is our other hobby. To date we've been lucky enough to dine at 19 3-star Michelin restaurants located all over the world (and planning to check off 3 more next month) and I truly believe that Yamagata The Takinami's meal holds up with any of them. You will try and love the soba noodles made earlier that evening by the owner (which you can watch as an optional activity). Dinner is a true chef's table experience where you can watch the masters do their work. I found the food to be creative, interesting, tasty, and unique [the menu will rotate, but the stuffed zucchini flower pictured below was one of the most delicious and fascinating things I've ever had at a restaurant]. Each dish is explained in detail in Japanese and then a staff member translated for us personally. Pacing was good and everyone, including and especially the owner, really took pride in their work. We felt extremely fortunate to be allowed to share in the experience. There's just so much to see in the world and in Japan particularly that we essentially never go back to the same place twice (there's only so much time) but for this place we will make an exception and will be back at our first opportunity. ... and also we're REALLY excited to try out Osteria Sincerita, their nearby sister property. We needed no excuse to come back to the area but are taking this one! [laughs]

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• ★★★★★Eddie-HK Leung14 July 2026

  The build and maintenance of the room, garden, and public area are certainly at the high end of the spectrum. A highlight is their staff including the restaurant team. They were professional, attentive and dedicated. Depending on seasons, there might be tours or expereinces offered to residents.

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• ★★★★☆D-log20 January 2026

  I stayed at a ryokan in Akayu Onsen in Yamagata. When I hear “onsen ryokan,” I usually imagine a quiet place tucked away in the mountains, so I was a bit surprised to find that this one is actually located quite close to the town center. That said, access is convenient, and if you arrange it in advance, they will pick you up from the station, which is very helpful. I stayed in a room on the second floor, which required using the stairs, but both at check-in and check-out the staff kindly carried my luggage for me. I appreciated this thoughtful level of service. The building and rooms were clean overall, and it didn’t feel old or worn, which left a good impression. The room also had a private onsen bath, allowing me to enjoy the hot spring at my own pace without worrying about other guests. There seemed to be quite a few non-Japanese guests staying there, and during my visit, many of them appeared to be from Taiwan. It felt like a ryokan that is well prepared to accommodate international travelers. As for the meals, I was able to enjoy Yamagata beef and other local ingredients, and it was especially nice that they offered Juyondai sake, which is a real treat for sake lovers. Overall, the balance of location, service, and food was very good, and I found this to be a highly satisfying ryokan.

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The ratings and reviews were posted to the services named above. They are not our assessment, and we do not rate hotels ourselves. We show the three most recent reviews from Google Maps; read the rest there.