"Pros: Traditional Japanese Breakfast was different. It was a good experience. The food's presentation is always beautiful, even if you don't always know what you're eating. The staff is always very polite and they attempt to be helpful, notwithstanding the language barrier. The outside women's Onsen was lovely. It was surrounded by lush forest and if you sat on a rock, you could see the water that streamed down from the mountains into the valley below. Just sitting in the hot bath, you could hear the water rushing from the mountain. It was very nice. Though, I don't think the Japanese were used to seeing a Brown skinned American in the bath. Each time I entered, they suddenly left. Oh well! Just wished the hours and genders would have been in English as well as Japanese. That would have prevented a most unfortunate and embarrassing incident of wandering into the wrong one. Cons: Given the age of the facilities, the remoteness of the location and that we slept on futons, the price was not reasonable. 78,760 Yen (about 595 USD at current exchange rate). Only one person spoke English, and even his was far from fluent. Thank goodness for Google Translate. We did not receive the room with the Western style beds we thought we we're going to receive (like the one pictured online). Instead, we slept on futons, which is fine for one night. Not so good for two nights. But, we were able to stack about 3 or 4 additional mats so it was a bit more comfy the next night. Also, the Ryokan is well kept, but it's old. The carpets were old and worn and possibly, not clean. The rooms were clearly dated. The Ryokan is about an hour from Nikko proper and all attractions. Not sure that was clear on the website. Not their fault. I should have paid more attention when booking, but if you want to be closer to Nikko, this is not the place to stay." ~World