Asan Kotonami

“This property is exceptional”

Wow! What a gorgeous hotel. We were picked up from the train station in Kotohira and driven to this property. From the moment you arrive in the parking lot and walk across the bridge to the entrance of the hotel, you will be awed by the natural beauty. The lobby is gorgeous with an area off the si… Mehr

Wow! What a gorgeous hotel. We were picked up from the train station in Kotohira and driven to this property. From the moment you arrive in the parking lot and walk across the bridge to the entrance of the hotel, you will be awed by the natural beauty. The lobby is gorgeous with an area off the side for guests to read/relax with a fireplace which is also used to roast complementary marshmallows. My husband and I stayed in room 203 for two nights. It was a corner room with the most gorgeous views out of each side window. We had a lovely deck looking at the mountains which in November was stunningly beautiful with Fall colours. This is a Japanese style room so we were sleeping on futons on the floor. An experience to be done at least once. This room had only two legless chairs to sit on which I found uncomfortable so if I were to stay again, I would choose a room with some seating and a western bed if possible. The bathroom was beautiful and well stocked with toiletries and lovely skin care products. This hotel was the most beautiful place we stayed at in Japan and that says a lot because we stayed in many exceptional places. (Hotel 88 Shinsaibashi in Osaka, The Blossom Hotel in Kyoto, Hotel Sanraku in Kanazawa and Kadan Kotanami in Kotohira). The dinner we had in the dining room was something we will remember forever. I believe we had about 11 courses, all served in beautiful pottery. Being an vegetarian I was well aware that the server took great care to use different serving utensils when he was preparing my husband's fish course than my vegetarian meal. That spoke volumes to me about the level of service. The dinner was fantastic as was the breakfast. They are both experiences not to be missed. The highlight of this hotel was the breathtakingly beautiful onsen. It has to be seen to be believed.

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“Relaxing, calming and delicious!”

This Onsen Ryokan was amazing! Nestled in between the narrow mountain passes on Shikoku, the hotel is located right next to a rushing waterfall. The outdoor hot spring baths were very relaxing. The pools have different temperatures and as a person who cannot soak in hot water for very long, I quite… Mehr

This Onsen Ryokan was amazing! Nestled in between the narrow mountain passes on Shikoku, the hotel is located right next to a rushing waterfall. The outdoor hot spring baths were very relaxing. The pools have different temperatures and as a person who cannot soak in hot water for very long, I quite enjoyed their reclining seat pools. The water was more lukewarm and I could soak while watching the scenery. The crowning jewel of the outdoor baths was definitely the pool directly in front of the waterfall. It was an amazing sight, I tried it out twice but was not able to stay in the water for too long due to the high temperature. For the friend in our group who was a bit shy about bathing with other people, there were private outdoor baths he was able to reserve once a day for free (1 hour period for each session). The other couple in our party weee staying in a room that had its own private hot spring bath attached. For our group of 3 people we stayed in one of the mountain huts. This separate building had a nice balcony with a hammock and plenty of space to lounge around. Though it was a bit of an uphill hike from the main building, which became laborious after a full dinner. The dinner was also fantastic! I would recommend this place to anyone! Stay here if you have the chance!

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“Very good Onen hotel in Kagawa”

We loved the onsen here the most out of all ryokans. The building and rooms are very new and impeccably well maintained. We stayed in room type A ourselves and even though it was relatively small, it was extremely cosy, functional and tastefully designed. We particularly loved the outdoor private o… Mehr

We loved the onsen here the most out of all ryokans. The building and rooms are very new and impeccably well maintained. We stayed in room type A ourselves and even though it was relatively small, it was extremely cosy, functional and tastefully designed. We particularly loved the outdoor private onsen in our room. Service was very friendly and attentive. Meals were served in a semi-private room shared with 2 other tables. The food was decent but nothing to write home about. It definitely isn’t the most luxurious experience but we enjoyed it thoroughly and would definitely love to return if we visit Kagawa again. Room tips: We were with family friends and booked room type A, type D and type F. Type A is ideal for 2 persons. It’s located to the side so it enjoys a private mountain view and is more private. We didn’t particularly like the view from room type D - there wasn't much to see and everyone in the carpark and front door could look onto the balcony. If you are travelling with kids, room type F is ideal. One night here would suffice.

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“Modern mountain hut in a gorgeous setting”

During our road trip throughout Western Japan, we needed to spend the night after touring Kochi but before heading to Tomonoura (near Fukuyama in Northern Hiroshima Prefecture.) Looking on the map, and after extensive research, we were hopeful that Asan Kotonami would hit all the right buttons as a… Mehr

During our road trip throughout Western Japan, we needed to spend the night after touring Kochi but before heading to Tomonoura (near Fukuyama in Northern Hiroshima Prefecture.) Looking on the map, and after extensive research, we were hopeful that Asan Kotonami would hit all the right buttons as a luxury Onsen (natural hot springs) ryokan with a mountain retreat vibe and good food. All in all, we enjoyed our stay here and wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. It's about a 30 minute drive from Kotohira-gu (aka Konpira-san), which is the nearest major tourist attraction. Since we had our own car, there was not much effort in getting here, but accessibility to Asan Kotonami might be a bit more challenging if one resorted strictly to public transportation. In any case, if you're looking for something that's not a large, city hotel and is relatively luxurious, there are few (if any) other options - in fact, I'd say that Asan Kotonami might turn out to be the de-facto choice in this regard. First off, it's a gorgeous ryokan - it's in a picturesque location nestled in a mountainous area of rural Kagawa Prefecture. It's modern but done with a simplistic yet stylish Japanese aesthetic that will please many people. Unlike many luxury ryokans, however, Asan Kotonami is relatively new - it was built in 2017, meaning it is not worn down in any way. We loved the modern Japanese architecture, furnishings and decor, and the fact that it was in a remote location surrounded by nature. Thumbs up. We stayed in the "Type F" room, which is described as a Japanese-Western room with Open-Air Bath. It's Western in that the bedroom has two beds and a couch. The "living" area is Japanese in that you either sit on the floor, or on an oddly shaped and very low "chair." I guess you can call the living room being more Japanese than Western, but it's definitely Japanese in that it's a tiny room. Overall, it's uncomfortable and unusable, which was a shame, because I often need to work late at night, meaning we prefer a nice living room (for work) and a separate bedroom with sufficient noise insulation. Asan Kotonami didn't have that here, unfortunately. The room only had one sink, which is a drawback for a luxury property that was newly built less than 5 years ago. On the positive side, the open-air outdoor Onsen (natural hot springs) bath on our room terrace was fantastic, and internet was very speedy. In addition to the Onsen our room, Asan Kotonami also had among the nicest communal (gender-segregated) "Daiyokujo" Onsen baths that we've ever experienced. It's almost Disneyland-like in that it's stylish, expansive and has several indoor and outdoor bathing options. It's possible that the property gets an abundance of the hot spring water directly from the source, because they certainly don't make any effort to preserve it. As soon as I stepped out of the changing room and even before going to the bathing area, Onsen was flowing all around me on the floor, with stylish wooden pipes dispensing of Onsen all around. There was a large indoor Onsen bath, as well as three different open-air options just outside. One was a nicely sized "standard" bath that was connected to another bath that was slightly deeper, allowing people to stand while enjoying the Onsen. There was also a "sleeping" bath - it was very shallow and laid out in a way where you can literally law down and enjoy the Onsen while keeping your face dry and allowing you to breathe. It was very effectively arranged, and the Onsen temperature was a bit lower to allow people to spend more time chilling out while laying back. We enjoyed the dinner at Asan Kotonami. It wasn't the best meal we've ever had, but the kitchen staff did a very nice job focusing on local vegetables, fish, meat, rice and noodles, and presenting them beautifully. Taste wise, it was mostly good, with a few courses being "merely okay." We love Ayu (Sweetfish, which is found in very clean waters in the mountainous areas of Japan and a real delicacy), but the salted and grilled Ayu was lukewarm and was a bit dry. We've had much better at other places. On the other hand, the "Olive Wagyu Beef" was delicious. It comes from nearby Shodoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea, and the cows are fed a healthy diet that consists of pressed Olive Pulp. Very strange, and I'm not sure whether that was the reason it was so good, but in any case, the beef was grilled with Hoba Miso on top of a Magnolia leaf and was one of the better Wagyu that we've tried (which is saying a lot.) Service was generally professional and polite, although lacking a bit in sophistication in polish. Part of the reason, I think, has to do with Asan Kotonami being in a remote part of Shikoku. But it might also have to do with the ryokan having a large number of temp staff (many of them from overseas), which does impact the quality of the Omotenashi aspect. The owners might want to try a bit more in training its employees in becoming more knowledeable about the ryokan, its history, the surrounding area, as well as the intricate details of each meal serving.... especially for people like us that have an insatiable appetite for wanting to know everything about... well... everything. If I had zero work to do (which is rare), Asan Kotonami would serve as a nice, relaxing rural retreat that allows me to unwind and enjoy all aspects of the ryokan's peace and serenity. If that is not the case, then I would have a difficult time getting comfortably set up for work in the Japanese-style living room, which is a significant drawback for us. If this isn't an issue, then Asan Kotonami will likely please travellers looking for good food, great Onsen and beautiful nature.

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