Ashita no Mori

A charming family-run guest house with the warmest hospitality we found in Japan - it's the only place where the family waved us off as we left. Perfectly placed for the Kumano Kodo: we walked the final stretch into Hongu Taisha straight from here, and the Oyunohara torii gate is minutes away. After a day on the trail, the outdoor onsen is exactly what your legs need - sitting outside in the evening surrounded by forest was a highlight of the trip. The breakfasts and dinners are immense in size and taste. So much preferable to a faceless hotel. It was lovely for us and our 11 year old boys to play Uno with the owners young daughter and for the boys to light sparklers with her. So nice, friendly and family oriented.

Yes a little dated and shared bathrooms facilities but we knew that when we booked.

Beautiful property steps from the river

Absolutely everything. The family are the most wonderful hosts. They are truly what Japan is about.

A great little pension accommodation right on the river. You can dig your own hot spring bath here outside, or use the facilities indoors too (private onsen bath, great for couples). It was pretty easy to get here by bus after walking the Kumano Kodo, and was a nice relaxing place to recover from our journey. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The food was good but I encourage you to look up the difference between "pension", "Ryokan" and "hotel/inn" accommodation styles. This is pension and provides a mix of Japanese and western, mostly comfort food. It was tasty and filling, but don't go expecting a full kaiseki-style experience.

Some of the facilities could do with a bit of maintenance, like one shower wasn't working and the washer was almost inoperable. Overall it was well maintained though. The beds were quite firm as well.