Guesthouse Izame Ann, Нагаока, Япония

Well worth the effort to travel to experience a lovely ryokan, it's host and the town. I paid for dinner and I'm SO glad I did. It was a highlight of my stay and in deed a highlight of my 5 week trip in Japan. You sit in a sunken seating area and watch the ryokan owner/cook prepare what felt like a large number of individual dishes. The food was absolutely delicious. I was concerned about hearing other guests because, being an older house, the walls are thin - but the night I was there all the guests were respectfully quiet. I had a view over the "river" which may be a mis-nomer - but it is a peaceful stream running through the pretty street. I highly recommend a visit.

Excellent experience with very friendly stuff and authentic Japanese atmosphere. Really enjoyed staying here and great value.