Yoyokaku Ryokan

Comentarios destacados

• geovaughnni

  03 octubre 2018
  Yoyokaku - Superb Presentation and Service

  We had an excellent 9-course meal (I actually lost count) at this wonderfully historic and multi-generational restaurant and hotel. We enjoyed everything from the Tone persimmon wrapped by sliced radish with flower of Tsurumuraski leaf to the Grilled fig, pine nut, and snow pea with arrowroot. All of the senses were engaged, but especially taste, smell and sight. The owner dropped by after the meal and we gave her an enthusiastic review. If I lived nearby, this would be my go to place.

  

• Geoff B

  16 junio 2019
  Only positives!

  We had an all-too brief stop-over in Karatsu and stayed two nights in Ryokan Yoyokaku. It was a lovely experience, and just what we needed: peaceful,comfortable, and with excellent service. This ryokan is on a flat headland to the east of Karatsu centre, and surrounded by (mostly) long-established homes, although it is very quiet. It is a short stroll or bicycle ride to most parts of the town,and just a couple of minutes from the beach. The Karatsu Castle, worth visiting, is quite close, a brief walk across the bridge spanning the broad Matsuura River. The ryokan hosts, Den and Harumi, are warm and welcoming, as are their staff, and speak very good English. They and their staff were most obliging, Den even conversing extensively on mid-century Danish design! A treat for us. Regarding meals, we only had breakfast at the Yoyokaku and this was very enjoyable. Very ritualised with quite a selection of traditional breakfast dishes. The garden, dominated by Japanese black pine, is beautifully maintained and provides a tranquil retreat if you desire some quiet downtime. We loved our short time here and thank Den and Harumi for the experience.

  

• Oliver M

  01 agosto 2019
  Authentic, high-end ryokan

  After a picturesque train ride from Nagasaki, a friendly Yoyokaku staff member welcomed us at Karatsu strain station and drove us to the ryokan in a comfortable van. Upon arrival, we were lead into our ground floor room "Eboshi" (212) where we received a cup of green tea with traditional sweets and an introduction to the facilities as well as dinner and breakfast service. The room features a spacious entrance area, a bathroom with hinoki bathtub and separate toilet, a large living area laid out in tatami with a dining table and a flatscreen TV (which was transformed into the sleeping quarters after dinner) and a separate seating area along the window screen leading to the garden with a wardrobe and minibar. Pros: Generous size; traditional design and tasteful decorative details; direct access to garden; hinoki bathtub; quality toiletries. Cons: None. The ryokan consists of a few low buildings in a beautiful Japanese garden dotted with pine trees. It features a cosy reading room where complimentary Nespresso coffee can be enjoyed, an elegant breakfast restaurant with beautiful view of the garden, multiple small galleries selling high quality pottery pieces from the region; and a well-kept, small public bath (no natural hot spring). A multi course kaiseki dinner was served in the room. It featured the usual variety of dishes with the exception of a meat course which we found unusual. The quality and taste of the dishes were fine, but not outstanding. Some dishes were preprepared as they came right out of the fridge with condensation droplets. The recommended sake from the region was excellent. The service was friendly but initially felt very rushed as courses arrived while we were still eating the previous course. We liked breakfast served in the restaurant a lot more as the food was simple and tasty, the atmosphere was peaceful and service was on point. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Yoyokaku and it was truly one of the highlights of our trip to Kyushu. It's an intimate, traditional and luxurious ryokan. Even though the in-room dinner was a bit of a letdown, it is highly recommended.

  

• Jimbobble

  21 septiembre 2019
  Pottery, Ryokan, staff, all fabulous

  The owners and staff were very helpful and graciously included us into their home. The food was fabulous. If you are looking to explore the regions pottery, this is a must stop part of your journey. And the ryokan is an inspiring example of old world Japanese architecture integrating gardens with ponds and 100 year old pines with finely crafted wood structures.

  

• kakuo3366

  10 diciembre 2019
  Beautiful historical Ryokan

  We stayed here for one night before leaving Kyushu. This traditional ryokan has been serving travelers for more than 130 years and currently managed by fourth generation owners Mr and Mrs Okachi, whose warm hospitality we greatly appreciated. The building and gardens were repaired, renovated and maintained to their old glory and beauty. There were also three galleries displaying pottery from local famous artists, who entrusted their artwork with Mr. Okachi. In dinner time, we had been served delicious meal in these beautiful dinnerware. As ryokan is in the seaside town, there isn't hot spring for open air onsen. There are two public baths for men and women respectively. We also have a small bath made of cedarwood in our room, which we didn't use. Both dinner and breakfast were traditional, delicious and plentiful. Kaiseki dinner using fresh seafood was skillfully prepared and artfully presented in pottery ware that we saw in galleries. The owner Mr. Okachi graciously invited us after breakfast to his newly built house just across the garden on the other side of ryokan. He kindly shared with us his early life and how he transformed this ryokan after WWII. It was fascinating. We wish to return someday to this beautiful property, chat with Mr. Okachi about his extraordinary life.