The staff were so kind and helpful. When we arrived with our elderly dog and were shown to our room, they very kindly swapped us to a more suitable room without any fuss. The room was well-equipped for dogs, with bowls, wipes, a pee pad, and a crate provided. The ryokan is in a beautiful location; rural and right by the water, but still only a 5-minute drive to a convenience store and shops and restaurants in the nearby town. There’s also a lovely viewpoint (Yokoyama Viewpoint) about a 10-minute drive away. We also joined the sunset cruise around Ago Bay, which was incredible, and the staff kindly accommodated a late dinner for us afterwards. The meals we had (breakfast and dinner) were both plentiful and really good. There was also a dog run and a wonderful onsen overlooking the bay.

“Relaxing with the Onsen an place”

Very authentic. Amazing view at the sea from restaurant and some rooms

“Beautiful view, no sleep, old falling apart onsen”

Stunning little harbour. Beautiful views

One of the greatest spot we stayed!!!

“Best place to be”

The facility is located in a beautiful and peaceful natural environment, surrounded by wood and sea. The buildings themselves are well designed in order to integrate in the landscape. Inside, the room we were in was very big, traditional style, clean and with an amazing view. The welcoming and the staff is the best experience I’ve ever had. The onsen is a special place. The food, together with the restaurant location, is great.

“Excellent”

Rustic and unique location

“Idyllic, peaceful, restful and a gorgeous setting. A wonderful way to experience traditional Japan.”

An idyllic remote and stunning way to end our Japan vacation. Away from the hustle and bustle a true Japanese experience overlooking the Ago bay. We were well looked after by the team at Hiogiso who were so lovely. The food was delicious and on-site onsen an added bonus. We also enjoyed a sunset cruise from super host Takanobu. Could not recommend this place enough and exactly what we were looking for.

Location was amazing, very comfortable room, the onsen is beautiful, food was really good and people very kind.

“We wished we could stay on longer. You feel a world away but also so well looked after.”

Both breakfast and dinner each day were truly lovely. It included interesting local seafood and it was a unique experience for us. The waterfront setting was stunning…being able to walk out on a pontoon over the water right off your bedroom was something you don t see every day. The onsen had a real focus on timber and it was well worth partaking in. Overall our hosts looked after us so well and we were really sad to have to leave.

“A hidden gem”

Everything. The location is amazing. Daily breakfast and dinner were sumptuous. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful.

“Overall an excellent stay and would go back again”

The owners were there to greet us and were very attentive to our needs. Breakfast and dinner was very good. The setting by Ago Bay was amazing and the owner took us a good boat ride to an almost deserted island which was very enjoyable. The owner was also available to drop us off at the train station on our departure. An overall great experience and we would recommend Hiogiso to any traveller.

Fantastic hotel, service was very good and we loved our sunset cruise! We had an amazing room with a huge terrace overlooking the water

“Excellent”

Rustic and unique location

Great hospitality. We got more food than we could eat. Friendly staff. The highlight was the location right on the water in beautiful natural surroundings and fishing spot. The onsen was also great.

“Wonderful!”

I stayed for one night during a three-day weekend in October with my 12yo daughter. The staff were very helpful and friendly, despite being quite busy. Our room was perfect for us with its own shower and toilet (we are not shared-bath fans, but I heard the onsen is lovely). The food (dinner and breakfast are included in the price) was absolutely amazing. The seafood, in particular, was delicious and the portions were generous, to say the least! We had several dietary requests (which I called about a few days before we arrived) and they had prepared special dishes for us (nut-free chawamushi and mixed rice for my daughter, meat-free nabe for me) as substitutes that were much appreciated! The dock was a bit rickety, but we enjoyed wandering out and watching the fishing boats. They were very family-friendly and accommodating and the location was lovely.

Amazing location away from everything. The food was stunning.

The food was amazing and the chance to use the baths was great. Great hospitality from the staff.

The food was very tasty! The balcony around our rooms was nice for our 20months old child to run and for us to enjoy the view while he was running. The play room was a hit with our child. That allowed us to play some table tennis, while our son played with cars next to us. He also learnt to swing on his own there because the standing swing is so close to the floor :) So we recommend this place with a small child. The host spoke very good English and the personnel was very nice in general. But you need a car, there is no way to go to nice places around otherwise. The wood and wooden smell is very nice! The onsen was nice but not the most impressive onsen I've been too.