Welcome to Choyomon. It is a part on the UNESCO world heritage site, Ainokura. It is a small Gasshou-Zukuri home with four rooms with a maximum capacity of 10 people. It is run by a small welcoming family that speaks good Japanese. Cuisine there changes from season to season, but it always features local vegetables. You will eat together around an irori or a traditional Japanese fireplace.

Facilities

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Ryokan Reviews:

• Tranquil Village stay

  Mei chen

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Ainokura Gassho community is definitely a more worthwhile visit and stay than the crowded touristy Shirakawago. Altho the entire community can be covered in less than 2 hours, i would recommend staying in the Gassho houses for 1 night for the experience of a stay in the village and away from city life. I stay in Choyomon for 1 night and it was well worth it. The room was spacious and comfortable with a heater provided to warm the room and the lady owner was so kind to make me a hot water bottle that kept me warm thru the night. Dinner and breakfast was delicious. The best time in the mornings to walk around would be before 9am before the busloads of tourists come into the village. The morning walk up to the observation point was cool and refreshing after the rains the previous day and night.

• Excellent Visit

  Hugo

  Date of Review: January, 2020

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Had a one night stay. The host was extremely friendly! Made myself and my family feel like we were at home. The food was excellent too - both breakfast and dinner! The host was extremely thoughtful, each tatami had a heat box (burning charcoal) to keep everyone warm through the night. It did get pretty cold at night. There was tons of snow the next morning and the breakfast in front of the "fireplace" made us feel so warm. Will totally go back for another stay in the near future!

• Charming and authentic

  Benjamin

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: France

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our stay at Choyomon was wonderful. The host is lovely, and learned us a lot about Ainokura, the life there, and her house. The room and futon were very good and warm (a heating device is provided in winter), the facilities were clean and with modern equipment, and the meals were absolutely perfect. It's definitely a place to stay!

• Good experience

  Meng han

  Date of Review: November, 2019

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Good service, staff was helpful and accommodating, waking up early to prep breakfast as I had to leave early Clean environment. While there's nothing much to do around, it feels lots less commercialised than Shirakawago. The autumn sights of the mountains are breath-taking. Oh, and best rice I had eaten across my trips in Japan.

• A retreat to a less touristy part of Japan

  Vanessa

  Date of Review: October, 2019

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Peaceful village, nice walk all the way down to the campground, quiet shrines, and a delicious, authentic meal! We had a great stay in October 2019.

• Great stay in Ainokura

  Francine

  Date of Review: October, 2019

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  We stayed 1 night in Shirakawago prior to our stay here and enjoyed Ainokura better because it was much quieter and more authentic. Choyomon host was very friendly, the meals were delicious, and the room was spacious. A couple of things that would improve the experience, the host did not introduce herself or explain how the facilities worked. Since there was a shared bathroom and 4 men with 3 women and we were new to the Ryokan experience, I was a bit concerned that I might bump into someone unexpectedly! Otherwise a pleasant stay and good value.

• Amazing visit!

  Laura

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: America

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I stayed at Choyomon with a teacher colleague. We loved the food and the atmosphere. The meals were vegetarian except for the fish and they were so delicious! I loved that Choyomon has a traditional irori (sunken hearth) where the fish were cooking when we arrived. The owner gathers vegetables from her garden for the meal. Staying at Ainokura was like stepping back in time. Our room at Choyomon was clean and comfortable. We slept on futons. The bathroom facilities were clean and provided Western-style toilets with heated seats and bidets. The price was extremely reasonable. I highly recommend it!

• Lovely

  Sook li

  Date of Review: April, 2019

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Malaysia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Love this place love this house with lovey house onwner. Cozy, warm with nice food and make me feel home. quiet night but peaceful.

• Wonderful stay

  Desiana

  Date of Review: April, 2019

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Indonesia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The host is a lovely person, warm and caring! Both japanesguesthouses.com and the host are so accommodating. I had special requests for the meal and she did provide what I asked, I couldn't thank you more :) We spent one lovely night with kid and toddler, the host was care about them too, she let my kids to play the toys she had in her living room. Everything was clean, the food is yummy, the scenery around was amazing (especially when you have your first snow) Thank you so much!

• Lovely Stay

  Roberto

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Really enjoyed the stay at Choyomon and Ainokura. Very caring hosts, amazing food, peaceful location. Thank you very much!

• Fantastic stay

  Zhou

  Date of Review: March, 2019

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I initially tried to book a night in Shirakawa-go but since they do not take single travellers, Japanese Guest Houses suggested Ainokura. I travelled from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go and then to Ainokura. Public transport in Japanese is so amazingly punctual and it was really easy to get to Ainokura from Shirakawa-go. There are signs that points you to the village. Choyamon was easy to find. The host was so approachable and attentive. Dinner and breakfast was so good! It was snowing and cold and the host prepared hot water tub and turned the heater in the bathroom on. Blankets were plentiful (I was given 3 layers) and a hot water bottle. There is a small cafe which doubles up as a souvenir shop but no convenience store so do stock up on food or snacks.

• Highly Recommended!

  Hooi kien

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Malaysia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Planned to stay a night at Shirakawago but it was fully booked and was recommended Ainokura instead. So I chose Choyomon and was glad to have made that decision. Very nice and tranquil village. Choyomon host was absolutely friendly and accommodating. Dinner and breakfast was great. The host put some sort of heat warmer between futon bed and thick blanket to keep the bed warm and nice. Love it!

• Peaceful and Pleasant stay

  Diego

  Date of Review: December, 2018

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I've been in this beautiful ryokan for three days and it's been one of my favorite experience in Japan. The village is easily reachable and very pleasant. The ryokan is comfortable and you will feel almost as at home. The rooms are very nice and clean and Mayumi is a perfect, sweet, kind and careful guest. And a great cooker. You may take a hot bath or taste a local home-grown way of cooking; being cuddled by the magical atmosphere of this place; having a walk along the mountainside...The village is wonderful and peaceful. And most of all, something that has to be seen. Highly recommended

• At home in Choyomon

  Yenna

  Date of Review: December, 2018

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Very kind and friendly hospitality. Love the food at Choyomon! Felt very welcome here, and the room was very comfortable and authentic. Ainokura was perfect - not as touristy as Shirakawa-go, small and intimate and feels authentic and actually lived-in. We rented a car to drive from Kanazawa, which was a very pleasant drive, and made it easy to go around to visit the other points of interest and viewpoints.

• Peaceful stay

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We learned about this place when Japanese Guest Houses informed us that all guest houses in Shirakawa-go were booked and asked if we were interesting in staying at Ainokura instead. Some of my friends were disappointed when we initially worked out our plans, but at the end we were so glad to have decided to stay here! Ainokura is a very quiet place and has a much more genuine, traditional feel to it than Shirakawa-go does. The host of Choyomon was very kind and hospitable, and we enjoyed the time we spent chatting with her. She seemed to always be around if we had questions; we could reliably find her in the kitchen. Food was homey and delicious- we also got to eat fish that were cooked in the irori, which is nice since some places do not make use of their irori. It was chilly, but heaters and thick futon kept us cozy. My only regret is that we didn't stay longer!

• Wonderful stay

  Edward

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  My wife and I stayed at Chouyomon for 2 nights. We had a wonderful experience there. The host is kind and went out of her way to give us the best stay possible. The house itself is gorgeous and clean. The food was amazing, the best traditional food I had in a one month stay in Japan. Everything was tasty and fresh, what an incredible cook! There are also a washing machine,2 urinals and 2 toilets, plus a hot bath and two showers (so while the accommodation is shared with other guests, you are unlikely to wait if you need the bathroom). Bonus: Ainokura itself is breathtaking!

• Highly recommended!

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 4

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night at this traditional house and we enjoyed the experience so much. Dinner and breakfast take place in a common area with other guests (we were 6). Take into account that you'll eat without any chair or table, as it is a humble and traditional house. The food taste was ok, not super good, but this could be because we are not used to the traditional japanese cuisine. Room was as expected, simple and comfortable (japanese style). Walls are super thin and rooms are so close, you might need to bring some stuff to help you sleep. We don't put a 5 to the staff because even the host was really kind with other japanese guests, she wasn't with us (most provable because of the languaje limitation). We were not explained where the bathroom was or if we were able to have a shower.

• Choyomon

  Date of Review: April, 2018

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  The host is very friendly and very welcoming. My room was in the corner but it had a view. Dinner was simple and fantastic, breakfast was too. It was a nice opportunity to just stop and interact with other guests for dinner and because it gets really dark with limited lighting on the streets. It was advised in the village not to go out at night. I came from Takayama, I stop at Shirakawa-go to tour the village abit, before going to Ainokura to check in. Then I check out the next day and took the bus to Shin-Takaoka JR station to continue on the next leg of my journey. I brought a pass at Takayama Nohi bus station. The pass could be a 3 days pass that goes in one direction like the above or any number of days in both direction. If you know your itinerary, the staff at the counter could help you to purchase the right pass to suit you needs.

• Excellent

  James

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I was utterly satisfied with everything. The food was terrific, the host was very hospitable, and I enjoyed my time with the other guests that were staying with me. I paid 9600 yen for one night and I consider it a steal at that price.

• Very nice visit to Choyomon

  Chris

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: United States

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Excellent stay at Choyomon! I traveled from Kanazawa to Shin-Takaoka, then took the bus to Ainokura - on return I took the bus to Johana, then the local train back to Shin-Takaoka, and onwards for the rest of my travels. You need to consult the timetables carefully but everything works as described and on-time. The room & house is simple but very nice, like a typical Japanese house. The hot bath is a great treat after a day walking around in the cold. The inside of the house will get chilly once the heaters are off overnight when it is cold, but the beds are still nice and warm, the host even supplies you with a hot water bottle to keep extra-warm. Very nice food served for both meals, and an extremely gracious and welcoming host. She has walking-around waterproof boots that you can borrow once you arrive, if there is a lot of snow, but you will need to walk from the bus drop-off point into the village and to the house, which could be snowy, so make sure you have some reasonable footwear. The views getting to, and in the area of the village, are spectacular in winter, beautiful combination of trees, snow, and sky. This was the highlight of my 2 week trip to Japan, many of my Japanese colleagues were a bit jealous that I did it!

• Perfect Stay!

  Steve

  Date of Review: January, 2018

  Month of Visit: January

  Country Of Reviewer: England

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Choyomon Staying at Choyomon was brilliant, the host was friendly and welcoming, and her cooking was fantastic and carefully prepared. The room and futon were really warm and i felt at home. Ainokura has breathtaking views of the mountains and feels much more atmospheric and traditional than Shirakawago. Its a bit more effort to get to but absolutely worth it!

• Breathtaking Experience!

  Rahila

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I've always wanted to do an overnight stay in one of these houses so when I found out Shirakawago was full, I tried Ainokura instead. THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER! There are hardly any tourists in Ainokura as compared to Shirakawa-Go so we get to explore the village by ourselves. The mountain views & thick blankets of snow in winter is stunning! It was a magical experience. We took 4 hours to reach here from Tokyo (3 hours Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin Takaoka + 1 hour bus ride from Shin Takaoka to Ainokura). Meal served in Choyoman is delicious & the host was very friendly too. Do take note that there are no convenient shops in Ainokura so do buy your snacks elsewhere & bring them along. Ainokura was the highlight of our 2 weeks stay in Japan & I highly recommend an overnight stay here!

• Very good!

  Joshua

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Argentina

  Atmosphere Rating - 4

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Staying in Choyomon was great. The place is very nice, the food reaally good and the hoster very kind! I recommend it

• great experience at Choyomon

  Haohui

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Our journey to Ainokura was from Nagoya through Takayama and Shirakawa-go. I have to say that the public transportation of this area is great, buses arrives on time, roads and streets are clean, there is a small house for people who waiting for the bus. Among all the gassho-zukuri house, Choyomon is not a big one, its first floor consists of about 4 guest rooms placed around the living room, one public toilet, one bath room, and a kitchen. Typical Japanese style house. The experience of staying here is surely unforgettable. Foods was fresh and delicious, beds were warm, hot water bathtub was one of the greatest enjoyment. The host lady was friendly and welcoming to us, she was more like a mother, made us felt like staying home.