Name: Ashita no Mori
Address: 647-1717 Wakayama, Hongu, Hongu-cho Kawayu 1440-2, Japan, Tanabe, Tanabe, Tanabe, 647-1717, Japan
Rating: 9

Air conditioning

Smoke-free property

Heating

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

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Nanki–Shirahama Airport

Ashita no Mori

Tanabe

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My wife and I recently stayed here for 2 days while walking the Kumano Kodo. We felt this was a special place, primarily because of the father and son who run the place, and because Kawayu is a beautiful place without too much development (quite different from Yunomine). Would love to get to stay again!

Very nice place to stay

We really enjoyed our stay at this lovely guesthouse thanks to the beautiful scenic location and the wonderful hospitality of the father and son who run this place.  We booked this accommodation a few hours before our arrival and I had  secretly requested a matcha green tea cake as a birthday surprise for my friend.  I was really impressed that they were able to fulfil this request at such short notice and even presented it with a little Union Jack flag which was very thoughtful of them since we come from the UK.  The staff really exceeded our expectations in terms of looking after us as their guests and nothing was too much trouble.  The father even took the time to explain to us about the bus routes and personally escorted us to the bus stop for us to travel to a nearby onsen when we checked out.  Thank you very much!

Wonderful location and fantastic staff

Arriving after a 2 hour bus journey, we were warmly welcomed.  The bus stop is yards from the hotel. We quickly changed and flip-flopped our way across the river bridge to a natural steamy onsen which was most welcome.
Dinner was beautifully prepared and just the right amount of food, a delicious home-cooked Japanese meal.
Breakfast was also delicious and fortified us for our trek along the Kumano Kodo (via a short bus journey).

Friendly and helpful host, steamy river!

Kawayu Onsen is a beautiful village in the Kii Mountains of Wakayama, right on the sacred walking trails of the Kumanokodo – long known as a place of pilgrimage for Japanese and now very popular hiking for tourists from around the world. Situated on the Oto River,  Kawayu Onsen has a range of accommodation, but for me the place to stay is the family run small hotel (or pension), Ashitanomori.
At Ashitanomori the owners openly welcome you and treat you like family. The owner is Hiromasa Kurisu, a spritely 7th generation local octogenarian who still works around 7 days of each week. You may think owning a pension would keep Hiromasa and his family busy enough, but he also is a forester and a farmer (tea, rice, fruit, vegetables), owning several hundred acres of forest and agricultural land. This is a classic story in rural Japan, where most younger people leave the country for white collar city jobs, leaving the older generation to maintain the family farms. With 67% of Japan’s land mass being forest and mountains (much of which is astonishingly beautiful), it’s staggering to know that 94% of the population of 128 million people now live in cities.
The earthiness of Ashitanomori goes to the heart of a traditional Japan somewhat lost now in the neon glitz of the big cities. Hiromasa built the pension himself out of his own timber, he and his wonderful wife Mutsuko, sons Kazuhiro and Kohei, and daughter-in-law Megumi, prepare and serve delicious, fresh food. Much of it is grown by themselves or their neighbours. Their home grown, picked and dried tea is also to die for. 
Kawayu Onsen is a long village, set along the Oto River, which flows through a small but lovely, densely forested valley. Ashitanomori overlooks the river and in winter sits directly opposite Senninburo, a large natural hot spring bath (onsen) adjacent to the river that is open to the public, usually between December and March. The river at that time is very cold however is fine for a swim on warm summer’s day, if a little fresh. I have stayed at Ashitanomori in winter and summer, and each season offers equally distinct wonderful travel experiences. At any time of year you can borrow an Ashitanomori shovel and dig your own onsen along the edge of the river. The hot water rises through the smooth river stones and you plonk yourself in and watch the valley’s resident eagles soar in the sky above.
If you prefer a private onsen, Ashitanomori has two that are available all year around and can even accommodate a family of four.
The bedrooms are also earthy, very comfortable and welcoming at the end of a long day’s visiting shrines and temples while hiking along the Kumanokodo. There are no private bathrooms or toilets, but as the pension only accommodates a small number of people this is never an issue. There are dedicated toilets for men and and women. Everything is clean and well presented, and of course Hiromasa’s hands have placed every piece of timber in the place. There is a washing machine and dryer, located outside a window on the roof towards the back of the building. It’s not as treacherous as it sounds, more a clever use of space and there are railings for safety. But at 198cm I do struggle slightly to climb the stepladder and get through the window onto the roof, always scratching my back or bumping my head! But hey, we all need to suffer and earn our clean clothes occasionally.
Hiromasa and his family are more than willing to help guests with any of their arrangements, often driving you to the top of a mountain for a sunset or to show you the family forest or rice plantings. 
Staying only one night at Ashitanomori is just not enough if you want to immerse yourself into the region that is known as “the spiritual heart of Japan”, I would suggest a minimum of two nights or even more. If you’re doing an extended walk on the Kumanokodo then you are likely soaking up the Kii Mountains pretty well, but this pension and its owners are very special, and you will come away all the better for it. 
After three stays at Ashitanomori I have noticed something interesting. Invariably the guests become friends and keep in touch, such is the warmth of the place. This has occurred for me and my family every time. In fact I was so taken with Hiromasa when I first met him I asked if I could return the following year to make a documentary film about him (at my own expense). I don’t speak Japanese but I managed to shoot the film (which was another great experience) with translation provided by a great friend, Tomomi, and on my most recent visit I was able to surprise Hiromasa with the finished DVD. 
If you want to get a genuine insight into rural life in Japan today, enjoy the warmest hospitality, onsens, food and stay in a beautiful location, visit Kawayu Onsen and stay at Ashitanomori.

A warm and genuine taste of rural Japan

This family-run guesthouse was the perfect choice for a one-night stop in the Hongu area. It is located outside the village of Hongu (5km, better reached by car), right in front of the Kawayu river and its natural onsen, providing easy access to it. The bedrooms are clean, comfortable and cozy, the natural spring bath in the guesthouse is small but lovely and has private access. Important to mention that the owner speaks very good english and is extremely friendly and helpful: he provided us with all practical info of the area (maps, timetables, itineraries...) and we saw him contacting other local places to help another customer plan his itinerary in the area. Dinner in the guesthouse is recommended, since there are not so many restaurants around. It was definitely good value for money. Funny thing: the father of the owner keeps track of the provenance of all their guests through his old atlas book, and makes you mark your hometown at check-out.

Authentic experience in a lovely family-run pension

Good basic room, view to the beautiful river. Washroom and toilet both common area. Toilets are so incredibly small even for japan (we are not big).
The hot springs were a bit small and without any views, but had its own changing room and the great thing about this is that it can be used as private at no cost for families or couples and are open 24x7 which is great.
Very nice ambience in the restaurant, friendly and helpful staff.
Breakfast was excellent quality, and service was great too.
Unfortunately for us, the springs in the river had been washed out due to heavy rains just 2 days before we arrived. We however enjoyed the open air hotspring less than 5 minutes walk, in the company of Japanese and Australian visitors and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ashita no Mori

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