Magoemon

Beautiful authentic minshuku experience hosted by two earnest women. The house is historic and sparkling clean. It’s right by the river so you can hear the calming water as you sleep. The shower and bath can be used family-style. The dinner meal was delicious and very filling as they brought out two additional dishes. Their rice is the best rice I’ve had in the 2.5 week trip. Some of the sliding doors can be noisy but I was happy to tolerate this for the authentic experience. Bring ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper - had to use ear plugs for most accommodations in Japan anyway. One of the highlights of the trip!

Shirakawago very beautiful I stayed at Magoemon with my mom and friend You have to book around three, four months in advance. We went in winter. It was excellent. This is one of the bigger inns, so they can accommodate a large group with many rooms. The snow was several meters deep. When we arrived it was snowing so hard we could barely walk. The older woman who runs the inn can not communicate in English at all. There is another young woman who helped served meals, but she couldn't speak English either. They were able to call us to meals. They explained the sleeping arrangement by pointing. It was never a problem. The rooms all have individual kerosene heaters. We were extremely comfortable the whole time. Meals were served in a large communal tatami room. You sit on the floor. We aren't in great shape for that, but we managed, having to move our legs around sometimes to help circulation. It was not a problem. Dinner was excellent, Hida beef, lots of Japanese specialties like grilled tofu. A wonderful, filling meal. Breakfast was also very good, but we like Japanese breakfasts. Rice, grilled fish, seaweed. Very filling. The inn is beautiful. We saw the tourists who arrived for day trips by bus and leave after a few hours. It is so much better to spend a night in one of these inns. Around 4 o'clock they have all left and you have the whole village to yourself, covered in snow. It is really, really nice to see the sights under the stars or with snow falling. Check-out is early, so you have time to explore the other inns. There is a nice museum where you can go and see old pictures and go up to see the underside of the steep roof. Worth it. There is also a nice hot spring in the village where you can relax. It's clean and modern. We had soba noodles at a restaurant before we left, there aren't many cafes or restaurants around. Overall, it was a great visit because of this amazing traditional inn.

Amazing hospitality, clean, relaxing, fantastic local Japanese food :) No wifi, no TV. Instead you will hear the sound of river near by . it’s perfect getaway for those who want to stay at beautiful 200 years old “Gassho Zukuri building”. the own told us a tale of the building in Japanese during our dinner and it was just so lovely. The room had AC, so was prefect temperature in summer too. My friend and I absolutely love it. Will definitely try to come back in summer but also winter next time to see different view.