Asan Kotonami - Ryokan
Apr 4, 2025
Up in the mountains - 湯山荘 阿讃琴南
Once in awhile, you treat yourself to a luxury experience and you have to completely give in to enjoy that experience. That's what we did at Asan Kotonami, a ryokan hidden in the mountains in Shikoku. We rented a car and drove all the way from Kurashiki, stopping at small areas like Kojima along the way. Kojima is a great stop before heading to shikoku; it's a sleepy town but with high fashion and a focus on denim.
We arrived in their front carpark a little later than expected and a member of their staff waved us down at the entrance. We were surprised and felt bad; was he waiting the whole time for us? I guess such hospitality is customary at this price point in Japan.
The view from our room was stunning during this wonderful springtime. The leaves were a deep green and covered the valley tightly. The sun rays that passed through made it magical.
Our room was a little more expensive because it came with an attached outdoor traditional bath. It was amazing, I video called my cousin and showed it to him and he said the room feels like a palace. The bath can easily fit 2 people and you can ask the staff to help you adjust the temperature to whatever you like.
With a bath like that, you might never leave the room, but we still went to try their regular onsen on the first floor. It was also top notch and on that day, the women's side onsen was facing the forest and the river (they switch sides every day).
(The view from the lift foyer)
Unfortunately I think prices shot up after our stay here, so I don't know when I can afford to go back. I definitely recommend having a car if you come up here. It's not so close to the nearest town, and I'm sure they have a shuttle service, but it's way more convenient to just drive.
Address
1 Katsuura, Manno, Nakatado District, Kagawa 766-0204, Japan
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