• Takinoyu is a ryokan located in Tendo city in Yamagata prefecture, on the northern side of the Japanese mainland. It is a popular ryokan with a history of over 100 years. You can choose from different room types -- traditional Japanese style, Western style, Japanese-Western style - with an open-air rotenburo onsen (outdoor hot spring). Your meals are prepared with fresh organic vegetables grown in the ryokan's own garden.
• One reason for Takinoyu's popularity is the food it serves. Dinner consists of Yamagata's local dish (Imoni) and its all-you-can-eat supply of free organic vegetables grown right at the ryokan. The main dish for dinner is locally-raised Yonezawa beef, a popular breed of Japanese wagyu beef. At the "Kurazen" restaurant, guests can enjoy a relaxing meal with a significant other with views overlooking an exquisite traditional Japanese garden. Breakfast is served in buffet style.

The ryokan's 89 rooms are divided into four buildings -- "Tokunohana (Splendor of Seasons)," "Shikitei (Four Seasons Pavilion)," "Bekkan (Annex) Guest Rooms," and "Honkan (Main) Guest Rooms" -- for a combined 16 different room layouts. The Tokunohana rooms are in Japanese-Western style. Almost all rooms in Tokunohana feature an open-air rotenburo onsen (outdoor hot springs) with a traditional Japanese tatami room and a Western-style bedroom. The "Beni no yu" (Red Bath) for ladies and the "Ran no yu" (Blue Bath) for men are large public bath areas for the relaxation of guests. The baths' spring water is of such high quality, it is known as "Bijin no yu (Beauty's Bath)" (hot spring water that makes the skin soft and smooth). Enjoy a complimentary glass of beer (or soft drink) after a soak in the hot spring.