Sightseeing

1-min walk from the ryokan

Kosoyu is one of two public bathhouses in Yamashiro Onsen town. Restored as a Meiji-era style communal bathhouse, it allows visitors to enjoy both the historical design features and also the traditional bathing culture of the time.

3-min walk from the ryokan

This is where the renowned artist Kitaoji Rosanjin lived for about six months, from the autumn of 1915 (Taisho 4th) through to the spring of 1916. The cottage has been preserved to showcase the work room where he carved signboards, the study where he wrote and painted, the hearth room where he chatted with wealthy townsfolk, and there is also a tea ceremony room and exhibition room (storehouse).
Visitors can relax with a cup of tea whilst looking out over the Japanese garden.

3-min walk from the ryokan

A pottery workshop and gallery which has made and sold traditional Kutani-ware ceramics since 1906.
In 1915 Suda Seika 1st, the original founder of the kiln, trained the renowned artist Rosanjin when he was still an up-and-coming protege.
Traditional production techniques are still used to this day to create exquisite Kutani-ware artefacts.

1-min walk from the ryokan

The temple houses a wooden statue of the eleven-headed Kannon Bodhisattva (goddess of compassion), which was carved during the early Heian period, and also a statue of Fudo Myo (Immoveable Lord) from the Kamakura period.
On the hill behind the temple grounds, there is a memorial pagoda for Myokaku Shonin, a former chief priest and founder of the modern Japanese alphabet, which is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

2-min walk from the ryokan

Next to the entrance stairs there is a guardian Jizo statue, called Ichigan Jizo, that is said will grant you just one wish if you say a prayer. Considered a local power spot, the shrine is dedicated to the god of weaving.
A giant tree over 200 years old stands in the shrine's grounds, and the picturesque scenery means that the shrine has officially been selected as one of the Top 8 Scenic Spots in the Yamashiro area.

12-min walk from the ryokan

The site houses the remains of the historic Yoshidaya kiln, which was built in the late Edo period by a wealthy merchant called Yoshidaya Denemon, when he set about reviving the classic Kutani pottery industry in the local area. Visitors can tour the ruins in their openly excavated state. A workshop allows customers to try their hand at making pottery or painting.