Hi -
Has anyone stayed at Yokichi? Unfortunately Magoemon is full the night we're planning to visit in early April . . . Or any suggestions for places with irori and hinoki (which Yokichi apparently does not have?) Also, is the japaneseguesthouses website reliable? Thanks!

Lots and lots of minshuku in Shirakawa-go. Very few listed anywhere in English. You might try
Juemon +81 5769 6-1053
Nodaniya +81 5769 6-1011
Yosobe +81 5769 6-1172

http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/yado/minsyukuichiran.htm is a list, but not available in English unfortunately.

http://www13.ocn.ne.jp/~haku3so/index0.html is the website from another....again, only Japanese, but you can look at the pictures and get the phone number.

http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/yado/rihei/rihei.htm

http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/yado/gensaku/gensaku.htm

http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~tada/index.htm

http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/yado/k...i/kayabuki.htm

http://www15.ocn.ne.jp/~kayabuki/cost.html

http://www.shirakawa-go.gr.jp/yado/n...a/nodaniya.htm

OK...if I'm not mistaken, each of the places I listed links to have both irori and hinoki bath. You could attempt to call them...but be warned, not many English speakers. If there is e-mail or fax, you could try that.

You could also get in touch with the Shirakawa-go tourist information. They will make reservations for you. However, they don't speak English either. +81 5769 6-1751

All phone numbers I gave you are for calling from outside of Japan. From within Japan, don't use the 81 and add a zero to the beginning of the number... 05769....

Japanese guesthouses website seems reliable...never heard anything bad about them. Do know that their listings are very, very limited and include a mere smattering of what's really there.

If all of the Japanese language seems just too daunting, you could try calling/visiting the JNTO nearest your home and seeing if maybe they might either make the reservation for you or refer you to a travel agent who could. Unfortunately, many, if not all, travel agents outside of Japan don't deal in minshuku...but it's at least worth asking.

You could also wait until you arrive in Japan and go to the tourist info office in the city of your arrival and ask them to help you with the reservation (they might or might not...depends on the person you speak to unfortunately).

You could also ask at your first hotel to have them call the Shirakawa-go tourist office and request the booking.

Finally, you could wait until you arrive in Shirakawa-go and go directly to the local tourist office there when you arrive and hope for the best.

Early April shouldn't be so terribly busy that you won't get any accommodation...but you might not get exactly what you want if you wait until arriving. You do still have time to explore all of your options, though. The Japanese work and school calendars all begin April 1...and those schedules haven't been completely decided and released yet. People generally don't travel the first weeks in April since they are busy with opening ceremonies for school and work. In fact, we went to Tokyo Disneyland at that time and had 3 days of bliss with virtually no wait for any attractions. Your timing is on your side.

Finally, Magoemon may not actually be full at that time at all, but may not be giving rooms to Japanese guesthouses at that time for some reason or another. It may well be worth contacting them directly.

This ought to be enough to make you change your plans! No, really, it is so worth the visit...you'll find a place and be so glad you visited there!

I stayed at the Koemon two nights ago. Domo arrigato gozaimashita, again, to KimJapan. There is an irori, don't know about a hinoki. Mr Otani does speak some English. Also, his daughter is staying there for three months this winter and her English is very good. If you are interested in staying there, then you could call (minding the time change). The phone number is probably on frommers.com which has a brief description of the place.

I will post more about my stay at Koemon and about Shirakawago later (I am planning to return there). Right now, I must find a kuranosuke-no sushi place and then head over to the SUMO tournament.

don't forget the aburi toro, and be sure to have a chanko nabe after the sumo match. i guess asashoryu will win it again, not much competition. must be cold there.

I had the deluxe assorted platter which was 12 pieces including a slice "top grade" sea eel, grilled. It included an aburi toro, I think, but after the dozen I ordered an aburi toro, samon, and two snow crab sushi. Excellent! Domo for the recommendation. Walked to the Tsukijishijo station and took the subway right to Ryogoku. Kaio snapped his 3 bout losing streak, Chiyotaikai lost, and Asashoryu basically lifted his opponent and threw him out of the ring. Got some great souvenirs. I did have the chanko.

Oh stop, please! I'm dying just reading this. It is lunchtime in downtown d.c., raining like crazy w/flooding everywhere, and not a piece of sushi in sight. Nine more weeks.

I wonder, will those same sumo wrestlers be at the Osaka tournament in March?

Thanks everyone for the advice - I'll try to contact some of your suggestions directly.