Fodor's Expert Review Oyado Yamakyu

Antiques-filled nooks with chairs and coffee tables become cozy lounges in this old Tera-machi minshuku. In the mineral-water baths, a giant waterwheel turns hypnotically, complemented by recorded birdsong. Dinner hours are more flexible than those of the typical minshuku, and the food, including local specialties such as Hida-gyu beef and hobamiso, is superb. The rooms are all Japanese style, but there are no private baths. Yamakyu is east of the Enako-gawa, at the very top of San-machi dori, a 20-minute walk from Takayama Station. There's an 11 pm curfew, but the staff will give you a key if you plan to be out later. Only Visa and MasterCard accepted (no Amex).