Yamasakiya Ryokan

A small ryokan in Kozagawa, with eight rooms and a distinctly Japanese character. Yamasakiya suits a trip where the landscape matters as much as the bed: the river, the road into the valley and the local sights all take centre stage rather than a parade of resort facilities.

For a dive trip, it offers a different sort of base from a purpose-built coastal hotel. You return to a traditional inn, with a warm-looking room, a bathrobe and slippers waiting for the evening. The hotel website is available in English and Japanese, useful when planning the stay before you set off.

The ryokan is in Kozagawa, at 225 Takaike in Wakayama Prefecture, about 1 km from the town centre. The Kozagawa River is the defining feature of the setting: its clear water is associated with ayu fishing and summer activities in the river.

The surrounding landscape has more than one good reason to slow the car down. Crescent-shaped river dykes and rock formations include Ichimai-iwa, Mushikui-iwa, Taki-no-hai Falls and Botan-iwa, all part of the Nanki-Kumano Geopark. In spring, the shores of Shichikawa Dam Lake are known for their cherry blossom.

The standard room keeps things simple, with warm decoration and the practical basics for winding down: a television, hairdryer, toiletries, bathrobe and slippers. The room has a shared bathroom, so that is the detail to weigh up before booking if privacy at the end of the day matters to you.

There is no need to decode a long list of room categories here. This is a compact ryokan rather than a large hotel, and the appeal lies in the traditional setting and small scale. The robe and slippers make the evening feel less like a change of clothes and more like a proper pause after travelling or diving.

Bring your own expectations about room technology. The listed facilities cover the television and bathroom essentials; no further in-room equipment is part of the description.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available at the property. That gives you the useful option of eating on site rather than turning every meal into another drive through the valley.

The riverside setting supplies the strongest culinary detail: the clear Kozagawa is lively with ayu fishing, particularly in summer. Whether meals are included depends on the rate you book, so check the meal line attached to your chosen room before confirming. The hotel has no bar information to build the evening around; this is more ryokan dining than a drinks-led resort.

The Kozagawa is more than scenery here. In summer, you can fish for Ayu in the river, and people go into the water. That is quite enough for a free afternoon, especially when the rest of the day has already involved paths, new sights and wet shoes.

Around the river, you will find geosites belonging to the Nanki-Kumano Geopark. Ichimai-iwa, Mushikui-iwa, Taki-no-hai and Botan-iwa give you specific places to visit rather than just another loop around a generic viewpoint.

In spring, make time for the Shichikawa Reservoir, where the shores are lined with cherry blossom. Yamasakiya makes use of what surrounds it: no artificial entertainment programme, just the river, rocks, waterfall and seasonal scenery.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is at 12:00, giving you a reasonably civilised departure time if the morning has been slow to get moving. Free parking is available on arrival, which is particularly useful in this rural setting.

By car, follow Prefectural Road 228 towards the Kozagawa Town Office. From the national route, join Prefectural Road 228 and continue straight, passing the Okuwa Kozagawa store; the parking area is about 300 m beyond it, on the left beside the road. The entrance and parking area are along the road in front of the Gomeisha building.

Japan uses 100-volt electricity with type A and type B sockets. The electrical frequency is 50 or 60 Hz depending on the area, so check your dive electronics and chargers before travelling. The hotel website is offered in English and Japanese.