Tai and family are the best hosts in Takayama and possibly the whole of Japan! You will not find another place like SOY with a comparable level of hospitality. Other than the complimentary shuttle to and from the train station, Tai and his family went out of their way to make sure our stay was comfortable and we were well-taken care of. SOY was a quaint and charming guesthouse, with great views (especially in winter), and a ton of space for a large family - which we were. The entire place was very well furnished, and had amenities that were great for hanging out - like a movie room. Food at SOY is prepared with a lot of love and attention to detail, super tasty, and amazing. Tai would even help us call tour operators and restaurants to help us make reservations because some places only take reservations over phone and speak only Japanese.

Teck Singapore

The home was beautiful, spacious and clean. The hospitality was unbelievable, lovely, attentive, kind- I can’t say enough good things about Tai, his mother and the inn. It is gorgeous, spacious yet cozy. It was a top experience and should not be missed. The inn is an hour walk from town and is best accessed by car but Tai will pick you up and drive you around. He took us to a neighborhood we were interested in for dinner and then picked us up immediately afterwards. Breakfast was delightful and they even made a special vegetarian dish for me. Bathrooms are shared yet private. The rooms are huge and so pretty! The traditional mattresses were cozy and comfy.

Kellie United States of America

Tai and family were amazingly hospitable and the property is stunning

Kirwan Australia

This was an amazing place to stay! Tai-san and his family are amazing hosts and totally made our stay here special. Even though it is a 10-15 minute ride from the city center, Tai-san is very helpful - he shuttles you to and from the train station and city center as much as he can. We never even noticed the distance. In fact, he went above and beyond our expectations by helping us with reservations and recommendations on what to do in the area. Breakfast at SOY is amazing - you have a choice of Japanese or continental breakfast, both of which are home cooked, plus amazing coffee. If you’re not sure, stay here! Believe me!

Bergesen United States of America

Tai & his family were the absolute best hosts! The most wonderful hospitality, we felt like we were invited into their home & treated so graciously. The accomodation was lovely, the breakfast delicious, the courtesy top notch, every part was exceptional. Personalized service, restaurant & activity recommendations, car service to myriad places, five star treatment from beginning to end. Cannot recommend enough, the highest compliments to every facet of the experience. Thank you Tai & his parents for making our time in Takayama so special!

Nick United States of America

Tai and his parents run this beautiful house and are such kind and interesting people. Our room was perfect and very large, and the breakfast each morning was the best food we had in our two weeks in Japan. The house is quiet, welcoming, and peaceful. Although it isn't really walkable to the center of Takayama (though we did walk it once), Tai and his parents are generous with being able to drive back and forth to town when you need. Be sure to ask them for food recommendations and hikes around and within the city as well. They are the best!

Sarah United States of America

The food was great. Tai-San was so helpful. He really made the trip. It is helpful that he drives you in and out of town.

Lauren United States of America

Tai was incredibly attentive and kind. Here are the numerous ways he went above and beyond: -picked up our baggage at the station upon arrival -picked us up from a local bar once we were done exploring -drove us to the rental car station and translated to make sure we got everything we needed from the station -explained in detail how to visit the local sites and how to get there -drove us to the exit to make sure we were on the right path to the local sights -dropped off our baggage at the train station prior to our departure This doesn’t even cover the time spent at the hotel which was also excellent and far exceeded expectations. A monument should be constructed in honor of Tais kindness. A must stay destination.

Gavin United States of America

Absolutely everything. The house itself is a beautiful traditional Japanese guest house. The food was an amazing home-cooked Japanese breakfast. But what really was special was the level of hospitality Tai and his family provided. Better than any B&Bs we’ve stayed in in the US. We only stayed one night, but they made us feel so special and were so incredibly helpful with coordinating our move to our next destination in our trip. While the guesthouse isn’t directly in city center, Tai shuttled us to and from where we needed to go and was incredibly responsive. You won’t notice you’re not downtown as this stay provides the same level of convenience. He also speaks great English so it’s a great spot for any international travelers.

Peter United States of America

We had an exceptional stay at Soy guesthouse! The house is beautiful, and our Japanse style room was large and comfortable. The food was very tasty (we tried both the western and Japanese breakfast), and we enjoyed having the meals while looking at the Japanese garden. Above all Tai-san and his mother are truly exceptional and kind hosts! They helped us a lot with transport, making reservations, etc. They even gifted us flowers and sparkling wine because we got engaged in the guesthouse... Needless to say we will cherish our 3 days at Soy in Takayama for the rest of our lives :)

Hannah Belgium