While not much from the outside, this is a charming ryokan in the cute Kyoto suburb of Uji. I was originally upset that we weren't staying right in Kyoto, but this was soooo much better than staying downtown. Uji has a train station, which puts you into Kyoto in 18 minutes. You can walk into Uji and have a great dinner, and a lovely tea ceremony and a walk through an incredible shrine a few steps from Seizansou. And, it's right on the river, so from the bath, you can see cherry trees in bloom. Don't miss the Japanese breakfast - that was probably my favorite part of the whole experience. A bit old, but charming. Bring your own travel pillow if you don't care for the traditional Japanese buckwheat pillows.
