I have stayed there for two nights in May 2008. My room was a Western-style twin room (the only one in the ryokan), which was very spacious. The design is absolutely magnificent, mixing with taste modernity and tradition. The ryokan also offers Japanese rooms, and Western-Japanese room (on the 4th floor) with private onsen (with view over Shinji-ko). The staff is very helpful, and some of them can actually speak a good English.
The dinners and breakfasts were served in the restaurant, I had the chance to be seated at the bar, where I could have a magnificent view over the Japanese-style garden. While I was seated, I could see the cook cooking my meal and interact with him, which I thought was an incredible experience. In my opinion, the food served was absolutely delightful, the best I had during my 5 visits in Japan.
If you want to experience the real Japan, I can recommend to visit the beautiful city of Matsue and to stay in Minamikan.
