We had an excellent stay at Ishicho. Our suite had one large room for sleeping and hanging out, a narrow balcony, a toilet room, and a room with a tub and shower. It was very quiet.
I had read a few reviews before our stay and had been a little nervous about a few things. I wanted to address some of those things for other people who are considering staying.
First, someone had left the review that the staff was not friendly and did not speak English. The staff was extremely kind and helpful, very attentive, and everyone spoke enough English to get things done. The staff was great!
Another review said that there was a weird smell in the bathtub. When we first arrived, there was a strange smell in the room with the bath, but we think it is a cleaning product as we smelled it at both the apartment we rented and the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo. It dissipated the first day and the bathtub and shower were very very clean.
Some reviews say that it is a bit run down - the facility feels older, but it doesn’t feel like a bad thing; everything is very clean and very well-tended.
The futons are a bit thin, which might be uncomfortable if you are not used to sleeping in the floor. The pillows are the usual for Japan - small and flat. I would say that sleeping in Japan in general is less comfortable than sleeping in a hotel elsewhere… so no matter where you stay, you can expect to want a better pillow and a softer bed. ;)
The ryokan breakfast is very nice!