Yamanouchi Villas

We stayed here at the end of our time in Japan as a treat and for the traditional Japanese inn / onsen experience and we certainly weren’t disappointed. The room was huge and the seating area was seamlessly converted for sleeping by the hotel staff while we ate our dinner. The food was traditional Japanese with seemingly endless small plates of delicacies (a similar story at breakfast). The onsen was fabulous - we used it 3 times in the one night we were there and loved it. All in all a great experience and lovely place to stay.

On such a hot day, there is no air-conditioning on the 4th floor. I vaguely feel that there is discrimination in the room booked through Ctrip. The next day we negotiated to change to the 6th floor.

I cannot say enough good things about Shibu Hotel! First and foremost, we forgot an important item at the hotel and they had it messengered to our next hotel in Tokyo, arriving the following morning (which also happened to be the day we leaving Japan). The front desk / hotel staff was incredible as well as the restaurant staff. The traditional Japanese meals were fantastic (and very filling!). The onsens are great (and nicer than the public onsens, but they're also worth going to). If you're going to Yaganouchi, you need to stay here!

From the moment you enter Kokuya Ryokan, be prepared to leave the real world behind and fully immerse yourself in the experience. You swap your shoes for slippers at the door and don’t see them again until you leave. You will receive a warm welcome from polite and gentle-mannered staff, get taken up to your beautiful room, and once you’ve changed into your traditional yukata, it’s time to let the relaxation begin. The multi-course dinner will probably be one of the best meals you’ve had in your life, with many unusual textures and flavors to try. The futons are comfortable, and your room is kept toasty warm. There are even skincare products to keep you pampered and moisturized between soaks in the onsen. Honestly, you won’t even need to open your suitcase while you’re there. The staff will take you through all the logistics when you arrive, but there are some things that might be useful to know in advance. - The ryokan sends a shuttle to Yudanaka station at about 15:00 to collect new arrivals, so time your journey to take advantage of this benefit. - The ryokan also offers guests the opportunity to catch a shuttle to the Snow Monkey Park immediately after breakfast the next morning. - After you leave the ryokan, they will take your luggage down to the coffee shop opposite the station, so you don’t need to worry about those logistics. - Trains from Yudanaka back to Nagano leave at 12:30 and 15:30. - The ryokan itself has several private onsens that you can reserve for a 45-minute slot. Because the onsens are on the property, you can go in with your partner or travel companions regardless of gender. It’s a boutique hotel, so you don’t have to worry about not getting access to all the onsens you want. - The ryokan is on the main road of the Shibu Onsen town. The hotel will give you a key so you can wonder down the main road, visiting any of the public onsens you wish - however, with so many gorgeous and more private onsens in the hotel itself, you probably won’t have time or the desire for this. - Also, there is a coffee machine in the room! (I was worried about having to survive without coffee, and this turned out to be an unfounded concern). We had an incredible and totally indulgent time at Kokuya. Experiencing a traditional ryokan is a privilege that you should try at least once if you can. And adding the Snow Monkeys in give the trip a double purpose, making it that much more memorable. The only thing that would have made the trip better is if we had been allowed to linger longer over every course of our dinner.

This is a very small town and although we’ve seen many foreigners visiting this town and this hotel on Youtube (one of the reasons we decided to stay here), it is very foreigner ‘unfriendly’ to say the least. It seemed hotel staff only spoke Japanese, so if you don’t speak it, it will be very difficult to enjoy the amenities. Staff were nice, but not very flexible (strictly by the rules, we supposed) thus not as accommodating as other ryokans we’ve stayed in. Dinner was very nicely presented and tasty…so many dishes that we couldn’t finish all (& we are big eaters) …felt bad leaving food untouched :(. The 9 Onsen tour was on my Bucket List and we got that done in less than an hour not by choice but because the water was soooooooo hot that we couldn’t even stick our feet in…almost scorched the bottom of my feet from. Very disappointing :(.

Usually I research for weeks before a trip but this was a last minute opportunity to see the snow monkeys. My train ticket was held up and so I wasn't sure I would be able to go so booked this on the train wifi on the way there. They responded quickly to a query and the key things for me were near the train station, free shuttle to the monkey park and restaurant on site. I wanted to try an Onsen so had already decided on a Royokan. The twin room was spacious and the beds comfortable. I was close to the Womens bathroom so very convient. All areas were spotlessly clean. Being winter the heating system was very effective. I could not have been happier with my choice. The staff were extremely friendly and gave me valuable advice for my first time dip. The Royokan if perfectly placed to wander to the 9 Onsen in the village and only a couple of doors from a very expensive looking hotel. I was too tired to try the restaurant in the evening but the breakfast was a great way to start the day. My only disappointment is that I could not stay longer. I would happily return to the area and if I do, I will definitely stay here again.

This Ryokan is located in a traditional Onsen village, with a nice, peaceful & old quaint atmosphere. There are many ( think it's 9) public onsens in the area which guests can also use, besides the inhouse one. Room is typical ryokan with tatami bed & inroom bath. Place is very clean. Service is par excellence! Very warm & friendly staff ( few speak English) all round makes you feel welcome. Staff will set up your bed( tatami) while one have their dinner. Traditional set Breakfast & Dinner (included) are very good quality, very traditional & excellent . Great inhouse onsen. Hotel can pick/send guests from/to train station ( from 1.30pm onwards only) . Also one way to Monkey Park. Easy bus access on main road. Only negative thing is this Ryokan is located at the end of a long uphill walk along the onsen village ( tough dragging heavy luggages or even just walking back). We arrive around 11am, so they can't pick us from train station. Took a bus & walk up & waited. Thankfully the nice lady ( think she is the owner) came to open door earlier to put our luggages. But no big issue. Lots of shops were not opened but some opened later in evening. Great experience not to be missed.

My trip to Japan was very last minute, with zero advanced planning beyond my initial hotel accommodations in Tokyo. Because I often didn't know until 1-2 days out where my next destination would be, by the time I decided to head for Monkey Park, all of the higher-end accommodations in the vicinity were already sold out. This wound up being a happy accident! Although the accommodations at Shimaya are quite basic compared to my usual 4 or 5 star hotels, the graciousness of the hosts more than made up for this and I wound up having a very enjoyable stay. The couple was happy to offer sightseeing and/or dining recommendations and they provided free rides to and from the park, the local restaurants, as well as the laundromat. They even went out of their way to coordinate taxi service for me, when I needed direct transportation to a destination that was typically further than would be accepted. Shimaya is in a good location and run by good people.

This year, １ month ２ day (３ time), the new year's accommodation (Japanese style room) is used. Every time I repeated it, I thought it was an attractive inn, and I used it this year. I thought it was the same as before until I checked in and entered the room. When I received a drink menu from the serving staff at dinner, I started explaining the item when I couldn't decide the drink. The serving staff can't read the air ... I can't decide on a drink, and if you're worried, you can propose a recommended drink. There is a scene where itamae brings nigiri sushi wherever he eats, but his expression is not here in his heart. It seemed that he was working as a silent 々 in office. Normally, at the end of the meal, the landlady of the inn came to greet me, but she came to the next room and did not come to my room. There was no hospitality at all at the time of meal, which made me feel sorry. I couldn't have fun. I really like the food and bath. I don't like the attitude of the staff who handle it. It may be a difficult feeling in Corona. At least, if you are involved in the inn business, you want the business (hospitality) to be firm. Because of the lack of hospitality, I felt unbalanced between the amount paid at the time of accounting and the balance. I won't go to Yudanaka for a while.

The breakfast is generous and the service is very good. Trout House is one of the most Japanese-style hotels in Yudanaka. The sense of ritual is super! The service, rooms, food, hot springs, all reflect the Japanese style. Although the waiters are not so good in English, as long as they write Chinese characters, they will try their best to arrange for you. Yudanaka is the center of 18 ski resorts in the surrounding area. There is a free bus to the ski resort at the station; Yudanaka is also a hot spring town. If you are tired, you can take a foot on the roadside at any time when you are tired. There is a free bus to see the snow monkeys. In the snowy weather, the monkeys love hot springs. The breakfast at the Trout House is rich and beautiful. Looking at the snow-covered mountains outside the window, I ate my breakfast and lamented the beauty of life. There are two soups in his house, let you make them. Love the time here.