Yorozuya

Yorozuya is the epitome of a relaxing vacation if you’re in Nagano (Shibu Onsen). We were greeted by staff upon check in and welcomed with a tea ceremony before we were ushered into our rooms. I have to note the entrance within is rather historically grand as you walk up the steps from reception. As with most Ryokans, service is extensively well thought out and every subtle need is attended to - e.g. turning down your rooms with the futons well laid out whilst you’re having dinner, sumptuous kaiseki meals at breakfast and dinner, porter services (with no tipping required), The onsens switch around for both genders. The major highlight is the outdoor setting for one of the onsens - you’d probably understand nirvana once you’ve experienced it yourself. Dinner was a delicate spread with lots to try from, especially ones with local ingredients. I personally liked the beef slices and the shabu shabu experience. If you’re feeling burnt out at work and in need of a remote getaway, I would certainly come here. It’s also quite great value for an establishment that is of the upper echelons in the region.

I booked a night in Yudanaka with my partner so that we could visit the Snow Monkey Park. Most places were already booked up, so we went for Yorozuya (sometimes romanised as Yoroduya) even though it was a little beyond our budget. At £300 a night for a double room with dinner and breakfast, I thought “this had better be good…” Honestly, it was probably worth double that. The ryokan itself is massive; the atrium has a scale that almost defies sense. We were greeted by staff who were awaiting our arrival, and took our luggage up to our room while we enjoyed a complementary matcha tea. A guide led us up the stairs, handed us XL yukata to wear during our stay and explained the situation with towels. She took us in the lift to our room, and showed us how to access the onsens and where the dining halls would be. We took a few moments to settle into our tatami-floored room, change into our yukata, and investigate the albeit pretty boring view from our balcony. For the record: the joy here is _inside_ the ryokan rather than outside. We tested both the on-site onsen; they operate on schedules so that male guests and female guests bathe separately, but can both enjoy both of the baths. It is worth trying both. It’s a cliché to say, but particularly coming from Europe without much experience of this kind of venue, they made me feel like I was in Spirited Away, if Spirited Away was a series of Hokusai prints. I loved relaxing in the heat of the outdoor bath surrounded by rocks, trees and classically Japanese sculptures, with snow gently falling. Suitably relaxed, it was time for dinner. This was worth the whole booking price alone. We were served a 10-course kaiseki dinner, in a private booth, with attentive staff bringing us fresh water and sake whenever we desired. Every single bite was exquisite. While not 10 courses, this extended into breakfast which was a similar luxurious experience. I was sad we only had one night there, and would go back in a heartbeat. The experience of staying here creates a stronger draw for me to return to Yudanaka than the snow monkeys. We were treated so well, and truly unwound in a setting that felt almost too good to be real.