Shibu Onsen KOKUYA

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 traditional style hotel built above a natural hot spring so have several private Onsen within the hotel . The rooms are quite spacious will all the facilities you need but as this is a traditional hotel there is no bed just a futon which is made up for you every evening whilst you are having dinner. There is a toilet and wash basin in the room but no shower or bath so you will need to use one of the Onsen facilities which wasn’t an issue for us as we were up early and it was fairly quiet during our stay but imagine it could be problem if is the hotel was full. We stayed Half Board and opted for the western breakfast which was OK but don’t expect too much, the evening meal was a full multi-course Japanese menu which was very interesting to try with a great deal of preparation in the presentation but sadly it was perhaps a step too far for our western taste. The Hotel has a shuttle service to and from the local station which must be pre booked and will also transport you to the Snow Monkey Park but they wont bring you back, there is a local bus back but the timetable is unreliable so we walked back to the hotel which easily done in 30 minutes (from the bus stop not the park entrance). During your stay you have the use of traditional Yukata which can be worn around the village if you wish to use the numerous Onsen dotted around town or just wanted a walk around which most people did during our stay.

For my overnight trip to Nagano, my focus had always been to visit Togakushi Shrine for the giant cedar trees and Jigokudani Yaen Koen for the snow monkeys. This meant that I had to find lodging that was within a reasonable drive from both locations as one was west of Nagano and the other east. As I favored more of visiting Jigokudani Yaen Koen when there are lesser crowds, which meant early morning hours when the park just opens (keep in mind it takes 45 minutes to hike up to the park), I decided to go with Shibu Onsen Kukuya, which was comfortably situated in Shibu Onsen a small onsen town that is 10 minutes drive away from the park. My overall experience with this Ryokan style lodging was exceptional as they were easy to get in touch with, responsive with inquiries, English friendly and very accommodating to their guest needs. The food that came with my room reservation (dinner & breakfast) was comparable to fine dining that you would find in luxury hotels and restaurants from larger cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. The private onsens found within the premises as well as within certain rooms offer a very intimate and comfortable experience. As for the staff, they all offered a world class service from the moment they greet you to moment they bid you farewell, I was truly impressed by the attention to detail and professionalism that each staff member shared. Overall, Shibu Onsen Kokuya has exceeded my expectations and has provided me with an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Having never stayed in a Ryoken before we didn't know what to expect. We were on a photography tour so this hotel was booked for us as part of the trip. The staff were delightful - every single one of them. We had a Japanese banquet type meal every night and whilst the staff tried to accommodate me being a vegetarian - the food was just about Ok for me. Having just read other reviews I am now surprised to learn that western food was available too. It was never offered to me but I suspect this is more to to with the trip organiser than the hotel. The rooms were very traditional and we slept on futons, very comfy. The private onsens we could use were just gorgeous. Just embrace it and try as they are private... very hot and relaxing too... We loved the staff here - one of the lovely ladies cried when we left... Okini!! If we ever go back to this area we would happily stay here again.

A traditional Japanese hotel. They served breakfast and dinner. Exceptional. Staff very helpful, punctual, and sweet. The resort even has onsens within the hotel that guests can use. There is about ten of them. We used them instead of using the Puplic Onsen which we also had access to. Only issue was my husband is tall and had to duck in many doorways. Also we are in our 60’s and sleeping on the floor on mats was a bit uncomfortable. But definitely worth it. And going to the Snow Monkey Park was just awesome. Shuttle service was available at 9:15am. It is best to go early. Loved this place for traditional Japan hospitality.

This is a truly wonderful place to stay & highly recommended! The staff are fantastic - so kind, warm & welcoming with a brilliant sense of humour :) We loved our constant greeting of ‘Harris San’ given with never-ending smiles & enthusiasm. Nothing was too much bother - a staff member carried our son’s breakfast to our room when he was having a lie-in one morning & our requests for two vegetarian options & one non-fish eater were all catered for as if it were no problem at all. The suppers were delicious with a wealth of dishes & tastes; also incredible presentation. We ate like royalty! Plus an excellent selection of drinks on the menu. The many onsens in the hotel are absolutely lovely & a perfect temperature (I struggled with the heat of the local ones though they were great to try - you get an access key to all of them in the village once you check in). The hotel onsens varied in size & setting - some indoors, some outdoors - with even a foot-massager in one! Onsen dress provided plus free covers for our tattoos (needed for public onsens). Our room was traditional & spotless; it was converted to day-living or sleeping mode whenever we were eating. There was always a little snack left for us plus plentiful tea & even a heater under the table with blankets for a traditional experience. We had free lifts from & to the train station plus to the snow monkey park - perfectly arranged early in the morning so that we could visit without huge crowds & to see feeding time :) Overall, a really fabulous stay! A brilliant experience!

Amazing property in Yamanouchi. Staff was very friendly and the rooms were amazing. The open air bath in the room was serene and relaxing. The private hot springs on the property were all great as well.

Staff and Manager went out of their way to accomodate our group itinerary, including transportation.

We absolutely loved our stay here. Everyone was so lovely and helpful. It was an amazing experience. We’re planning on coming back.