I recommend the Sui Suwako Hotel in Kamisuwa, Nagano.

On November 9, 2024, I stayed at the Sui Suwako Hotel in Kamisuwa. I stayed in Kamisuwa, a hot spring town on the shores of Lake Suwa, to see the autumn leaves at Choenji Temple. I chose the highest-rated hot spring inn, Sui Suwako. In fact, the hot springs in this area are not as good as those in Okuhida, Takayama. This hotel is expensive and highly rated because of its service reputation. The hotel has six floors, with the top floor being a public area, and the other four floors having two rooms per floor and 2-3 dining rooms, accommodating about 16 guests in 8 groups per day. The first floor is small but exquisite. Each room has a private bath, and the public bath on the top floor offers a view of Lake Suwa, which is the prototype of the lake in the movie Your Name. I have to say, the Japanese service here is great, making you feel very noble. The food is also exquisite, with a full sense of ceremony. What impressed me was not the Shinshu beef (Hida beef from Sunjiro is better) and the dishes made from dozens of ingredients, but the rice cooked in a clay pot. Japanese rice is delicious, and I have praised it many times. Today, I bought a rice ball from 7-11 on the road, which was only 6 yuan, and I bought two in a row! Back to the hotel. The rooftop bath is mixed-gender. The hotel provides hot spring clothes, and women wear shorts, skirts, and tops, a three-piece set! It's really funny to soak in a hot spring fully dressed. But I really like to enjoy the view, watch the stars, and breathe the cold air outside while soaking in hot water. My persuasion worked, and two female companions, one broke through herself and went to the public bath to enjoy the stars and hot springs, and the other got up in the morning and asked to soak in the rooftop hot spring. Then, while waiting for the train at the station, the three of us women unanimously decided to try the free foot bath. When you come to Japan to soak in a hot spring, it's not just about soaking in hot water, but also about experiencing a different culture, such as the design of the hot spring pool, the difference in the quality of the spring water, and soaking in different environments, such as public, private, beautiful, and convenient. Experiencing the life and culture of the locals is really fun! Oh, I have another fun travel goal, to soak in hot springs all over the world.