Shibu Onsen KOKUYA

Great service and availability for any request I had. The several onsens are what make really the difference, as you can enjoy them privately (they are shared, but used privately), without the need to go to the public ones. Great kaiseki dinner, I stayed 2 nights and they served different menus both days. The ryokan is located in the center of the village, with all public onsens and other services easily reachable within few mins by walk.

This was everything I had hoped for a Ryokan stay. The staff were amazingly attentive, and the facilities were exceptional and clean. Our private Onsen bath was perfect for soaking away sore muscles. We had full dinner and breakfast included. My husband was unable to have any seafood or mushroom products, and they catered amazingly for him, ensuring that he was always sitting in the correct chair to ensure he was eating the correct food. The way the dining hall is set up, we had our own private little dining room, which was ours for the duration of the stay which was a lovely touch. The quality of the food was just amazing and my genuine compliments to the chef! I will say the quantity of food was quite overwhelming, especially breakfast. We generally don't eat much for breakfast and so to have a many course full meal was a bit uncomfortable for us, but that was our problem not theirs! All in all, just a wonderful stay and highly recommended!

Location: It's a bit far away from Nagano Station but if plan to go to the Snow Monkey Park you can get the 2 day pass and take the express bus from Nagano Station to the park; Once you finish visiting the park you can walk 30 minutes downhill to the hotel. They also offer a shuttle to Yudanaka station once you are ready to checkout. From there travel to Nagano station via train using your pass. Stay: First time staying at a ryokan and I though it was an amazing experience. Staff were amazing, they had a few English speaking staff at check-in to explain everything to us. They had multiple private onsens offerings you could pick and reserve, so you have the opportunity to relax without others. This place also gives you the key to 9 public onsens for you to experience. Room was spacious, the photos you see are accurate to our experience. Its a 400 year old ryokan so expect it to have some oddities. Dinner: First time experiencing dinner at a ryokan and it was excellent. Staff serving dinner had limited English but did their best to explain what was being served. They were very exceptionally friendly and served us with enthusiasm. Breakfast: Excellent fresh and light morning Japanese style breakfast. There was a lot of small dishes but overall not excessive amount of food for the morning. I loved the steamed veges with accompanied sauce.

Loved our traditionally furnished room with private onsen on the terrace. We also booked a private session in one of the other on-site onsens, which was a great experience. Breakfast and dinner were beautifully presented and of excellent quality. Guest service was impeccable, nothing too much trouble. We were provided with traditional robes and shoes in which to tour the 9 public onsens in Shibu Onsen which was a fabulous experience. Shuttle service to the train station and monkey park was efficient and very much appreciated.

Incredible service, welcoming staff, everything is taken care of for you the moment you arrive! They offer a free pick up and drop off to the Yudanaka Station, as well as drop off to the Monkey Park. The walk back from the Monkey Park is not long at all and is very scenic - so I highly recommend doing that instead of taking a bus or taxi back to the ryokan. The ryokan is located in the heart of the onsen town, minutes away from the shrines, shops and restaurants, as well as public onsens. Inside there are 8 shared onsen rooms, including both indoors and outdoors options. No booking was required, you could just come in any time provided it is not occupied by someone else. We travelled in early January just after the new year and found no issues using these rooms! Food was really good as well, and we feel like it got even better on our second night - it won’t be the most magnificent meal you can get in a ryokan, but it was great quality and variety!