Hotel dengan Sarapan Pagi di Yamanouchi

Setelah mengunjungi Jigokudani (Lembah Neraka) untuk melihat monyet salju, biaya naik taksi hanya 1500 yen. Jika Anda tidak membawa bagasi, Anda dapat berjalan kaki ke hotel. Saat check-in, resepsionis akan menanyakan waktu makan malam dan sarapan Anda, serta perkiraan waktu keberangkatan Anda, untuk mengatur antar-jemput yang nyaman ke Stasiun Yudanaka. Kemudian, seorang staf akan mengantar Anda ke kamar. Suite kami, yang disebut Ukigumo (Awan Mengambang), memiliki aula masuk. Area pintu masuk tersebut mencakup kamar mandi dan toilet, diikuti oleh dua tempat tidur king ber***a Barat. Di dekat kaki tempat tidur terdapat sepasang jendela setinggi langit-langit, yang mengarah ke ruang tamu ber***a Jepang yang luas, cukup besar untuk menampung empat tempat tidur ber***a Jepang. Ruang tamu tersebut juga memiliki deretan jendela yang menawarkan pemandangan bangunan utama hotel dan pegunungan bersalju di kejauhan. Terdapat juga teras semi terbuka dan onsen (pemandian air panas) pribadi. Kami tidak sempat mengunjungi atau menggunakan onsen bersama hotel. Pemandian onsen di kamar memiliki suhu yang nyaman—cukup panas, tetapi tidak terlalu panas. Saya bisa langsung duduk di bak mandi tanpa harus berjinjit untuk menyesuaikan suhu. Makan malam kami disajikan di ruang pribadi yang sangat luas. Makanannya berlimpah, dengan sayuran yang melimpah. Anak saya, yang suka daging tetapi tidak suka sayuran, tidak menyukainya, tetapi saya sangat menikmatinya. Setelah makan begitu banyak, kami mendapat secangkir kopi untuk membantu pencernaan di kamar. Kamar kami memiliki mesin kopi kapsul Nespresso dengan dua jenis kapsul, yang sangat cocok dengan selera saya! Perjalanan ini agak terburu-buru, dan kami tidak punya waktu untuk menjelajahi area Stasiun Yubatake-no-Naka dan merasakan pesona kota onsen. Kami pasti akan kembali lagi lain kali.

Our family made a special trip from Tokyo to Nagano, and besides exploring the surrounding attractions, watching the snow monkeys soaking in the hot springs of Nozawa, and visiting the Togakushi Shrine, the highlight of this trip was staying at Issa no Komichi Biyu no Yado. Initially, we had modest expectations, thinking of it as just another experience. However, upon arriving in the snowy Yudanaka Shibu Onsen, we were immediately impressed by the warm and professional hospitality. From the thoughtful reception to the exquisite dinner and the unique public onsen, every aspect exceeded our expectations and left us pleasantly surprised. This wasn’t just a hotel stay—it was an unforgettable journey into the heart of Japanese onsen culture. If you’re planning a trip to Nagano, this is definitely a place worth visiting to experience the perfect blend of hot springs and nature!

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.

Mostly good experience. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The French restaurant was delicious. And it was great that there was a ski rental and storage right inside the hotel. Added to that, the convenience of skiing right to the lift is heavenly. The bar/ lounge was chill and cozy. However it either seemed there was a shortage of staff, mostly new staff, or both. The mandatory dinner reservations were very restrictive even though when getting there at the reserved time, the restaurant was half empty. And most frustrating was that there was no options for getting any type of food after 8:30. So if you get hungry after that time or want a snack, you better pre buy one of the 3 options of instant noodles from the lobby store (before it closes also).