The owners were super hospitable. They kindly accommodated my request for a vegetarian (Japanese) breakfast. Very grateful to the owners for driving me to the monkey park and to the station. Loved the private, open-air onsen experience.

Very warm and welcoming stay. Everything you need to be comfortable while touring the onsen. Host couple are so helpful, driving guests to and from the train and the monkey park, and providing an amazing home-cooked breakfast. Rooms are basic but clean.

My room smelled a little musty, which could be an issue for someone with allergies. Given how much flowing water is all around, this may just be par for the course in the area, impossible to keep out damp.

Very large rooms and amazing Onsen onsite. The guesthouse may feel a bit dated but it’s well maintained and cleaned very well. Run by a lovely couple where they explained the 9 Onsen baths of the town which you have free access to as a guest of their ryokan. They will also validate your parking if you drive so your parking is free. Overall a nice quaint place to stay.

The ryokan is conveniently located for exploring Shibu Onsen and experiencing the traditional atmosphere of the town. Our experience with the gentleman who collected us from Yudanaka Station was particularly pleasant. He was kind, welcoming and immediately assisted us with our luggage. He was also lovely to converse with, speaking English while remaining patient and encouraging when I attempted to communicate in Japanese. His hospitality made for a genuinely positive first impression. The room felt like a good simple ryokan stay with tatami matting, sliding shoji doors and futon beds. The room we had a window that had a partial view of a nearby mountain which was a lovely sight to see early in the morning. There was a private onsen and public ones to choose from and, if you’re a guest at this ryokan, you get access to a master key which enables you access to all 9 public baths, with each one having different natural deposits and minerals which are reported by locals to provide a variety of benefits. This ryokan offers a special Japanese towel(Tenugui) which you can buy for 500¥ and use to walk around town to each of the nine bath houses and collect stamps making for a great souvenir to bring home.

Unfortunately, our initial experience upon arriving at the ryokan was somewhat soured by our interactions with the female owner. When we entered, she showed us where to place our shoes and change into the provided indoor slippers. As someone who is still learning Japanese, I understood much of what she was explaining, although I occasionally needed a moment to process her instructions. When I didn’t immediately notice that the slippers were stored above my shoes, she repeatedly directed me towards them before turning to my Japanese partner and remarking, “Nihongo wakannai?” (“He doesn’t understand Japanese?”). I found this rather discourteous and dismissive, particularly as I was making an effort to communicate in Japanese and simply needed a little more time to understand and locate what she was referring to. Later, when we were shown to our room on the next floor, we had a considerable climb up the stairs with our luggage. The owner jokingly commented on the size of our suitcases, seemingly acknowledging how difficult they would be to carry upstairs. Despite this, she offered no assistance whatsoever. Even when it came to my partner’s much smaller handbag, she responded by waving her hands upwards and away, a gesture that came across as dismissive and unwilling to help. While we certainly don’t expect staff to carry all our belongings, I found this response rather inconsiderate, especially after she had acknowledged the difficulty of carrying our large suitcases upstairs. The contrast with the gentleman’s earlier kindness and willingness to assist us with our luggage was particularly noticeable. Another uncomfortable interaction occurred when we asked about arranging transport back to Yudanaka Station the following morning. She repeatedly pressed me to provide a departure time, even though I was still trying to work out which train we needed to catch.