Kiriya Ryokan

We loved this place from the minute we arrived. The staff were so friendly and it felt more like being in someone’s home than a hotel. We had a traditional room with our own bathroom. I did struggle with sleeping in the mat but I was fine once I added a couple of extra mats. The breakfast was a great mix of local cuisine and some western options. The dinner we did here was amazing. |The location is good with a short 5 minute walk to the main part of town and a 5 minute walk to the moving walkway to the base of the mountain.

This is a wonderful traditional well maintained Ryokan in a perfect location. You are steps away from Yu Road, which gets you to the hills in minutes. Great amenities for drying ski equipment. ||The breakfast is a mix of Japanese and Western with enough changes to keep it interesting. ||The Ryokan is well run, with a wonderful host Ko and the 10 cats that provide entertainment and companionship without getting in the way. ||You really feel at home and the host goes out of her way to ensure you have the perfect stay, a true example of Japanese hospitality. ||We will certainly be back.

I’m giving Kiriya Ryokan 5 stars because of Ko’s wonderful hospitality. While not the most expensive or luxurious ryokan in Nozawa Onsen, I would stay here again next time I visit Nozawa Onsen. I recall Kiriya Ryokan was ranked No.1 on Trip Advisor when I searched. It is popular with foreigners - I think most of the guests that I saw were non-Japanese. My child loved playing with the cats so much he wants to stay here again to play with the cats. There’s also a games room with a few card games and other toys - we had the games room all to ourselves and didn’t see anyone else use it during our stay. My corner room was comfortable and I don’t want to give any negative comments but if I had to mention a con, I would say the bathroom and onsen seemed old and somewhat mouldy to me. As with most old buildings, there may be some plumbing/leakage issues at times - the issues were fixed during the day so it didn’t affect us much. Also, Ko is very busy and receives a lot of emails so it’s a good idea to speak with her to double check things after you arrive. Overall a most pleasant stay. Would stay here again because of Ko’s wonderful hospitality and the cats.

Very well located Ryokan, exceptionally well positioned between the centre of town and access to the ski slopes (via Yu Road). 3 minutes away from both! Room: Our room was charmingly furnished in traditional ryokan style and was very spacious for two people (though up to four could have stayed there). Bath, shower and toilet were available in our room. Facilities: 24 hour Onsen bath is available, perfect for post-skiing recovery. We were also able to access the bath the afternoon after we checked out, meaning we were clean and warm on our subsequent travels. Food: Breakfast options are diverse, with both traditional Japanese breakfast and western baked goods available daily. A highlight was the traditional Kaiseki dinner which was a beautiful experience that we highly recommend at 3,300 Yen a person and included more than 10 dishes (sashimi, hot pot, grilled fish, etc) in a tranquil setting. Service: Ko was incredibly helpful and gave us great tips for the local area, always happy to chat and wish us a good day! There are also 8 (very cute) cats that live in the property that we enjoyed hanging out with!

We travelled to Nozawa Onsen during the third week of December and had a wonderful stay at Kiriya Ryokan.||Ko-san was a great host, always cheerful and approachable. Nick was also very friendly and helpful. The rooms were beautiful and large for my family of 4. We had breakfast everyday at the ryokan and could choose between Western or Japanese selection. For dinner, we could choose between kaiseki, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki or udon/soba dinners. The kids loved the shabu-shabu dinner they had on the first night and ordered that again. The adults had kaiseki dinners on 2 nights. The dinners were excellent and a highlight of the stay. There was a nice quiet onsen in the ryokan which the family enjoyed after a day of skiing.||The location of the ryokan was just a short walk (<5 mins) to the moving elevator which brings you up to the hikage ski slopes. It was also located close to all the great food places and shops around town. Do check out the hot steaming buns which were a treat after a cold day on the slopes.||All in all this had been an excellent stay and probably one of the best ryokans we had stayed so far from our last 4 visits to Japan. It’s definitely top of our list when we next visit Nozawa in future!|

All it takes is one visit to this wonderful traditional hotel, and you will do doubt make a return visit. This year was out third and not the last, looking forward to 2020. Ko, her husband and family, not forgetting to mention Mr Grumpy the cat, are wonderful hosts and nothing is too much trouble for them to ensure your stay is perfect. The breakfast is just what is needed for a day on the slopes and if you are eating your evening meal at the hotel, you will not be disappointed, they have a wonderful chef who serves amazing food with so much care. Cannot say enough about the experience of staying at "Kirya Ryoken", it is excellent.

Lovely hospitality The hostess Ko is delightful and takes good care of you. Very close to Yu Road for skiing, with drying room. Definitely do the Kaseiki dinner here if you get the chance- it was superb Would absolutely stay here again!

I stayed here for a total of 3 nights for a snowboarding trip. In terms of location it cannot be more perfect - it is a short walk to the start of the Yu-Road, the moving walkway which gets you to the base of the ski fields. ||||This is a family-run ryokan which in some ways is more like a minshuku. The owners are friendly and reply to your email quickly. ||||The room I had was spacious and comfortable for two people with ski gear. The onsen was small but nice and hot. There is a separate area on the ground floor for ski gear storage.||||I only had breakfasts at the ryokan, and I thought it was hearty and good value.||||Do note that this ryokan is rather old-fashioned with furniture and design from the 1960s, so do not expect a fancy, posh ryokan! I think this ryokan is good value, but do note that if you stay in a minshuku further down the village it will be a lot cheaper. You will be paying for the location if you stay here.