Kokuya Ryokan Shibu Onsen

Although my wife and I stayed here for only one night during our honeymoon, every aspect of our stay left an indelible impression. The room was traditional but very comfortable (including some particularly plush futons), and was well-appointed and clean. It also included a private open-air hot spring bath we made (maybe too) ample use of during our stay. We also made use of two of the several other baths we could book for private sessions, which they assisted in reserving based on our preferences. ||The kaiseki dinner and breakfast were among the very best meals we had in Japan. Each was both seasonally and regionally focused, and we felt we got a true taste of traditional cooking in the Nagano area. The hospitality was also exceptional at every turn--the passion of the family and employees who run the ryokan was evident in everything they did. In addition, the atmosphere in Shibu-onsen was otherworldly, particularly at night. ||A couple of tips: 1. Please do not arrive before 3pm - the hotel is *not* open in any way until then. 2. I would visit the snow monkeys the morning after staying there, instead of the afternoon, since there will likely be more monkeys to view in the morning. ||I'd highly recommend anyone visiting Shibu-onsen at least consider staying at this wonderful property.

Kokuya Ryokan was the perfect base for visiting the snow monkeys, but honestly, I could have easily stayed here for two weeks. From the moment we arrived, we felt completely taken care of—the service was impeccable, and nothing was too much to ask. The food was delicious, and for those who prefer it, a Western pillow is available upon request. But the true highlight? The baths! With an incredible number of onsen options, we made it our mission to try them all in three days—and we did! Plus, experiencing the traditional bath tour in Shibu Onsen was a fantastic addition to our stay. I don’t understand the negative reviews—our experience was nothing short of amazing. If you’re looking for a relaxing, authentic ryokan stay, this is the place to be!

Stayed here in May for 2 nights to experience a traditional Ryokan in Shibu Onsen, Nagano. We choose Shibu Onsen for a base to hike at Shiga Kogen and visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park. We were warmly welcomed by the staff at 3 PM. After check-in the staff introduced us to our room and showed our futons and showed us how the hotel private onsen worked. We had two breakfast en one dinner. The kaiseki dinner was perfect! Everything was cooked to perfection. We had some regional dishes, soup and fresh sashimi and sushi. Of course I am forgetting so much more delicious food. The Ryokan also provides a key for the bath houses in town. Really fun to walk in traditional yukata and collect all stamps. Definitely recommend 10/10! And a key memory of our time in Japan!

We just experienced two of the most magical nights in the Kuan suite at the Shibu-Onsen Kokuya. The suite enhanced the calm and tranquility the whole place eminated. The two onsens in our suite were breath taking and the sauna off the bedroom was perfect. There is a sitting room that provided a wonderful place to read, and a large desk overlooking the koi pond that was a wonderful distraction.|We were served dinner and breakfast by Hiroshi each day that made us feel like such royality. The presentation of each dish was a piece of art. He was so kind, wam and very efficient, just like the rest of the staff. They picked us up and returned us to the train station and also drove us to the monkey park.|The location is central and one could experience several other onsens in the area, however, we did not feel the need or desire to leave our suite since we had it all.

Our stay here was fantastic! Authentic Japanese style, complete with Yakata to wear. The meals were wonderful. Access to the baths in the hotel was a treat. The staff was attentive and welcoming. Great location near all the public baths. The entire experience was magical

Amazing Japanese experience at this Ryokan. The staff are very helpful and happy to advise and answer queries. We had a private outdoor onsen and shower which was fantastic with a wide range of nice toiletries. The Japanese dinner and breakfast were beautifully presented and served with explanations and preferences catered for. The Ryokan provide Japanese clothing and slippers which add to the experience and make great photos. Your room and futon are prepared whilst you are at dinner. The Ryokan provide a shuttle bus from the station if you ring them to confirm your train arrival time. They will also drive you to the Snow Monkey Park and leave your luggage in a secure locker near the station for you to pick up when you are leaving the area. |Thank you for a lovely time!

We had an amazing stay at Kokuya! The staff were so friendly, the food was delicious, the location is super convenient to check out Snow Monkey Park (and also very serene), the room was spotless and so cozy. Lastly, the onsen here are so relaxing and having a variety to try within the hotel was such a treat! Would stay here again!

I had a 1-night stay. The ryokan reached out the day of to ask if we needed a shuttle which was super helpful. They have multiple people checking people in at once and you pretty much dive right in. You can book their internal onsens at that time which is advised since some time slots and onsens were already booked.||Their English is understandable and they really try to use English as best they can.||Dinner for us was at 6 and was very tasty. I have some allergies and preferences (shellfish, raw fish) and they tailored around for the most part. They served me a dish with shrimp but realized it before I opened the pot. One of the soups I was served did have crab so I didn't eat it, but just a warning for anyone with severe allergies.||The building is a bit difficult to navigate. I recommend using the lobby as your reference point and go from there.||The room itself was very cozy. Nighttime in winter was very cold so we had to turn the heater on higher than normal.|It was wonderful being able to have an onsen to ourselves and there are so many to choose from. I don't recommend using their restrooms outside the room. I found the one I used outside one of the onsens a bit dirty and had the "toilet smell."||Staff was really kind and welcoming. I did not catch his name but we had a male staff assist us during our stay. I'm sad we didn't get to say bye to him.||Breakfast was very filling but not heavy. The soft boiled egg was perfect! They gave us the option of having bfast at 8:00 or 8:30 but I chose 8 because I didn't want to rush to check out.||Shuttle to the monkey park and tip on where to call taxi were perfect for us. I recommend going to the monkey park when they offer the shuttle (9:15). There were some crowds of people when we got to the park, but when walking back there were MANY more groups heading towards the park. This was on a weekday.||Overall I really recommend this ryokan for anyone looking to stay at Shibu Onsen. It was great value and provided a wonderful experience.