Kokuya Ryokan Shibu Onsen

If you are planning to visit in Shibu Onsen or the nearby Snow Monkey Mountain, Kokuya must be your place of accommodation. Although I stayed only for 1 night, it didn't felt enough because I was so impressed with bot just how well their ryokan and rooms were kept, but their service and care towards guests as well. Check in: I was one a few guests whom reached the ryokan early, just before check-in time. Their staff ushered me to take a sit first and unwind, showing me pamphlets of the nearby Snow Monkey Mountain, letting me know of what I should take note as I'm heading there. I was then introduced to Jenny, a staff at Kokuya whom speaks perfect English and had no issues communicating with me. Jenny proceeded to take down my details and asked for my meal timing preference before showing me to my room. I then had my height roughly estimated by her for my yukata measurement which she brought to me immediately. Following her to my room, she briefed me the restaurant/meal location as well at the ryokan's onsen while on the way. Upon reaching my room, she handed me the master key to visit the 9 public baths around Shibu Onsen (which i had no prior knowledge of them) as well as educating me in participating in the 9 public baths. She also taught me how to wear the yukata which she chose for me as well as informing me that my tatami mattress would be set up when I am having my dinner. Check in went super smooth throughout thanks to Jenny! Room: I chose the Japanese Style Room with Open Air bath. Needless to say, the room was huge and extremely specious. Everything was prepared neatly and everything was kept clean. Jenny showed me the water adjustment for my own private onsen and warned that both the private and 9 public baths were hot so just be careful. The toilet itself was automatic and there was a remote control at the side although it's all in Japanese, I had to Google Translate some of the functions to know what I was going to press. All and all, the room was perfect. Meals: I was served a 9-course Izakaya dinner at Kokuya. This dinner was nothing but superb, being prepared by both their chef as well as their kitchen staff and carefully brought in by the hotel staff and everything tasted delicious (I was super well- fed that evening). Jenny was once again there to guide and inform me of the dishes as well as the ingredients of each dish. Occasionally, she'll check in and ask if the meal is going well. Having my meal alone, I could hear guests from other tables how satisfied they were at Kokuya's service. Their meal staff will really stop what they are doing and take time to speak to you, answering whatever questions you have (regarding Shibu Onsen/nearby temples/Snow Monkey Park/your stay at their ryokan) and ensuring you are at your best comfort. Check out: Checking out was quick, handing my key only. I thing that surprised me thoroughly was when I exited my room and headed to the front desk, their staff had already arranged the shoes for every hotel guest for wearing (see photo). This service was really top notch and their staff really went the extra mile. Overall: My stay in Kokuya was nothing but fantastic and it exceeded my expectations beyond anything. Service, check. Room cleanliness and comfort, check. Ryokan that has onsen and is conveniently located near the 9 public onsens of Shibu Onsen, check. Just can't get any better than this. Special thanks to the staff for taking care of me and answering any doubts I had regarding temple visiting around Shibu Onsen and surrounding areas. Big massive shoutout to Jenny for serving me throughout my trip in Kokuya (you were great!).

We had a warm welcome at this charming ryokan. We tried each of the private onsens and enjoyed a private soak in the mineral water. The quaint town is a nice place for quiet strolls. We especially enjoyed breakfasts and dinners here. We got to sample many traditional dishes that I've never seen in restaurants. This was real Japanese home cooking and every bite was a delicious surprise.

This was a great experience. It was like being enveloped in an stress-free bubble where everything is provided for your comfort from delicious meals to comfy yukatas. It was amazing to have a private onsen. The staff were remarkably kind and spoke English. My only criticism is the facility is a bit dated and could use a face-lift. If only 5-star hotels meet your stands, Shibu-Onsen Kokuya might disappoint you. But I loved it.

This is a good place for that onsen experience. We had our own onsen in the room and you could book any of the other onsens in the hotel. We stayed one night, food was included (dinner and breakfast).|They will pick you up from the local train station if you tell them what time you are arriving. This can be a problem, in Japan you don't get a telephone number with your eSIM and they don't have a WhatsApp number. We used the messaging service on Booking.com (who we booked the hotel through) to get in touch and it worked.|They also provide a lift to the Snow Monkey park in the morning and they have their own luggage storage by the local train station. It's a slick operation, go to park, get local bus back to train station, pick up luggage and go!|The room was nice. I wasn't a fan of the traditional rock hard Japanese pillow but that's probably just me. Food was fine, it's all Japanese and you eat in your own partitioned section of the restaurant.|I should have looked around a bit more on arrival as I missed seeing the bar next door. You eat quite early and then there is nothing really to do except use the onsens. The bar would have been good!

It was a great stay. The staff was super friendly and spoke English. The had parking vallet, provided an outfit to change into and roam outside. The hot springs was super relaxing and great for the feet and body. We tried five of their private hot spring rooms out of the many more they had, some had super hot water while others were warm. The outside room hot springs were beautifully decorated. They gave us access to the 9 public onsens that had different minerals in the  for body healing. At night it was even more beautiful with the night walk and the town puts on a beautiful show and night market. Super glad we booked the stay.

We spent in this ryokan only one night, but it was great. The staff is super friendly and polite. We had the bath in our room and a reserved table for an incredible breakfast. Shuttle to and from the Yudanaka Station is a very useful plus. A mention for the guy who received us, great supporter of VR46. He was very polite and nice.|Highly recommended ryokan.

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.

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!