Tobira Onsen Myojinkan

UPDATE April 26, 2025|I am not sure what to write that is as new and creative as Tobira Onsen Myojinkan deserves. Everything about this property continues to be wonderful. The rooms are great, the food is outstanding at both the French and Japanese restaurants and the service at every level is sublime. Please see last year's review as nothing has changed including the great staff. Special mention to this year's French dinner prepared by Chef Osawa who works under Chef Hando which was Michelin starred in quality and creativity. The Japanese breakfast (which is changed every day) is also terrific. There is no better testimonial to a hotel than repeat customers and we will be making our reservation for next year in the next week....only we are going to stay even longer. Our favorite place in the world.||UPDATE March 9, 2024:|We just checked out of Tobira Onsen Myojinkan after a second lovely two night stay. As per our review of last year below, nothing has changed. It is still as wonderful as ever. The property itself is in a peaceful rustic setting that brings tranquility to a new level, the onsens are great and the food at both dinner and breakfast is terrific in every way. We stayed in the same room (even though we were offered an upgrade because it was our anniversary) but opted to stay in our room from last year because it is so perfect.|Everything is great with the property but what sets Tobira Onsen truly apart is the extraordinary service.....even on Japanese standards. We would like to recognize those wonderful people and are sorry we did not get everyone's name.|First of all our thanks to all the chefs in the kitchen for their masterful meals, Mizuho-san and Hina-san for all their help in organizing things before our arrival, Ito-san who is very helpful at the front desk, Tsunomoto-san who met us on arrival and who helped us many times during our stay, Yamada-san and Yamamoto-san who keep the champagne flowing in the 3rd floor lounge, Kamijo-san whom we met last year and who waited for us to finish dinner, even though starting her days off, just to say hello and of course the ever friendly, professional and hugely engaging Kawai-san.|It is not often that one has such an amazing service experience that you take down the names but every one of these people (and there were many more) made our stay that much more special. Tobira Onsen Myojinkan is now an annual destination for us and anyone else who craves peace, professionalism, great food and extraordinary service.

Unfortunately we only stayed here for one night but even the one night experience was worth it! The rooms are cozy, spacious and comfortable, with private ofuro bath in the room. Hotel has two restaurants- Japanese and French. We have tried both and the food is amazing! It was a delicious paradise. The surrounding are beautiful and so are the views! We didn’t manage to walk around but it looked very beautiful, we have seen many Sakura trees in its full blossom 🌸 on the way to the ryokan. The only reason I gave it a 4 out of 5 is that the amenities are little bit dated but everything is authentic and in full and good functionality! The common bath are very nice and convenient, we managed to try few rooms. I will definitely recommend the place to my friends and future travelers to Matsumoto area, very pretty city to visit!

Lovely interiors at a Relais & Chateau property. Take the top floor rooms which look out into the mountains. Room is very well designed. Standing onsen is superb. Jap food was good but not spectacular though some very good broths in the line up. Breakfast was simple. Didn’t try the French restaurant. Staff are professional but not warm like the smaller family owned onsens. There’s a nice short walk to a small dam but nothing much to do on the property (which is ideal for a ryokan).

It was our favourite hotel in Japan, the service was incredible and the staff was wonderful. The hotel was equipped with a lot of onsens which made the experience even more wonderful. We came here for our honeymoon and it exceeded our expectations, the staff made our time there so special. We are very grateful for a wonderful two days spent there. Will definitely come back and we highly recommend this hotel to anyone that comes in this area as it’s a must!

We spent 18 days in Japan (from the US). We splurged on our last night and stayed at myojinkan resort. It was absolutely amazing and my only regret is not staying longer! We had 6 coursed meals while in Japan and our French Japanese style dinner at this place was hands down our favorite of our entire Japan trip! It was also the best sleep we’ve had. Due to my extensive tattooed body, it was nice to get a room (Western Style Zen Room) that had a mini onsen in the room since I’m not allowed in public ones. The view was amazing. I loved the sitting area in our room where we could drink our nespresso coffee in the morning and look out. The mini fridge was stocked w good drinks as well. The staff was hands-down top notch. We had the French dinner and the traditional Japanese breakfast options and both were amazing. If we come back to Japan, we will stay at this place for more than one night!

We loved this place! We stayed only one night (at the back end of a few days hiking on the Nakasendo Trail) but we truly enjoyed our stay. Perfect for some well-deserved relaxation after the hike! The hotel is a mix of a Japanese ryokan and Western style hotel - and part of the Relais & Chateaux network. After a couple of nights in more traditional ryokans, we had chosen western style rooms / bedding (very comfortable) and the French style dinner (which turned out to be fusion French / Japanese, it was delicious!) and we didn’t regret it. The onsen baths (3 different ones) are great, a very relaxing and pretty space (views out into the forest), and we enjoyed a massage at the spa. Lovely welcome and efficient service too. We wished we had stayed a bit longer!

I really wanted to like this place and I will say the room is very nice but the service is pretty terrible. I had made a reservation at the French restaurant for dinner and the Japanese restaurant for breakfast and the staff confirmed this. Please see photo for reference. When I went to go to breakfast they told me I had made it at the French restaurant. I had to argue with them even though I showed them the email. In the end they were unprepared and couldn’t serve me the breakfast so we asked for it to be delivered to the room and they sent me a western breakfast, which I specifically stated I didn’t want. I wouldn’t waste your time or money here. Poor service and attitude from the staff. There are so many beautiful ryokans in Japan with amazing food and service, but this one is not that.

The hotel is impressive since the arrival, with a great welcome in the grand lobby. |Guests are checked in by the person who will take care of them throughout their stay: showing them their room and the facilities, explaining the menu during the meals, etc.|Rooms are very spacious and very comfortable, full of nice details, great toiletries and dressing gowns, slippers, etc.|There are several onsen in the hotel. I visited two of them. In particular there is one that opens up onto the adjacent forest and the river below. It had snowed the day before, and the contrast between the cold environment and the hot water made the experience even better and the place itself even more beautiful.|The hotel offers a choice of kaiseki or French dinner. We chose the former and Japanese breakfast, and they were both excellent, in keeping with the rest of the hotel.|All the personnel were helpful and polite, keen to explain the food or the traditions and in general make the stay smooth and pleasant.

I know I am going to be an outlier here with this review but I have to share our experience which seems to be different from others. We stayed only one evening and it was with an organized tour group. Our room was on the second floor and was very spacious. It was a western style room. The room was very clean but dated. The soft lighting will either be good for you (we were ok with it) or this will be a problem. It's dark in the rooms, even with all the lights on. The bathroom is a good size with a large walk in shower. Unfortunately, the room had a very musty smell that did not go away. Opening the window did help but without a screen, we weren't ready to leave it open all night. Our 2nd floor hallway was shared with one of the kitchens and the strong smell of garbage was ever present. This smell is unacceptable for a Relais and Chateaux level hotel but honestly is unacceptable for any hotel. The hotel does have a wonderful calmness about it so if you are looking to relax this might be your spot. We found the food to be well presented but average or below average tasting. Flavors seemed a bit fishy, like fishy tasting bacon at breakfast. Dinner was the same for us- a well presented Japanese meal but many flavors did not appeal to us. These tastes may favor the Japanese palate, not an American palate. We have been in Japan for 8 days and have really enjoyed a number of Japanese dinners and lunches, these just didn't hit the mark for us. The reason to come here is the onsen. 3 baths, separated by gender. Wonderful deep bath exposed to the out doors. The hotel is away from the town, up a steep narrow road so plan your trips to town accordingly!

This is a world class authentic Japanese ryokan. You have a choice of a western or Japanese room. You leave your shoes on entering the facility and leave them there until you leave. They give you slippers to wear around inside. The rooms are large and have a great view of the outdoors. We left our large window cracked and enjoyed the sound of nature. There is a nice, relaxing sitting area. The bed is huge and comfy. Bathroom is large. Staff are friendly and attentive. Food is delicious. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

My partner and I stayed at Tobira Onsen Myojinkan for three nights, and overall, I thought it was a great property and a very good option for a traditional ōnsen. Reading the reviews, I was kind of mixed and uncertain what to expect. Ultimately, going here for one or two days is not a good investment of time, because you cannot enjoy the amenities and location when you're constantly on the move to get to this somewhat isolated spot. 3 to 4 days is ideal to take advantage of all aspects of staying here. When we arrived, we viewed both a Japanese-style room in a Western-style room, and they both were gorgeous. All the rooms have been renovated and the attention to detail is impressive. Because of our loyalty status with Relais & Chateaux hotels, we were given the opportunity to upgrade to a Western room. Our particular room was one of the 14 with an indoor/outdoor private bath, which was the highlight of our stay. Having the ability to just hop in your own tub and enjoy the scenery is a great amenity. All the rooms have a bath in them, as do most hotels in Japan for that matter, but the indoor/outdoor aspect was really great even in winter. The food was also a standout. Breakfast and dinner are included in the rate, which you should factor in when you see the prices. We had two Japanese meals and one French meal, which you can choose to your liking. The Japanese traditional meal was extensive and tasty and quite the performance. It definitely made me feel like I was at a traditional Japanese resort. The menu changes with the seasons and whatever is fresh, and this area of Japan is a veritable bread basket for fruits and vegetables, as well as beef. There are three main onsen baths for guests, which are segregated based on gender.  If you haven't done this type of experience before, after the first day you get the hang of it and what you're supposed to do in terms of bathing before and after. It is a very calming experience, to say the least. There is also a daily shuttle down the mountain to Matsumoto, which you should take advantage of if you are staying for three or more days. (If you're staying for one or two days, I would remain on the property so you get as much use out of the onsen and other amenities that you can.) Matsumoto is a very walkable town with good shops and lots of history -- perfect for a daytrip and then onsen baths when you return! We loved Tobira Onsen Myojinkan, and had a fantastic time.