Wonderful experience ”

From the moment we arrived the Ryokan staff were wonderful. They were kind and attentive throughout and really went the extra mile to ensure our stay was a memorable one. The private onsen was absolutely fantastic and highly recommended. The food was absolutely delicious and Shibu Onsen by night is breathtakingly beautiful. At the end of our stay the staff took us back to Yudanaka station and the overall experience at Shibu Onsen Kokuya was one we will always remember with great fondness.

great stay”

We enjoyed our stay at Kokuya. The guy (he was handsome and I told him he looked like a movie actor) who showed us to the room and explained the facilities of the ryokan did a great job. He and his assistant also handled our dinner and breakfast, explaining the various dishes. The food was fabulous. My wife and I have stayed at various ryokan, and I enjoyed the food here the most. For the first time, I could really see and appreciate the presentation aspects of each dish as a work of art. As like most ryokan, Kokoya is not modern, so some westerners might have some quibble with some aspect of the room layout (particularly the entrance to the bathroom--if not careful, you could lose your step when you open the door) or the stairs. When we checked out, the okamisama gave us onigiri to eat on our journey to Nagano. They were delicious. Kokuya also picked us up and dropped us off at Yudanaka station. Thank you, Kokuya, for a great stay.

Exceptional”

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Kokuya ryokan onsen. Aftering arriveing at Yudanaka, we were met by a friendly staff member to catch the free shuttle bus service directly to the door of the hotel (pre arranged the day before by calling the hotel). Check-in is at 3pm, not before. On check-in we had an orenitation of the hotel and given the protocols of bathing and the use of the hot baths. At this onsen, there are two "mixed" baths i.e. suitable for couples, where as the 9 public baths in town are strictly gender specific. Our room was expectionally clean and of traditional style. We found the futon bed exceptionally comfortable. Each room was air-conditioned. The tap water was safe to drink. The staff spoke some English and we had no problems communicating. The ryokan is located is a 10 minute bus shuttle to the snow monkeys (free service from the hotel). Breakfast (Japanese or western style) and dinner (11 course) was included in the room fee that was amazing. We highly recommend this Ryokan/Onsen for people who are looking at experiencing authentic traditional Japanese accomodation and hospitality. It is just brilliant!

Fantastic stay”

Wonderful stay at this ryokan. Upon arrival at the train station, a volunteer called the hotel to summon a shuttle. Daisy was our wonderful personal English speaking assistant who was with us from arrival to departure . Great food with 8 different baths/onsen in the hotel. Staying in town granted us access to the 9 public baths( think more rustic than spa). The hotel also offered a shuttle to the snow monkey park. We would highly recommend a stay with Shibu onsen kokuya and visiting this area on Japan!

Absolutely fantastic - don't miss staying here.”

We just loved Kokuya. The service was outstanding, the experience was great fun and truly memorable and the location to the monkeys is perfect. The only problem was we only had one night there and we didn't have time to experience all the local Onsens. We had our own Onsen attached to our room (highly recommend it) however the small street of Shibu Onsen is full of character and you can just imagine it 100's of years ago. Whilst its touristy it is not at all tacky or disneyfied in any way. In the evening the street is so atmospheric. We even got to see the lunar eclipse from our Onsen on a Cleary starry night. Heaven.

Well worth the price”

Safe yourself the googling and go for this ryokan in Shibu-Onsen. I chose this over some cheaper options because we had a private toilet in the room and they provided breakfast, dinner and transport from the station for check-in. The stay itself was outstanding. We had a lovely host who spoke in perfect English and explained everything to us. The room itself was spacious and the tatami mats were soft. They made up our mattress beds whilst we had dinner and we slept wonderfully after our hot spring experience. We opted for a room without a private hot spring bath in it as we opted to do the 9 hot spring challenge where you visit all 9 hot spring baths within Shibu-Onsen village. We got all 9 stamps on our collectable souvenir cloths and were pretty tuckered out come dinner time. And boy was dinner a treat! Served in the traditional Kaiseki style, we had 10 separate small dishes to enjoy as part of the menu and they left us comfortably full. Don't hesitate, just go for it!

Caring and attentive staff”

Staff were very caring and accommodating. My daughter has soy allergy and staff were very helpful in providing non soy meals for her breakfast and dinner. We had a fantastic time at Shibu Onsen Kokuya. We highly recommended them. Thank you for making our stay so special.

Exceptional”

Kokuya was the best accommodation that we stayed at in Japan during our three week stay over the holidays. While the price is a bit higher than some of the other properties in the area, we found it to be well deserved. Some of the highlights for us included: a) A personalized welcome, with the staff from the Ryokan coming to the room with us to show us its various features, and explain the facilities and food options b) The dinner and breakfast (additional extras) were exceptional. These were quality we would expect at a Michelin restaurant. c) The eight onsen available within the facility were impeccably clean, and absolutely gorgeous. They were the best onsen we experienced during our stay in Japan. d) The location is within walking distance to the Monkey Park Absolutely would recommend anyone to stay here to experience the onsen, meals, and service.

Great location and thoughtful staff”

Price can be high compared to Yudanaka onsens, but it is worth it since you get access to the nine public bath houses available in Shibu onsen area. The staff was also kind enough to drive us back to Yudanaka station when we were checking out.

Extremely pleasant ryokan... highly recommended”

It was a memorable experience for first-timers at a Ryokan. The room with a private onsen was definitely a luxury. There is nothing more soothing than relaxing in your private onsen with snow flakes falling on your head. The staff of Kokuya were all very friendly, helpful, well-trained and highly professional. All meals are kaiseki style (multi-course Japanese dining) with international/western options available. All the kaiseki dishes were phenomenal as they were extremely tasty and flavorful. Kokuya is definitely highly recommended!!!

Nothing can beat this”

This is such a magical place. We felt very pampered by the services provided. We were picked up from the Yudanaka station (free shuttle after 3pm) and once we arrived at the ryokan, our luggages were taken directly to our room. A staff then gave us a quick tour or description of the ryokan before bringing us to our room to explain in more details how everything works. We booked a private onsen and had a sumptuous dinner. Breakfast on the next day was equally good. When we left for the Snow Monkey park in the shuttle bus, the staff came out and waved good bye to us. The ryokan also arranged our luggages to be sent to a cafe so that we can pick them up after our snow monkey trip. On top of that, the ryokan provided some nigiri which we ate on our train trip back to Nagano. This was a nice gesture as we were tight for time. If Th is is your first time going to the Snow Monkey park, I highly recommend that you give this ryokan a go.

Superb onsens and service!”

The 400 year old ryokan is very well maintained! We booked the standard room and had access to all 6 gender separated onsens and 2 private onsens in the hotel (apparently some of their onsens have the same water sources as the public onsens in shibu). The onsens were open to all guests but I found myself alone in the onsens most of the time so it felt very private. The jap dinner set was amazing! And I want to extend my thanks to the ryokan staff for letting us in the rooms early as we arrived before check in time. I have nothing but compliments for this ryokan. Though slightly pricey, I would say the money spent was worth it!

Worth every penny”

I came to Japan for my 40th birthday, and specifically picked Kokuya to spend it in. I got a room with a private onsen (Kasumi) and, after a long afternoon hanging at the monkey park, spent most of the following day/night/day (was there for three nights) hanging in my private tub. There are so many other onsens, both in the ryokan, open all night, and in the town, it would be impossible to visit them all. If that is your thing (it's obviously mine) it's heaven. The service at the hotel was top notch, the food: great, and the beds are super comfortable. Really just a beautiful place and wonderful experience. It's by far the most expensive place I stayed in, over three weeks in Japan, in many many different spots all over the main island, but it was worth it. So worth it. Best birthday I've ever had, maybe, mostly because of this place.

Cute Ryokan”

We got to Yudanaka station from Tokyo station while arranging for us to be picked up at the station. When we got there, no one picked us up. Luckily, the information office called the ryokan for us and someone came to pick us up within 15mins. Aside from that, the whole stay was a pleasant getaway. We tried 4/8 baths that they had and each use was just us and we barely saw other people there. Dinner was a fabulous kaiseki feast. We strolled around the streets in our yukata and it was pretty quiet. In front of the ryokan itself, they sold Onsen cooked soft boiled eggs for ¥50 and that was delicious. We arranged with the ryokan to have them deliver our luggage to a coffee shop nearby Yudanaka station so that we could visit the snow monkey park. The ryokan also offered a ride to the monkey park where you walk for about 30mins to get to the entrance. As for your way back to Yudanaka station, you can either take a bus, taxi, or walk for about an hour.

Exceptional”

Very nice Ryokan. If you want to experience staying at a traditional Ryokan, I will highly recommend Shibu Onsen Kokuya.

Wish I could stay for longer”

My stay at Kokuya was very pleasant and nice. The staff were very friendly and it made me felt very welcome at the hotel. The hot springs in the hotel were clean and good. I recommend to try the 9 public hot springs around the hotel. I only stayed for one night, I had know how great it was at Kokuya, I would definitely stay another night.

Worth it ”

Our stay at Kokuya was excellent. The staff is very friendly. we had the same person for the whole weekend that took care of us. Dinner and breakfast was delicious. We had the February meal for dinner and the japanese style breakfast. We were staying at a room with a private Onsen. The room and the balcony with the Onsen were both clean. There is nothing to complain about. We will definitely go back there.

Exceptional”

Great place to stay in Shibu Onsen. Has own hot springs including two which are for couples if you don't want normal male and female. Staff are super friendly and helpful

Lovely atmosphere, great onsens!”

We stayed at the Kokuya for two nights. The staff were terrific, attentive, friendly - what you expect in Japan. The room was spacious, there is the usual level of "comfort" sleeping on futons. Some love them, I'm ok as long as I can use the maximum number. The highlight was the range of onsens inside the hotel. A lot to choose from and they were brilliant. We had two dinners - one was ok, but not more than that. Winter food in Japan is sometimes a bit pedestrian, lot of root vegetables. The second night's dinner was much better. We had Japanese breakfast and they were ok. Very healthy and looked a better option than the western one. Location is very good, only a couple of kms from the monkey park

Absolutely beautiful ”

Kokuya was exceptional. The beautiful staff and their warm hospitality. The magnificently appointed Ryokan with private onsen. Delicious authentic Japanese cuisine. Superb!