Great traditional ryokan that I can recommend to anyone! Nice staff, really good japanese style breakfast, beautiful rooms and so much more. I used the ryokan’s onsen every morning and night. Also great location as Zenkōji temple is located right next to the ryokan. 5/5 stars!

Incredible location. As in you could not beat it when you are within the temple grounds and the accommodation is on market and shopping strip making it incredibly convenient to eat and shop. The train station is a lovely 15 min walk down the main part of the city and we even discovered a small playground with bouncing pillow nearby!

A lot of people recommend the breakfast and dinner but as a family with young kids unfortunately it wasn’t for us. Don’t get me wrong it was incredible and fresh and filling if you can eat that much fish and we were felt full but not western bloated which was good!

If you are coming to Nagano and wish to be a part of the Zenkōji experience, THIS IS THE PLACE! My daughter and I felt as if we had been transported back in time. The staff was incredible and the amenities were outstanding. The onsen was clean and the room was so comfortable. We chose the one with the private bathroom and that was a huge bonus. Even the green tea in the room was delicious. The location just made this even better.

There is a restriction from midnight to 5AM as far as trying to get back into the ryokan. That said, it did not affect us, I was able to get out early as I wanted to get in my morning run and Nagano is not Tokyo, everything closes there pretty early in that neighborhood. So if you want to party, this is not the place for you.

This property was highly recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. The location was fantastic! It was so close to the Zenkoji Temple and the street leading up to it was so lively with tourists & shops until 5:30/6:00pm then quiet afterwards! Perfect. The ryokan has a Kaiseki (traditional Japanese dinner) which you can arrange for an extra cost. It was such a filling meal with so many different things to try! There was a kids (lunch box) option that suited our children well. Adults 4400 JPY and Kids 2750 JPY. A Japanese style breakfast was included in our stay and it was delicious as well. While you are at dinner, your room is converted from a sitting area to sleeping quarters. And vice versa during breakfast. The beds were quite comfortable! I also found out that this ryokan was been operated by the same family for 150 years (currently 6th generation)! I would definitely stay at this property again! There is a ceremony at the temple at dawn that can be observed (which we unfortunately did not catch).

Everything was great!

An absolutely wonderful place to stay to experience a traditional Japanese Ryokan. The breakfasts were varied each day and beautifully presented. The fact that the Ryokan is located at the start of the Zenkoji temple complex made it even better. It was only 3km from the train station so okay walking without bags. The advantage is because of its position you could walk just a few meters to pick up a taxi to the station which only cost 1200Y.

Whilst English was difficult for some of the staff we still managed to communicate okay. Overall there is nothing negative I can say.

Fantastic location between the Niomon and Sanmon gats of Zenkoji. A picturesque walk home every night up the nakamisedori. The original location of Zenkoji temple before it burnt down, this old ryokan is one of the best accommodations we have had in several Japan trips. Quite a sizeable room that was set up and packed away every day by the staff. And the futons were comfortable and cozy despite it being 1 degree Celsius each night. Fantastic food, different breakfast each morning, very tasty and the servings were huge. The staff were all so kind and helpful, and the old couple who own the place were always very smiling

Absolutely nothing to complain about.

This location is excellent. It is inside the temple grounds and we had a magical experience with cold weather, rain, and snow on our arrival night making a beautiful walk around the temple grounds. Breakfast was fabulous, and the staff were exceptional, despite the language barrier. This is a traditional Ryokan, not a high end hotel. However, we much preferred it and our experience was excellent. This location is a great stop-over to closer ski destinations but does not provide easy resort access. However if you are staying to see Nagano, do day trips, or visit Zengoji temple, it is excellent, easy, and clean.

When we made our reservation, we opted for the all-inclusive package that included breakfast and dinner. Both meals were fantastic! They consisted of a variety of small dishes, making it a delightful culinary experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive. They kindly picked us up from our room for breakfast and dinner, and they even provided roomservice throughout our stay. Additionally, they always greeted us warmly whenever we returned from a day trip. The room itself was a pleasant surprise. It featured tatami mats, which we were instructed to leave our shoes at the entrance and wear our socks or slippers provided by the hotel. This unique experience added to the overall charm of our stay. Moreover, it was our first time visiting an onsen, which was a delightful and relaxing addition to our itinerary.

The location on the main pedestrian street that leads to the famous shrine was fabulous. Also this ryokan is really historic- read the sign outside the hotel. (Many of the historic marker signs Aaron’s town and in the shrine had an English translation I really appreciated this!) Nagano was a great surprise. Great little shops and the temple with the dark passage to find the key to happiness (go early) Breakfast at the ryokan was fabulous. The staff was kind. The ryokan was clean. The beds were comfortable. Eat at Ogawanoshodaimonten- watch them cook the stuffed breads over an open fire.

The rooms are quite small, but this is to be expected in an old historic building.

Cute little ryokan in an amazing location, right by Zenkoji Temple on the shopping street leading up to the temple. I can't emphasize enough how great the location is, you really can't do better if you want to stay near the temple area. Staff was extremely friendly, polite and helpful. The Japanese style breakfasts were very tasty and filling.

The breakfast start time options were 7, 7:30 or 8am which were all a little too early for us -- if the latest serving was at 9am it would have been preferable (we're on vacation after all). The room could use one additional lamp. The ceiling light was extremely bright and the wall lamp was quite dim so it would have been nice to have an additional lamp on the other side of the room so we wouldn't have to keep the ceiling light on constantly.