Onsen was spectacular (go late at night and you may have it to yourself!). The futon beds are very comfortable relative to other futons on tatami’s we have slept on. The kaiseki dinner is excellent and made with love. The owners genuinely care and you can tell they love hosting international people! The town of Yamanouchi is also very lovely with great food options if you decide to walk down. Just be sure to get to the ryokan during the day during spring/summer, as the last train to town from Nagano station leaves at 5pm!! It’s a 13,000 yen taxi ride to the hotel otherwise (learned from experience)

Location is great if you are there to go to the snow monkey park, as it is only a 15-20 minute walk to the entrance. The room was nice and big, with the futons being very comfortable. We went in winter, and it was very cold, but the room with the heater was bearable. The onsen is beautiful, mostly empty if you go very early or very late, otherwise it is also open to the public and it can get a bit crowded. The couple that runs the hotel is very nice, and they gave us a ride to the station on the day we were leaving. It is a walkable distance from shibu onsen itself (10 mins), so even with snow you can go and sightsee in Shibu.

Beware there is no food places around, so I would recommend booking the food (specially dinner) from the hotel. If you want to go onsen hopping in Shibu it is possible, but a bit troublesome. It was not the main objective of our trip, so we didn't mind. Buses from Yudanaka station or Nagano station to the location of the hotel do not run past 5ish (and for some reason taxi apps do not work in that area) so I would suggest planning transport in a way you arrive before that to the hotel itself.

This is a little gem of a property. Fully immersed ourselves in the Japanese way. Rooms are traditional which involves sleeping and sitting on mats on the floor. We were warm and comfortable the whole time despite sub zero temperatures outside, the couple that run it are absolute angels. They looked after us so well, were very flexible. The onsen is amazing, it is also traditional (I.e. separate make and female onsens, fully naked), outdoors under the stars was a once in a lifetime experience. I would recommend having breakfast and dinner at the hotel, Shibu Onsen is a short walk away but the restaurants there are limited in opening hours and we struggled to get in. A short walk (10-15 mins) to the Snow Monkey Park bus stop, 40-45 mins to the actual park entrance (you have to walk from the bus stop anyway). If you are expecting a generic western style tourist hotel you shouldn’t book here. If you want an amazing experience that you’ll remember, do not hesitate to book here.

Warm and welcoming. Close to Snow Monkey Park. Lovely and helpful staff. We caught transport from Nagano to Snow Monkey Park and then walked the half mile or so to the accommodation which was a bit tricky with the snow falling! After a visit to the monkeys it was back to the accommodation and a lovely dip in the Onsen(so hot!) before a delicious home made meal with so many dishes. Breakfast was also lovely - homemade. Although they had limited English the owners were lovely and helped us to mend a broken suitcase. They also gave us a lift to the local station early in the morning

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It's a family run ryokan with locals staying there too. Although the staff didn't know a lot of English, we were able to communicate and they were super nice. There was a lot of bus, train and snow monkey park information at the check in counter which i found it extremely helpful. They even offered a free shuttle to the snow monkey park in the morning too. The Ryokan was fantastic and very clean. There is no bathroom in our rooms, so we had to go to the public onsen and we loved it. The onsen was the best one we've been to during our trip in Japan. The dinner and breakfast very amazing, it was very homey, everything was delicious.

We didn't stay an extra night!

We had a lovely stay at Monshuku Miyama. The hosts were attentive and we enjoyed a home cooked dinner and breakfast. The room was a traditional large ryoken which was comfortable. The location was excellent, a 10 minute walk away from the base of the snow monkey trail.

It was a bit misleading to get a message from the property explaining they didn’t provide a shuttle service. However when we arrived, there was a note asking us to book a day in advance if we needed a shuttle. This would have been helpful getting to the property in the first place as it was a while from the station. The room was lovely during the day but the small heater in the room couldn’t keep it warm at night. The only showers that we knew of were in the onsen that closed at 10pm.

I am writing this from the perspective of a neurodivergence person who has autism and is sensitive to heat and sound. I found the property quite welcoming with a lot of modern features for a ryokan which may not have always updated their accommodation. The hosts do not speak much English, but they were always friendly and smiling and happy to help out with questions and figure out what I needed. The accommodation itself was very comfortable. I was worried I'd be cold in winter but it was completely fine. I didn't even need the heater, but there was both heating and air conditioning available if anyone does require it. Bed was comfortable and pillows were good too. I also quite enjoyed the outdoors onsen. Was a nice change from all the indoors one. Internet was surprisingly good considering where the accommodation was. Could easily stream some shows so that's always a bonus. Location was neutral. Maybe a 10-15 minute walk into town/restaurants, and an equal distance walk to Snow Monkey Park. I was able to walk with luggage both to and from the express bus stops without issue.

I wasn't too big a fan of the dinner and breakfast. I'm not much of a foodie and like simple food, but it was a bit much for me. I'm sure if you like interesting and traditional Japanese food you'll be fine though. I had a room next to toilets which wasn't great (there are only public ones, not a private one). Even though there were few people staying, I could hear them opening and closing the doors, and at one point someone throwing up. Wasn't very pleasant.

This humble ryokan was an incredible stay. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The rooms were large especially in comparison to most Japanese hotels. Lots of storage. Although the rooms felt a little outdated it added to the charm and slowness we were looking for in the mountains. The location was great. About a 15 min walk to food and about a 20 minute walk to the monkey park entrance. There is also easy access to busses if you're not into walking. The onsen was 10/10. Would absolutely stay here again.

The rooms felt a bit outdated, and there was a tea stain on the tatami. i personally didn't mind this, but i could see how someone else might care about that.

Comfortable lodgings with outdoor onsen and included full Japanese dinner for a very reasonable price. Although the staff only speak a little English, when I asked in (my limited) Japanese they went above and beyond at short notice to provide my partner with a delicious meal which catered to his dietary requirements. For that they earn a fantastic review as this was a rather challenging request when preparing Japanese cuisine (eg. no soy sauce). The accommodation was Japanese style and the facilities in the room were quite dated, but perfectly comfortable for a short stay. Conveniently located for seeing the Snow Monkeys.

Nothing.

Ok first of all if you are looking for a traditional place to stay and feel super comfortable in a cozy futon bed -> here you‘ll have it all. The food is a hommage to japanese gods, it was so delicious and our host was the most amazing cute friendly granny you could have ever ask for! The private Onsen - Wow!

To be fair if you only want to see the snow monkey park, relax a little bit and have a chill time, here is where you have to go. But if you‘re an outdoor girl und want to live a little, it is a bit too far outside the city.