The owner really went out of his ways to make sure I make the most out of my stay. In the morning he would have his staff send us to the monkey park by his personal car. He will give me 10 different kinds of maps in English and highlight the places to go. The hotel has a lot of testimonials from guests all over the world about this ryokan; this alone is enough to tell you about the level of hospitality of this ryokan and their owners. Did I forget to mention the dining room has a cool self play piano ? I want to come back here again.

Nothing really. This place has charm of a wise man.

Located only 500m from Yudanaka station was handy - although uphill so some people may like to use a taxi service from the station. Traditional rooms with tatami mats and futons to sleep on. The bedding was quite comfortable however after 3 nights it was nice to move on to a normal bed again. A simple breakfast but well worth the 700 yen. Ichiro provides a lift to the Monkey Safari park for free - you will need to walk back (about 3.5km) but it's all downhill and a nice walk. The onsite onsen is also good, They have traditional male and female (yes naked!), but you can book a private onsen for couples etc. which was convenient.

It has no elevator/lift and climbing to the 4th floor with luggage is a bit of work, but it's fine if you're able.

Very kind hosts - we arrived early expecting to just drop our bags and they let us check in. Arranged to drive us to the monkey park and drove us to the station too, providing lots of local information. Private onsen was a really nice experience for us as a family. The location is great to get to from the station. Room was really as expected - balcony area was nice to chill out in with a view of the mountains. Breakfast was simple but nice with a piano that could play itself! It's an unprententious and authentic place with heaps of character, while being very foreign tourist friendly.

Bit of a strange smell in the bathroom.

The host was very warm and welcoming, I loved the traditional style room and the high floor had a great view. Also, they are so accommodating with lifts to both the snow monkey park and the train station. This was really helpful as we were travelling with a little baby. The in-room shower was also good to have.

On their website, they mention they offer a dinner Kaiseki option but unfortunately on arrival this wasn’t being offered. This was a big shame as we’d booked thinking we could get a nice homely dinner when staying with our small baby and then go to bed. Also, the American continental style breakfast was disappointing, again I was hoping for the Japanese breakfast advertised but this wasn’t available either.

The service was superb. I delivered my luggage there before check in. They help us place in our room on 4th floor despite there is no elevator. The host, Yumoto was very knowledgeable around and recommended some interesting town to visit such as Obuse and Suzaka. The room and the public bath was squeaky clean although appeared a bit old. His son gave us a lift to the station when we depart. We will come back here if we were to visit Yudanaka.

The room's shower at 4th floor smells weird but we are not using it since there is private onsen bath.

Our stay at Shimaya was one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I've been coming to Japan for over ten years. Mr Yumoto was extremely friendly and helpful at check-in. If you call in advance, they will come and pick you up from Yudanaka Onsen train station, and they also dropped us back at the station when we left. We had come mainly to see the monkeys at Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, and the hotel very kindly offered to drop us there first thing in the morning after breakfast, free of charge - this meant we were one of the first in the park and got a totally unrestricted view of the monkeys, and didn't have to walk all the way from the bus stop. Mr Yumoto also suggested a lovely walk back through neighbouring Shibu Onsen, and provided us with a detailed map with suggested stops. The room was on the 4th floor - we had suitcases and there is no lift, so bear this in mind - which meant we had gorgeous views of the mountains and the snow, and it was so quiet and peaceful. There was green tea waiting for us in the room, and we could choose our yukata at check-in to wear around the ryokan and to the onsen. The women's onsen was so peaceful - the room was mostly wooden, and the water was nice and hot at about 40/41 degrees, so after being outside in the snow all day it was perfect to warm up in. The breakfast was simple but delicious - you can toast your own bread, and help yourself to eggs, yoghurt, fruit, cereal and hot drinks. There's a self-playing piano in the breakfast room, and every day Mr and Mrs Yumoto came to check on us to see if we needed lifts anywhere or if we knew where to get the bus. Finally, we were so lucky to be able to take part in some local festivities during our stay - the burning of New Year's Decorations or 'Dotonyaki'. We went with the staff to the riverside by car, and got to toast mochi ricecakes and marshmallows over the embers. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! 改めまして、本当にありがとうございました！

Nothing.

Yumoto-san was the most cheerful and helpful host ever! He drove us to the monkey park and explained the map for our way back, along with recommending a few places. He even walked me to the public onsen when I couldn't find where it was. The hotel itself isn't modern or luxurious but it has its own charm. The place has traditional Japanese rooms and balconies. We were on the 4th floor and we got to see fireworks at night and the amazing snowcapped mountains early in the morning. 2 nights was not enough and will definitely come back!

The bathroom smells a little bit, more like Sulphur smell. But it wasn't a big concern. Also, there are no elevators so be prepared to walk up and down, which we didn't mind at all :)

Staying at Shimaya was easily the highlight of our trip to Japan. The lovely couple who runs the inn is incredibly sweet and friendly, making us feel right at home. They speak enough English to help you get by and ensure you have everything you need. The private onsen is stunning and more spacious than it appears, while the public onsens are even larger and truly beautiful. The rooms are surprisingly spacious compared to other hotel rooms we’ve stayed in during our trip, and the traditional Japanese beds are super comfortable. We made sure to get a room that had an attached bathroom sunce the hotel has both options. The hotel also provides snow boots in all sizes and offers a convenient ride to the Snow Monkey Park. They even gave us a map with a recommended walking route back through Shibu Onsen, which was breathtakingly beautiful. Their recommendations for activities and dining were spot-on and added so much to our experience. Breakfast was nice and filling, with fresh-cut fruit, bread, coffee, cereal, milk, and more. Keep in mind that the hotel does not have an elevator, so it’s best to travel light with backpacks or carry-ons. One unique feature of staying in Yamanouchi is the access to three public bathhouses in the area, which you can visit with a key provided by the front desk. We highly recommend bringing a small keychain or token from your home country to add to the board they’ve been curating for decades. It’s such a charming and thoughtful tradition. We are already looking forward to returning to Shimaya on our next trip!

Yumotosan and his family are amazing people. We loved the room, location, Onsen, the recommendations. We were taken to the Snow money park in the morning by cat and that helped us neat the crowds. We had to leave in hurry the next morning as a snow storm started and we could not do any other activities and they took us to the Yudanaka station at a very short notice. The a service is very customer oriented and friendly. We would stay again a Ms recommend heartedly. Thank you

All was good

Shimaya was the best stay in our trip to Japan! The host was super helpful, gave us great tips for the region and drove us for free to the monkey park. They have a simple but very fair breakfast and the room was super cozy and comfortable. The indoor onsen is also really nice and hot! There is one for men and one for women and both my husband and i were very happy with them. You can also book an outdoor private onsen that is less then 5 minutes away. That was really amazing and relaxing and it was great to be able to go together. The stay was definitely one of the highlights of the whole trip!

The only small comment i would have is that they don’t have a dinner option, which the booking.com page says they have and there are also lots of comments and pictures in the reviews about both dinner and more elaborate breakfast. I assume they either don’t do that anymore or do it only in high season. Either way, it was not a big deal, but good to know and adjust your expectations :) there are great places to have dinner nearby though!