We adored our own personal open-air bath in our room in the Junior Suite we chose! That was one of the highlights of our stay. The hotel is about a 10min walk from the Yudanaka train station with our medium-sized luggage. We opted for a shuttle, which you have to reserve in advance for our return. We love ryokans and this was clean and super comfortable. We chose the option of meals with our rooms, which is highly recommendable because it is delicious and you get to experience kaiseiki dining in a private dining room. In addition, the lovely owner paid us a visit during dinner and we got to converse with her and know a little bit more of her beautiful establishment. She also came out to bid us goodbye when we had to leave.

Our first night of Kaiseiki dining felt a bit rushed as I had to finish my plate so that they could bring in the next course. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for our 2nd night and I got to properly savour our meal.

This is a very traditional Japanese Ryokan – our first experience of Japanese Ryokan culture including sleeping on futons. Our room was super-clean and beautiful, a tatami floor and three carefully laid out futons. We had a large picture window with views of the river below and a stunning beautiful range of mountains all around us. The colours in Autumn all around us were breath-taking. In terms of location, it’s a short walk from the hotel, across the bridge to Yudanaka where we found a handful of restaurants. The village was very quiet but maybe we were there out of season. The snow monkey park is a short easy drive away from the hotel. Disappointingly, we hadn’t booked in for dinner at Aburaya Tousen and it was booked up for both the evenings we were there. Totally our fault - next time we definitely will do this and I’d highly recommend it. We visited the hotel’s brewery close by and had a drink there – the evening we visited there was no food being served there. The breakfast buffet is mainly Japanese traditional food, with extensive choices. We visited the hotel’s rooftop Onsen every evening – this was a beautiful experience out in the fresh clean open air. The Onsen is separate females/males. The hotel also offers private Onsen options. Overall, we were delighted with our stay at Aburaya Tousen – a very traditional, clean and comfortable hotel and a wonderful experience. Very friendly, super helpful team of staff too. We would definitely recommend this hotel.

At first, on arrival, we weren’t quite sure if we were in the right place – we drove down a narrow lane, past a derelict block and thought we were lost. Very soon, however, we were warmly welcomed by a member of staff from Aburaya Tousen, who showed us where to park and took us into the hotel where the welcome was warm, friendly and informative.

After nearly seven weeks on the road around Japan, this was one of our favourite accommodations of our stay. From the host greeting us with umbrellas on our arrival in the rain and a Japanese tea during check in, to the owner of the hotel coming to say hello and have a chat in our private restaurant room, to the beautiful furnishing and decors throughout, this hotel was outstanding! We felt it was time to splurge a little more than normal being our last days in Japan and felt it was worth every cent! Our room was huge, with multiple areas to spread out and relax, double sinks in the bathroom and a toilet for each of us!! And the best feature was the huge balcony with lovely views over the river, a lounge and the open air hot spring bath! The included meals were delicious and enjoyed in your own private room within the restaurant and the complimentary bar and snack service offered in the afternoons, in an exclusive, cosy lounge all made our stay feel even more special. The hotel is a short distance to the Snow Monkey Park and to Shibu Onsen and there’s a great little brewery located just behind the hotel. We would absolutely stay here again and would highly recommend this fabulous hotel.

Absolutely nothing!

Worth every cent I paid for, for the junior suite. Service impeccable from arrival to departure where owner lady saw us out. The view of the river out front and mountains backdrop is awesome. Wifi is great, and room very comfortable. We still miss our own private little onsen tub. Private dinner experience excellent, though you might want to order more food (from additional a la carte menu) if you tend to eat a lot. Sweet old owner lady went around briefly greeting all the guests. Lounge (access came with room) very neat and cool, with wine & charcuterie served 5-7p. I could go on and on, but this is by far the best traditional-style stay my entire Japan trip, next to the new Waldorf Osaka modern-style stay I had. It's everything I dreamed a ryokan experience would be & more. Definitely ticked off my bucket list item.

Can't think of a single thing. This stay feels perfect, or near perfect. I guess just be aware that the shower room is a bit exposed or visible to the public, as it's next to the private tub on the balcony. If you're booking this room with someone you're not comfortable being naked next to, it could be a bit skittish, I suppose.

Beautiful area and lovely onsen. The village has great eating options and the brewery was lovely too. Easy trip to the Snow Monkey Park. Staff were helpful though not always available. However the owner was present and actively involved in sorting any issues. We enjoyed the fabulous breakfasts and loved our rooms with private hot baths on the verandah (great given one of our group is extensively tattooed). We booked a private dining kaiseki experience which was truly wonderful with great food, setting & service.

Sadly the rooftop bar wasn’t open during our three night stay - but there was very heavy snow. Transfers were perhaps not as easy as suggested in online reviews but again the heavy snow didn’t help and we did get where we needed to!

The breakfast were very good, lots of variety. Location was remote and very relaxing. The view from our Riyokan/onsen was gorgeous overlooking the rivers. The room was very spacious.Very small town, but good food close by. It was a short distance to the snow monkey park and excellent walks through the forest. It is a very relaxing spa and they take very good care of us. Rooftop baths, both communal and private for a couple on request.Free pick up and delivery to the train station, we lacked nothing.

Nothing, everything was as or better than we expected.

Dinner was an experience, beautifully prepared and staff was kind and wonderful. The room was also very authentic and the private onsen was amazing. We missed the last train and our bus contacted the hotel who met us with the shuttle when we arrived which was greatly appreciated after a long travel day. The lounge is great for happy hour or a mid- day coffee. Overall wonderful experience.

I would have preferred western beds as I'm older and the futons are challenging. My kids used the futons but also would have preferred the comfort of a western bed. The only pillows were preformed memory foam, not very comfortable. This hotel was a splurge and truly beautiful but not a comfortable sleeping situation.

Aburaya Tousen has excellent facilities and professional staff who communicated very well. I especially loved the cleanliness of the room and onsen baths. We also really enjoyed the breakfast spread! There are a few restaurants nearby, including a craft brewery literally next door. I chose this ryokan for its proximity to the Yudanaka station, where you can take a short 15 minute bus ride to the Snow Monkey Park. Aburaya Tousen provided shuttle service by request and it was a breeze to schedule with them

We wish there was better dinner service since the breakfast was so excellent

Great hotel with fabulous onsen (both the room/private and the hotel guests onsen). Spacious and clean room and wonderful roof top bar experience. Staff at dinner, breakfast and at the roof top were an absolute dream of kindness and professionalism. During the private dinner the chef came to prepare the sushi by our table which was incredible. The food was absolutely exquisite using local produce and prepared and presented with such a delicacy as I've never seen before! What a treat! Walking distance from the station but possible to get a ride from the hotel (need to ask them in advance). A great place to stay!

Although it was for sure a great hotel and experience which we definitely would reccommend, we found the price a bit too high. Given the high standard of the hotel onsen, if I went back again I would not book the room with the private onsen as I think it can't justify the very high price.

The wonderful staff and excellent service, the kaiseiki dinner is a must, the location (easy walk from station and ideal for a visit too snow monkey park) and mountain views. Our room was well equipped and the private outdoor onsen was a highlight. We took breakfast in the buffet instead of a private room with different menu and it had a range of Japanese and western options. The lovely wonder has run the hotel since she was a young bride. You can see how passionate and proud she is. Very visible leadership and care for her staff and patrons. Did I mention catching the Sakura at the end of the season? So pretty. This is apple, apricot, wine and Sakura country. We loved every minute.