I really enjoyed the traditional experience of Kamesei. Whilst we were only passing through at night, we enjoyed the friendly staff and hospitality provided. It was a great blend of a traditional stay with some creature comforts. They have a great kids playroom upstairs, and the staff were patient with our sometimes noisy and active children. We also paid for the premium dinner, which was certainly something different to what we're used to but a good experience nonetheless. I appreciated the spacious onsen and the fact that we were able to experience it, despite having tattoos. The staff were more than happy to provide advice and recommendations on the local area and places to visit, which we appreciated.

Our room had recently been renovated which meant that, at the time of booking, we hadn't paid extra for access to the private shower area in our room. We declined an offer to pay extra for the usage of this which was 10,000 JPY for the single night which we felt was a bit of a money grab, however this didn't sour our experience at all and I would still recommend the stay.

Tyler was a great host! At check in he sat down with us and told us about the history of the area and places to explore/things to do. He was highly communicative and checked in with us throughout our stay. The meals at the ryokan were really lovely and a very fun experience. Tyler also taught us how to wear our yukatas correctly and drove us to the train station upon departure! We really enjoyed the family onsen, which is a private onsen on the property that you can reserve! The beds were comfy and the room was nice and sizeable. Overall we would highly recommend staying here! It was a very nice and relaxing time.

NA

Super nice staff the owner and his wife were very helpful and nice. Very hospitable place. Onsen was relaxing and the area nearby had lots to do and nice food. Just taking the bikes out for a ride around Chikima city was a great experience. Large breakfast and dinner very diverse while not all of the dishes were my thing most of them were quite nice and left me full.

The place does smell due to the onsen so keep that in mind but it personally did not bother me especially once you are in the baths.

My family of 5(A) had a wonderful stay at Kamesei Ryokan, owned by the most hospitable, kind, and gracious hosts, husband/wife Tyler-san and Mari-san. The ryokan is close to many local food places, other public onsen bath houses, walking distance to local shops, sights/attractions, and is a 20-30mins walk to the local subway, Togura Station. The JR stations Shinonoi, Nagano, and Ueda are between 15-30 mins away using the local Shinano Railway line, and are a gateway to major tourists attractions in the Nagano Prefecture (eg. Matsumoto Castle | Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park | Zenkō-ji Temple). Communication with the hosts is superb. All my messages were answered promptly, with any queries, issues, and concerns addressed in a timely manner. I initially booked the 1st level Standard room, however, after communicating with Tyler-san, I was able to adjust the reservation to the ground level Deluxe room with its own private open-air onsen bath. We appreciated the fact that we were also able to stay in both the deluxe rooms (Sueh + Kodakara). Tyler-san also offered us a discount as we were staying for 6 nights. The total booking price was both competitive and, in my opinion, unbeatable! We also opted to take up the 2hrs walking tour provided by their Zukudashi eco-self Tour company, and it was an enjoyable experience, with Tyler-san providing a wealth of historical knowledge, information and endearing anecdotes about the beautiful Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen Town. Our stay exceeded all my expectations! Tyler-san and Mari-san were both helpful and accommodated all our needs. Tyler-san even helped us organise our Yamato luggage transfer to our next destination and offered us lifts to the Togura Station. Overall, we had a relaxing and rejuvenating time at Kamesei Ryokan and would highly recommend this place to stay should you happen to stop by Nagano Prefecture. Personally, I could very easily get used to the private onsen bath, and I did not want to leave!

As with 95% of Japanese accommodation, unfortunately, the walls are what you might describe as "paper-thin", and with any traditional ryokan, this is what you would or could expect in these type of establishments. So be prepared to hear loud and, at times, boisterous conversations that can be at best, "entertaining", or at worse, cause you to lose sleep if it goes on well into the night.

Welcoming & hospitable, Tyler greeted us from the train station and drove us to the Ryokan. We had tea & his famous Seattle cookies before enjoying a traditional Japanese dinner (highly recommend). Our family used the private outdoor onsen which was excellent after a long day of travelling & sightseeing. The futon bed was warm & comfortable. There's so many little details that made this experience so unique & memorable. Tyler told our kids to find a hidden pickle tree ornament on the Christmas tree, which they happily searched, found & were rewarded with a chocolate treat. Tyler also helped us arrange for luggage transfer & accommodated us for early morning breakfast & taxi ride. You wouldn't regret staying at Kamesei Ryokan!

Loved the Location, the japanese style room with futons and of course the hot onsen bath. Breakfast was delicious with local food and the service was just great! They answered every question we had, have good recommandations were to go and Even made restaurant reservations for us.

Public area, especially the play room, was a little bit cold. But in the Lobby they have an american Style seating area with oven - very cozy!

It's the wonderful Onsen Ryokan that is beautifully rearranged. And the hosts are super nice people too (the Seattle cookies were amazing too). The hot spring water quality is decent and the location is excellent too. The Kamiyamada Onsen is definitely one of the hidden gem of Shinshu.

It's perfect but I just personally prefer the larger outdoor bathtub to a person-size bathtub.

Unforgettable stay with great accommodation for our family with small kids including playroom, kids meals and adorable kids size yukatans. And vegetarian + tattoo friendly for us adults! We arrived by train and was picked up at the station by the host - very convenient. Lovely facilites, nice onsens. Would greatly recommend!

The service. We can not fault the service. Tyler and his team go out of their way to make our stay an enjoyable one

We didnt come at the right time of the year. It was freezing cold and winter. Your room and the bathroom are heated but the toilet and the corridors were cold. Also, there was no lift so we , with the help of the Ryokan staff, had to lug our suitcases up and down 2 flights of stairs. Not a big deal though.

Room was spacious. Bed was comfortable. Tyler was very hospitable. The recommended kaiseki dinner was sumptous and delicious. The smaller onsen with 2 outdoor pots was enjoyable.

Stayed 2 nights but the breakfast was almost the same except the egg was prepared differently. Nonetheless still delicious.