Shibu Onsen KOKUYA

The kimonos and the traditional nature of the property.

Our Private Onsen had slime at the bottom in many places and the other baths we liked at the property were so hot we couldn’t use them. We had a giant cockroach in our room which made us very nervous about sleeping on the floor. The fly wire screen was broken and the screen between our private bathing were not entirely private as the fence was still see through. The restaurant food was also average.

The private onsens were really nice, particularly as we were a couple travelling together and weren’t really interested in splitting up, it meant we could bathe together in privacy and really relax and enjoy ourselves.

Stunning. Authentic. Food and service impeccable.

Очень аутентично, для погружения в мир онсэнов идеальный вариант, с возможностью бронировать приватные купальни (у отеля они свои) однозначно рекомендую

Jestli jako Evropané chcete zažít aspoň kousek tradičního Japonska vřele doporučuji, moc se nám líbilo. Nemám co bych vytkla. Jen teplota onsenů pro nás byla až moc vysoká-42°C, ale šlo naředit vodou z kohoutku na soukromém onsenu. U společných to nešlo, takže jsme využívali hlavně soukromý onsen. Moc děkujeme za úžasný zážitek!

Amazing experience

Le bain dans la chambre.

La gentillesse incroyable de tout le personnel a été le point fort de notre séjour. C’est de loin l’endroit de tous ceux que nous avons visité pendant notre voyage au Japon, où nous nous sommes sentis le mieux accueillis, ce qui est beaucoup dire car nous nous sommes sentis bienvenus absolument partout. Ceci dit, ici c’est un accueil comme si nous faisions parti de la famille. Nous avons également beaucoup aimé les bains privés de l’hôtel, qui sont beaucoup plus agréables que ceux du village. Nous avons également apprécié la diversité des soupers qui nous ont été servis avec la demi-pension. Malgré que nous soyons restés quelques soirs, nous n’avons pas eu le même souper deux fois. Une option japonaise et une option “western” sont aussi offertes au déjeuner, et il y a de la variété à tous les jours pour ces deux options.

Nous avons moins aimé la grandeur de la chambre où nous nous sentions un peu plus coincés. Les aires communes, et la chambre sont un peu défraichis aussi et mériteraient d’être remis un peu à jour, malgré que tout soit tout de même très propre. Le rapport qualité prix nous a semblé un peu élevé a vu de cela.

スタッフの皆さんの対応がとても良かったです。湯量がとても多く温泉は最高でした。

おかみさんの対応が悪し。常連は、大切にするけど、いちげんさんは無視。あの態度はどうかなー。

Все

Номера подуставшие немного

非常的喜欢这里，8间特色温泉任你泡，真的好舒服，有些户外型的，有些设有按摩设备，还有间附设桑拿房。 而且，食物都好好吃，超出意外的是精致的日料，好特色！ 而且，无论是老板还是员工都是那么的热情待客，真的很贴心，第二天还免费送我们上山看雪猴。 下次如果再次游日本，我肯定会再来！

Our stay at Shibu Onsen KOKUYA was honestly one of the most magical experiences my partner and I have ever had in our lives. From the moment we arrived until the moment we sadly left, every single part of our stay felt like something out of a dream or a storybook. The ryokan itself is absolutely beautiful, full of charm, warmth, and tradition. The streets surrounding the hotel were breathtaking, especially in the evening light, and walking through Shibu Onsen felt like stepping into another world. The onsens were incredible. Every bath had its own atmosphere and character, and the entire experience was deeply relaxing and unforgettable. After travelling through busy cities, this place felt peaceful, healing, and genuinely special. But what truly made our stay unforgettable was the staff. Every single person we met was so kind, welcoming, funny, and attentive. They went above and beyond for us in every possible way. They helped organise transport to the Snow Monkey Park, arranged taxis to the station, organised our luggage, helped us with food requirements, and made us feel completely cared for the entire time. Nothing was ever too much trouble. We especially appreciated how thoughtful and accommodating everyone was regarding my vegetarian diet. Even with language differences, the staff made such an effort to help me and explain dishes kindly, and it meant so much to us. The service here is beyond hospitality, it feels personal and genuine. You can truly feel the heart and care that goes into this ryokan. The Snow Monkey Park being so close was another amazing bonus, and the hotel made visiting it completely stress-free and easy. Out of everywhere we have travelled, this is one of the few places that made us emotional leaving. It was peaceful, beautiful, welcoming, and unforgettable. We will remember our time here forever. Thank you so much to everyone at KOKUYA for giving us memories we will carry for the rest of our lives. We already dream of coming back someday.

Todo, linda experiencia

Ampliar idiomas latinoamericanos…

Le ryokan est agréable et le personnel est vraiment gentils. Mais nous avons été déçus par le rapport qualité-prix

Nous avons déjà séjourné dans plusieurs ryokans avec onsen privatif, et celui-ci était de loin le plus cher, sans pour autant offrir les meilleures prestations. Le lieu a du charme et certaines parties sont jolies, mais l’ensemble paraît assez vieillissant : joints à refaire, traces de moisissure, papier peint déchiré par endroits… Le repas kaiseki était correct, mais là encore, rien d’exceptionnel par rapport à ce que nous avons pu avoir ailleurs pour beaucoup moins cher. À noter également qu’au retour du dîner, notre onsen privatif avait fortement refroidi. Je ne sais pas s’il s’agissait d’un dysfonctionnement, mais l’eau censée provenir des sources chaudes était devenue froide, ce qui a été assez décevant. Le séjour n’a pas été mauvais, mais il ne correspondait pas au niveau d’excellence auquel nous nous attendions au vu du prix et des avis. Au final, cela reste un ryokan agréable grâce à la gentillesse du personnel, mais nous pensons sincèrement qu’il est possible de trouver mieux pour deux fois moins cher.

Super accueil, équipe très compétente et bilingue. Nous avons été pris en charge soigneusement. Préparation de la chambre pendant le dîner et rangement pendant le petit déjeuner (équipe discrète). La navette entre le Ryokan et la gare est également appréciée. Bel établissement avec son atmosphère traditionnel et très relaxant.

Heure de rdv pour le dîner assez tôt (18h). Nous avions demandé un petit rabais de 30mn car nous venions à peine d’arriver au Ryokan (17h05) et souhaitions nous rafraîchir et se reposer après la journée de marche. Recommandation pour le Ryokan : préciser cette condition dans la description de réservation d’un dîner :)

Everything, this place is an absolute gem!

This 400 year old traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) is a real treat. You are warmly welcomed with indoor slippers and gowns (yukata) provided for your stay. Traditional dinner (at 6pm) and breakfast (at 8am) are provided and are exquisitely presented. You eat at a private table. There are a variety of onsens available at the ryokan which are used privately rather than communally. The water is very hot (41 degrees) therefore a top tip, if this is too hot, would be to pick an onsen with cold tap available too! Some are indoor, some out and also some rooms have an en suite onsen. You also have access to the town’s public onsens. A shuttle bus at 9am is provided to take you to the snow monkey park amd also your luggage can be stored free of charge at the nearest station (Yudanaka). It is a very relaxing amd well thought out stay.

Pulita e accogliente, onsen privati in struttura, onsen privati in camera, accoglienza del personale.

Orario della cena alle 18

The staff were very welcoming as soon as we entered the ryokan, they showed us everything which was very appreciated. We booked a room with private onsen and it was so lovely (see the picture attached). There are 8 onsen in the ryokan, they are all private, we didn’t knew that before coming so it was such a great surprise for us. We had the chance to try at least 4/5 of them, they were all so good! We had breakfast there in the morning, generous, Japanese breakfast! This stay was truly the highlight of our trip!

Nothing

Amazing onsens!

Little dated. But it didn’t spoil our stay

The Shibu onsen was amazing, had more than 6 onsens for the guest and I believe 2 more that were public. The hotel has a parking for customers who drive a car it is very convenient believe me. The town amazing, the Staff amazing, very nice, very clean, would recommend to try at least 3 onsens inside the Hotel if not all, sadly we stayed only for 1 night now we are regretting it. We had the most amazing breakfast we have ever experienced definitely a must. I gave it a lower rating on comfort because I believe sleeping on the floor no matter what you think in not comfortable IMO.

Shibu onsen town is a picturesque old onsen village with amazing architecture and history. You have access to 8 private onsen in the ryokan and 9 public onsen in the village. They offer free shuttle from the train station and free shuttle to the snow monkey park. The staff is fantastic and food is first rate. The 400 year old building is a series of many stairs so not suitable for those with mobility issues! Would highly recommend!

The staff were so kind and accommodating. The property itself was very nice and comfortable

The onsens were wonderful and I loved being able to have them to ourselves.

Everything was amazing. Highly recommended! Thank you for everything

Nothing, everything was amazing

The staff was warm and helpful.

None, really. If any, I hope the onsen was less hot. Some onsen are a bit old. By saying that, we did enjoy Kasei very much.

location

very uncomfortable more like 2.5 star

This is a very quaint, quiet, peaceful, and beautiful ryokan in Shibu Onsen. This property offers all their onsens for free of use for hotel guests, and you can also shower in these rooms as well if your room does not have its own open-air bath. We opted for the Keiseki meal, which all over exceeded our expectations. They were all deliciously made with local ingredients from the prefecture, and were so filling! Our own open-air bath was our favorite onsen and so amazing.

Early check-out time, but not really a huge dislike.

The whole ryokan experience

Nothing

The room, the private baths onsite

The staff rang & rang my room the morning I was to check out - it was impossible to relax & enjoy my private bath or the toilet! Check out is a ridiculously early 10:00 am as opposed to the normal 11:00 am! Yet a staff entered my room shortly after 8:00 am to remove the futon. Why in the world would you begin cleaning my room when I was to check out at 10:00?! Finally, the breakfast/dinner offered was awful. Vegetarians like to enjoy delicious creative food. They are not rabbits.

Beautiful inn, very nice attentive staff. We loved all the onsens offered on property. Our dinner and breakfast were delicious, this inn was one of our favorite parts of our Japan trip!

It was a charming old town and the Ryokan itself was very quaint as well. It was an experience that I would recommend to everyone. The dinner and breakfast were traditional kaiseki style and we enjoyed immersing ourselves into the culture. We specially enjoyed the private onsen experiences as my husband did not like the idea of going nude in public. Allowing private time in the onsens made it possible for us to have a more intimate experience. That is why we chose Kokyua and it lived upto that. They have so many onsens in house that we did not even need to go outside to experience the other Shibu onsens.

I had requested a kids meal for my son who is not used to Kaiseki style meals. However, upon arrival they noted that they would not be able to provide him with a kids dinner. They were able to provide a kids meal for breakfast. It is an older property (400 years old) and some of the onsens look dated, the rooms are dated but maybe they are just going for that look.

We loved all of the private baths, friendly staff and delicious food. We felt taken care of by everyone and we had the most relaxing 3 days of our trip. This is a special place to stay and well worth the cost. If ever given the chance, we will definitely come back here. Loved every minute of it.

Incredible experience all round from the staff and the dinner to the on-site onsens, of which there are about 8-9. The staff were so friendly and helpful, including picking us up from the station to dropping our luggage off at the station for us to collect when needed.

Nothing in particular

Staff were amazing. Onsen on property were equally great. Between the 8 onsen onsite and the 9 public ones — lots to choose from. I also had a private outdoor onsen on the terrace of my room

Nothing Check-in is at 3 and checkout at 10 am. A later checkout would have been nice

dinner and breakfast kaiseki is yummy. it is a fun experience hunting for the many onsens inside this maze of a ryokan.

Amazing location and helpful staff. The kaiseki experience for breakfast and dinner was very good. The onsens in the rooms, in the hotel, and in the town were all different and convenient. They also have shuttles to and from the station and to Snow Monkey Park. Ryokan futons were very comfortable to sleep on and the room was clean and large. They keep onsen eggs outside the hotel regularly too!

The KOKUYA building is about 400yrs old and so charming and well maintained and modernised with fantastic facilities. The highlight was the 8 baths in the building. When we went in Feb, no reservations needed to be made for these baths: if you find it “Vacant”, you enter and lock it and the entire bath is yours. If it is “occupied”, you can come back later. The food is amazing and the service awesome. Ryokan meals are typically amazing, so what sets this place apart is really the individual charm of each of the bath rooms.

The floor/ceiling boards creak at night due to temperature difference (expansion contraction?) so I had to put my AirPods into my ears to fall asleep

Outdoor private onsen

Too old, food

C'est un lieu exceptionnel que l'on recommande vivement ! Les chambres traditionnelles sont tout simplement sublimes et les futons sont très confortables. À savoir que des yukata sont mis à disposition. Le petit déjeuner et le repas purement traditionnel était délicieux. Le personnel était très gentil et prévenant. Sans parler des bains divers et variés disponible à la privatisation, un vrai bonheur ❤️ Attention tout de même, le lieu est niché dans un tout petit village où il n'est pas facile de trouver de quoi ce restauré (supérettes où autres). Par ailleurs l'établissement ouvre ses portes à 15h, il vaut donc mieux y faire envoyer ses bagages directement avec un service de transport.

Great staff, great location, wonderful food, beautiful onsens, just perfect

Dejligt sted med sødt og imødekommende personale.

Der var simpelthen iskoldt på hotellet og særligt værelset. Trods at vi prøvede at tænde for varmen, så virkede det desværre ikke.

A truly wonderful experience. Soaking in the onsen waters outdoors in the winter air was absolutely delightful. The facilities were clean, and both dinner and breakfast were delicious, made even more special by the warm, friendly, and attentive service from a lovely staff member who enriched the entire dining experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend this ryokan, especially for anyone who may feel shy about public bathing and prefers the comfort of a private onsen experience!

NA

The staff was absolutely wonderful and friendly. Onsens were very relaxing

The beds, as an American with bad hips the beds were a little firm but I can’t fault you guys for that

Lovely, clean traditional hotel in perfect location. The staff were very friendly and offered a shuttle to the station. The multiple onsens within the property were amazing.

Pillows were very hard.

My friends and I enjoyed staying in one of the oldest ryokans in the area: over 400 years old. Staff were exceptionally friendly, the food was excellent, and facilities were very clean. It was very fun wandering around the series of buildings seeking out their multiple onsens.

The facilities were a bit more rustic than expected. We were OK with that, but I put this out there so that others will know what to expect.

Le bain thermal sur la terrasse de la chambre était génial! La chambre tatamis et futons, petite table/chaises japonaises pour une ambiance japonaise authentiques étaient agréables. Pyjama, thé/café, nécessaire de toilette, panier pour les onsens publics du village, prêt de Yukata pour se balader dans l'auberge et dans le village. Onsens de l'hôtel qu'il est possible de privatiser de 15h à 21h par tranche de 45 minutes, ensuite possibilité d'utiliser les onsens toute la nuit! Très bon petit déjeuner et repas du réveillon de l'an. Staff très attentionné. Expérience inoubliable! Emplacement dans le ravissant petit village de ShibuOnsen. Navette de l'hôtel pour aller voir les macaques dans leur bain au Snow Monkey Park à quelques minutes de route. Possibilité d'aller skier à proximité si on a loué une voiture (ShigaKogen environ 20-30 minutes).

rien

All the staff were incredible so kind and accommodating. We really enjoyed the traditional food ,presentation exceptional. Onsen private and ever on of the 10 incredible.

Nothing !!!

Desde que llegamos teníamos expectativas altas… y Kokuya las superó por mucho. Antes incluso de arribar, el hotel nos escribió para avisarnos que, al llegar a la estación de Yudanaka, avisáramos porque contaban con transporte gratuito para nosotros y nuestro equipaje. Tal como lo prometieron, al llegar ya nos estaban esperando con nuestro nombre y nos llevaron directamente en automóvil al ryokan. La recepción fue completamente personalizada. Al entrar nos pidieron quitar el calzado y nos proporcionaron calzado interior. Tras el registro, una persona nos acompañó personalmente hasta nuestra habitación, llamada “Sakura”, que ya tenían preparada especialmente para nosotros. Ahí nos explicaron que el hotel tiene más de 400 años de historia y que actualmente está dirigido por la misma familia en su 17ª generación. Todo el lugar es precioso y completamente tradicional. La habitación era de estilo japonés auténtico, con puertas corredizas shoji, tatami y un ambiente cálido y acogedor. Nos regalaron tabi (las calcetas tradicionales separando el dedo gordo) y nos tenían preparados tres yukatas con su obi y haori. Nos explicaron paso a paso cómo colocarlos correctamente y nos indicaron que podíamos usarlos tanto dentro del hotel como al exterior. A pesar de que afuera la temperatura rondaba los 4 grados, todo el hotel estaba perfectamente climatizado, así que era muy cómodo andar en yukata. En la habitación teníamos una mesa tradicional japonesa con calefacción, además de un baño termal privado al aire libre exclusivo para nosotros, lo cual fue simplemente espectacular. Dentro del hotel cuentan con múltiples baños termales privados, que pueden reservarse por horarios durante la tarde, y después de cierta hora se pueden usar libremente colocando solo el letrero de “ocupado”. Probamos varios de los baños exteriores, cada uno con diferentes minerales y ambientes; todos increíbles.

Merveilleux séjour de début à la fin merci ! Et merci beaucoup à Jenny qui a été fabuleuse pour le dîner et le petit déjeuner :)

Rien

The staff are very attentive and speaks good English. But overall, the onsen hotel experience is not as good as the other ones. Room is small but the shuttle bus is a bonus

Location was lovely within the old part of town. The different onsen in the hotel were lovely and the room was comfortable. Our welcome was good, everthing was explained efficiently. The hotel is just a 10 minute drive to the snow monkey park which is definitely worth a visit.

The staff were efficient but not particularly friendly in comparison to other places we stayed in Japan. The dinner was expensive for what it was - we had a better multi-course dinner elsewhere for half the price.

Once in a lifetime experience

Много разных онсэнов, есть старые «дедовского» типа, есть открытые с магической атмосферой ночью Вкусный ужин кайсеки и завтрак Само здание очень древнее, много раз перестроенное, поэтому хождение в нем тоже имеет свой шарм, разные уровни, лестницы

A real Japanese experience and the Onsen facilities

A softer pillow option would have been nice, although I accept that is less authentic!

Cleans and very good Japanese Ryokan in Shibu Onsen. We have been here for 2nd time.

Kind personal, well guided, nice Geisha show and event for Christmas. Traditional meal well balanced for tourists. Wonderful onsen, the best I have seen.

Dinner a bit rushed leading to limited services for the drinks and side orders. We would have preferred indoor shower but we accommodate ourselves.

Beautiful property very private

N/a

The staff were wonderful. The room was very comfortable along with all the private onsen in the hotel and in our room too. We had dinner and breakfast and the food was amazing and I am half Japanese and quite picky.

Nothing! We were very happy and loved everything.

L’experiència Ryokan és molt interessant. A més a l’allotjament hi ha molts banys que es poden reservar. Nosaltres teniem un bany privat a l’aire lliure a l’habitació que ens ha encantat. El sopar i l’esmorzar són excepcionals.

Una mica car però pagues l’experiència

The best hotel experience of our lives! From the very first moment, we felt incredibly welcome. The staff were unbelievably kind, warm, and genuinely caring. We were assigned a personal contact person who was always available for any questions and who also served our dinner and breakfast. The personal conversations we had about Austrian cuisine and sightseeing made the experience feel very special and heartfelt. Everyone spoke excellent English — something that is not very common in Japan — which made communication effortless and added even more comfort to our stay. Both dinner and breakfast were absolutely outstanding and truly unforgettable. The onsen experience was simply perfect: everything was spotless, and having a private onsen in our room was an absolute dream come true. It made our stay feel peaceful, luxurious, and incredibly relaxing. On top of that, the hotel offered a shuttle service to the Snow Monkey Park and even provided luggage storage directly at Yudanaka Train Station on our departure day — such thoughtful and generous service. This place touched our hearts, and we will cherish these memories forever. We truly hope to return one day. Helpful tip: Take the local train from Nagano to Yudanaka Station instead of the express bus. It’s much easier, especially since the hotel offers a convenient shuttle service from Yudanaka Station.

Onsen

The room is smaller than expected.

Warm and friendly

Nothing

The staff were exceptional, from start to finish they were welcoming and went above and beyond to make our stay special. The food was a particular highlight, they catered for my vegetarian diet, which I appreciate is difficult in Japanese cuisine, and made some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. The Onsens were beautiful and easy to access, having the private space was extra special. The lifts to and from the station, and to the monkey park as well made everything seamless. We will be recommending this hotel and experience to anyone who tell us they’re visiting Japan.