Hot Springs Hotels in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Location: The hotel is situated at the foot of a mountain in Satoyama, a considerable distance from JR Matsumoto Station. However, it offers a unique charm with panoramic views of Matsumoto Castle from the hillside. Transportation: Unless you're driving or taking a taxi, here are your options: 1) The hotel provides a shuttle service to and from JR Station. There are two morning departures at 9 and 10 AM, passing by Matsumoto Castle before heading to JR Station. Return trips are at 4 and 5 PM. The pick-up point is at the temporary parking area to the right of JR Station Matsumoto Castle Exit (not a bus stop). 2) You can take the Meigahara Onsen bus line from the bus terminal downstairs at Alpico Plaza, opposite the temporary parking lot of JR Station, and get off at Fujii Station. You can find the bus schedule on Google Maps. Service: There are English-speaking staff at the front desk, but no Chinese speakers. Simple communication is not an issue. The service was impeccable. Dining: The breakfast is a buffet style with both Japanese and Western options, very extensive and delicious. There are also welcome drinks, including ice cream, juice, coffee, hot tea, and even draft beer! P.S. There are not many dining options near the hotel, so you might want to eat near JR Station before returning to the hotel, or dine at the hotel. I booked one of the few rooms with a private onsen. Soaking in the hot spring while enjoying views of the Northern Alps was incredibly relaxing. The hotel also has a large terrace, perfect for enjoying a drink during the evening 'blue hour' – truly one of life's most comfortable moments.

It's quite convenient for Tateyama Kurobe, about a ten-minute drive. It offers good value for money, though the room was a bit small, making it difficult to fully open my suitcase. The cleaning was a bit perfunctory; I noticed hair on the walls and in the corner of the bathroom. The hot spring was a nice touch. However, they barely refilled the breakfast items in the last hour.

Located in the heart of Shibu Onsen, Kokuya is a traditional Japanese inn that has been operating for over 400 years. It's the only inn in the area with its own six different 100% natural hot spring baths, featuring eight public baths and ten rooms with open-air hot springs. It has been passed down through 16 generations. Furthermore, the central area of ​​Shibu Onsen boasts a 1300-year-old hot spring town with nine public onsen (hot spring baths) for hotel guests and residents. The ninth onsen is the largest, featuring a golden bath and a sauna. Next to it is a hot spring shrine and foot bath, right next to Kokuya. Kokuya's hot springs are rich in minerals, beneficial for improving muscle, joint, and skin problems. A free shuttle bus (approximately 3km) takes guests to Jigokudani (Hell Valley) to see snow monkeys and enjoy the hot springs. A free shuttle bus connects to the train station, and freshly cooked onsen eggs (100 yen each) are available at the inn's entrance. The hotel boasts a clean and elegant interior with maze-like corridors and wooden staircases. There are dedicated luggage handlers (three floors in total), creating a perfect setting for a period drama, reminiscent of Yubaba's old house in Spirited Away… The hotel also offers traditional Japanese kaiseki dinners with over nine dishes. Ingredients are freshly delivered from Nagano. The menu changes monthly according to the season. Vegetarian options are also available (please inform us in advance). All guest rooms are designed in a traditional Japanese style, featuring Japanese-style bedding and a bathroom with a sink, TV, safe, refrigerator, towels, and yukata. Ten guest rooms have private outdoor baths. The hotel is surrounded by several temples of varying sizes and different springs nestled in the mountains. The water temperatures of these springs vary, with the highest reaching 56°C. Municipal water supplies are provided to each household. Several bridges connect the two sides of the river in front, including a red-painted bridge that resembles a scene from Spirited Away. I suspect that Miyazaki Toshiro may have drawn inspiration from this place… A very nice hotel and hot springs; the staff are polite and attentive.

I had a wonderful stay at Amagawaso in Shibu Onsen. The ryokan is run by an elderly couple who don’t speak English, but they were incredibly sweet and welcoming. With the help of Google Translate, communication was easy enough and actually added to the charm of the experience. They provided yukata and geta for exploring the town, as well as the key that gives access to the nine public onsens in Shibu — an amazing and unique experience. On top of that, the ryokan offers a free 40-minute private onsen session, which was a lovely touch. Our room was very spacious, and shortly after we arrived, the hostess came in to prepare complimentary matcha tea for us. She also gifted us steamed buns filled with red bean paste, which felt incredibly thoughtful. The location is also very convenient for visiting the Snow Monkey Park, making it an excellent base for exploring the area. Overall, the hospitality was genuine, the onsen experience was fantastic, and the atmosphere felt authentically traditional. Highly recommend staying here if you’re visiting Shibu Onsen or planning a trip to see the snow monkeys.

📍 Hotel Keigetsu 信州昼神温泉郷 日長庵 桂月 @ Hirugami Onsen, Nagano 🇯🇵 We stayed 3D2N from 13 November 2025 at Hotel Keigetsu (日長庵 桂月), and it turned out to be one of the best choices for our Nakasendo trip. The ryokan sits in a peaceful corner of Hirugami Onsen, surrounded by nature and traditional Japanese charm. There is a designated parking area exclusively for guests, accommodating around 15-20 cars of all sizes, making it very convenient for self-drive travellers. We chose a Japanese-style room with a private bathroom, and the highlight was the beautiful wooden bathtub — perfect for a relaxing soak in complete privacy. In the mornings, the view from our room was calm and peaceful, with gentle bird chirping adding to the serene atmosphere. Our stay included breakfast and dinner, and both meals were exceptional. Each dish was beautifully prepared using seasonal ingredients, and the servers were patient and friendly, taking time to explain each course and share stories about local flavours. Their warm hospitality truly enhanced the dining experience. The ryokan is within walking distance to the Morning Market, just about 10 minutes away, making it an enjoyable little morning stroll. There is also a FamilyMart right beside the ryokan, just a short walk away — extremely convenient for drinks, snacks, or last-minute essentials during your stay. The staff also introduced several nearby activities and hiking trails, and the routes are super visitor-friendly, making this ryokan an ideal base for exploring the Nakasendo area. The onsen baths were another highlight — soothing, clean, and filled with Hirugami’s famously smooth, skin-friendly hot spring water. Perfect for unwinding every evening. Overall, Hotel Keigetsu offers excellent food, warm service, relaxing onsen, comfortable rooms, and unbeatable convenience, whether you’re here for onsen relaxation or the Nakasendo trail. Highly recommended for a peaceful, authentic, and memorable ryokan stay in Nagano. ♨️🍁🌿✨

I had a large tatami room with side sitting area and sink as well as an ante-room. I had three delicious Japanese meals at the ryokan that were served with polite elegance. The two in-house onsen baths were a joy to use after a day of skiing. The staff was knowledgeable about how to get around by the buses and suggested the best restaurants for days that I did not eat at the ryokan. Senshinkan Matsuya was situated in the center of.Shibu Onsen town next to three of the public onsen. I could not ask for a better stay!

Although the room rate isn't cheap, I think overall it's a hotel with excellent value for money. Firstly, the hotel environment itself is superb. It's spacious with lots of greenery, including a lake, trees, lawns, and small villas, making it very pleasant for a stroll. Secondly, there are hot springs and a shuttle service. Plus, right next to the hotel is a beautiful and very large outlet mall, offering convenient dining options. The shuttle runs in a loop, taking guests to JR Karuizawa Station and the outlets. Even though it's not a far walk to the outlets anyway. The hot springs ♨️ are free for hotel guests and include outdoor baths and a sauna. The hotel also has a golf course, which we didn't visit, but we saw staff assisting guests with their golf clubs in the morning. The only downside is that the hotel is quite large, and some guest rooms are a bit of a walk from the front desk. The West Wing is closer to the shopping plaza, while the East Wing is closer to the ski resort. It seems the West and East Wings are booked separately. The rooms are not small, and the window views are very pleasant. All in all, it's a hotel I would happily choose to stay at again.

Absolutely impressed! It truly lives up to its reputation as a resort town – peaceful, beautiful, and with amazing views. The rooms were incredibly clean, the service was excellent, and the onsen was a perfect 100. The classic-style rooms were clean and cozy, with high-quality furniture. I would definitely return if I have the chance. Parking is free for those with cars, and the hotel also offers a shuttle service for train travelers. The food is high-quality, and the restaurant, rooms, onsen, and views are simply stunning.

We really enjoyed our week long stay at Hoshikawakan in Jan 2026. We have been driving around Hakuba for 4 weeks to visit various ski resorts and spent our last week at Hoshikawakan to visit Shiga Kogen. The room was spacious and clean with a small toilet like most Japanese hotels but there was a large public onsen and 2 smaller private onsens that can be reserved once each day for 30mins so you could always take your shower in the onsens like the locals do especially later at night about 10-11pm where I was the only one in the public onsen. The hotel had a lovely buffet breakfast spread with local soba, Japnese curry, cold minced sashimi fish, grill fish station, fried eggs station that will keep you adequately fed for the day's ski trip - it even has a hot drink station with free oden daily at 3-5.30pm which we enjoyed as a snack after a hard day of skiiing. The service was excellent too with the staff helpfully arranging to ship our ski equipment directly to Hanade Airport, daily clearing of snow off the carpark and new towels provided daily. The location in Yudanaka is great too especially if you drive as it is between Shiga Kogen (25-35mins drive) and Kita Shiga Kogen (15-20mins drive) with many attractions like Shibu Onsen, Yudanaka Brewery and Snow Monkey Park within 10-15 drive. There were also ample dinner options nearby within 10-15 mins walk but you may need to try and make reservations by walking in on your first night. The only downside was that the WiFi network is poor and patchy when overloaded by a lot of guests over the weekend but otherwise it was good.

What an awesome experience! The hotel offered exemplary service before we even arrived. Due to special travel arrangements, we arrived late and the staff quick to arrange an in-room bento dinner for us before our arrival. When we got there, we were immediately blown away by the gorgeousness of the hotel. Despite its age, everything was very clean and polished. I can see that great care had been taken to upkeep the hotel and it’s premises, which are extraordinarily beautiful. We couldn’t resist taking pictures even after check-out, and it took us an hour to finally reluctantly leave. Words cannot actually do the place justice, you must visit there yourself. We were very impressed with how delicious the food was, and the attention to detail, including the placement of the food, the coordination of food color. My mouth is still watering as I recall how delicious it was. I had 10 helpings of their prime rib one day. Besides, I had a dietary restriction and the staff were really careful with that, to the extent of reminding me what dishes not to eat everyday at their breakfast and dinner buffet. In addition to excellent food and service, the hotel went out of its way to be very eco-friendly. For every day that we did not need our room to be tidied, we earned points, which can be traded in for ice cream or other goodies. Finally, the staff spoke perfect English. This is rare indeed, and it made everything so much easier and so much more enjoyable. Thanks for the experience!