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!

I was there during autumn. The owner went out of his way to help us make our trip and stay so much better! Our favorite stay of our entire 15 day trip in Japan! And that says a lot! The owner and wife personally greeted us and drove us to the monkey park! Checked if there is monkey at the park before driving us there so we will not make an empty trip. And offered to drive us back after visiting the monkey park! Love the traditional ryokan that was kept so clean. And the onsen on property is excellent. Highly recommended.

The place is quite old and have abit of damage here and there but that adds to the charm. So no complaints here.

Very warm and welcoming. Management was very helpful and kind. Even though I have tattoos was allowed to use the onsen. I was obviously not affiliated with any gang related organization so I was filled with great gratitude to be given the privilege to experience a part of Japanese culture I’ve always wanted to try. Management also received a package we had sent in the mail since we forgot some items, and they also were willing to send mail for us if we needed it. Such great hospitality. Thank you Shimaya.

My only advice was the shared sinks were scalding hot when using the hot water supply, but there is a warning note. Just be careful and make sure you and your companions use it with care.

We loved Shimaya! The owner was so kind, and though his English was limited, he was also so friendly and helpful. Our room was great with traditional futons and a small sitting area with a table. There was a shared bathroom but we never saw anyone else in it. The onsen was also small but lovely! There was another staff member who drove us to and from the Snow Monkey Park which was absolutely perfect. He drove us as close as possible to minimize walking :) It's less than a 10 minute walk from the Yudanaka station and close to a bunch of small restaurants in town and a Lawson.

Despite being close to Yudanaka station and the Snow Monkey Park, it's far from everything else. We were planning to ski at Nozawa, but it would take us over 2 hours by train and all the taxis were reserved. We opted for Shiga Kogen instead, but this was still a 1hr+ bus ride. It also took us 3+ hours to get back to Tokyo. Renting a car may be the best option here.

Staying at Shimaya was the most delightful experience in so many respects. We were picked up from the station, by one of the staff and after check in, he took us to the snow monkey park where we had a wonderful day. On our return, we were met by Mr Yumoto who was very kind and helpful, giving us information on a local onsen and places to eat. The room was big and comfortable with a balcony and a great view of the town and mountains. The breakfast in the morning was an event in itself! There was a pianola playing in the background and Mr Yumoto came down and put on his vintage jukebox and played some Beatle records. It was so nice to see his pride in his establishment. The breakfast was fresh and plentiful. On our return to Australia, we met up with friends who coincidentally had also stayed at Shimaya and had similarly found it superb. I can highly recommend Shimaya as a place to stay in Yamanouchi.

Amazing owners who go out of their way to help you. We loved staying at a traditional ryokan and the onsen was amazing. It’s close to Lawson and the train station. There is also a private onsen which you can book for free and it’s open 24 hours. There’s also another outdoor onsen with a fantastic view of the area - it’s an extra 1000 yen but totally worth it! Great location for seeing the snow monkeys and they drive you there for free- the walk back is stunning, but they will pick you up if not. Great area for skiing and they help you to organise your trip. Breakfast was good and plenty to eat. We would highly recommend!

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It’s a traditional ryokan very conveniently located. A 5 mins walk from train station and eateries. There are two free Onsens on site : one shared and one for private use. The host , Ichiro-San and his wife were very kind and hospitable. We were offered slippers and beautiful yukatas to wear during our stay, as well as boots for the snowy grounds outside. Ichiro-San picked us up from the station as the road was too icy to walk up with our luggage. He also drove us to the entrance of the Monkey park and gave us useful information on the nearby Onsen village. And he took pictures of us and offered souvenirs when we left!

Nothing! All good!

Wonderful hosts that were so helpful and kind at this lovely Ryokan. Thank you Mr Yomoto! Our host drove us to the snow monkey park and picked us up afterwards and loaned us all gumboots to wear (as it had been raining and was muddy), he booked a fantastic,tiny, local sushi restaurant for us, provided us with a lovely breakfast (small extra cost) and walked us to the private, outside onsen (which we booked for an additional cost). There is a selection of yukata provided for guests to wear to onsen (there are so many in the area, as well as a public foot bath). Rooms were comfortable and the accommodation is very close to Yudanaka Station. It is also a gorgeous walk from the snow monkey park back to Shimaya with lots to see and do.

We loved everything about our stay!

Thanks Mr Shimaya and all the staff! We were 4 people and we spent two nights in this traditional Japanese-style room, very comfortable. All the essentials were present. The futons were very soft and warm. The room consisted of an entrance hall, a fairly large main room, a small room with shower, a sink, an outdoor room divided by paper walls with a table and two chairs and the necessary to make tea and enjoy the view of the panorama offered by Yudanaka, a small closet immediately alongside containing a toilet, and finally an external balcony. Inside the structure it is possible to have breakfast (we have not opted for this service so I cannot express myself on the matter), but the most important thing is the presence of an internal onsen (no mixed gender), that you can use how much do you want. It was beautyful. There is also the possibility of getting a very characteristic public onsen's key right behind the hotel. The first morning the Shimaya staff accompanied us to the Snow Monkey Park for free. In the early afternoon we have Booked the private onsen where you can go dressed a bit like in the pool, to bring even the most reluctant to bring this wonderful aspect of Japanese culture. Mr Shimaya was great to advice us for where tò eat or what to do nearby, and he was very kind with all of us. Thanks again from all 4 of us, we loved every minute spent there.

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We enjoyed our time at Shimaya. The host was kind enough to leave us with a parting gift and a group photo to capture our stay. This hotel is not part of the group of ryokans that allow you access to Shibu onsen, HOWEVER you do get to access the onsen around the corner. At first we were disappointed that we could not access the 9 onsens, but after visiting the one we really enjoyed it and found that a lot of locals gravitated to it as well.

We had one misunderstanding with the owner that led to an uncomfortable situation... but when the next morning rolled around, all seemed fine.