Yudanaka Tawaraya Ryokan

It's a Ryokan, don't expect hotel-like grandeur. Staffs could speak basic english and were very helpful. Once they helped you settle in, you can make yourself at home in the entire ryokan. The onsens (indoor and outdoor) are both great. The nearby restaurants were great, because the location is slightly secluded, most of the times you get private service in the restaurants. All basic amenities were provided and very convenient. We explored around the ryokan's, shibu onsen and the snow monkey park. The entire area is very serene and has all the countryside beauty.

Travelling to the location can be quite a hassle as you can only access Yudanaka with the Nagano Dentetsu Line that is not covered by JR Pass and you can only use cash to buy the train tickets, and you can only buy 1 way. The only convenient store is located near the station which you have to climb a hill to get to from the ryokan. You can only shower in the onsen place of the ryokan, there is no private shower in the rooms but there is a private toilet. There were no place for lunch at all once it passes 1pm. Most restaurants open only for dinner but we had fun and great food nearby.

The service as this Ryokan was 10/10, and was the most authentic one we stayed in during our 4 weeks in Japan. The staff were so lovely, and spoke great English. They showed us to our room, and gave us essentially a "room tour" whilst we drank complimentary tea. They gave us a map with nearby restaurants and ammenties noted on it. The private outdoor onsen was SO nice! You book a slot upon arrival, which you can access in the evening with 30 min slots. The onsen was large and the perfect contrast with the fresh cool air in the evening. Yukatas were provided for us as an option to wear around the hotel - both my partner and I are bigger than the average Japanese person (Wife is plus size, I am 6ft 2) and we both comfortably fit into the ones picked out for us. The only thing that threw us was that during breakfast, they cleared the beds from our room - had we known people would go in, we'd probably have neatened the room a bit haha! P.S don't skip the sushi restaurant a few doors down from the hotel. The sushi was EXQUISITE and they even have a phonetic Japanese to English page at the front so you can have a go at ordering properly with the chef.

Not something we didn't like as we were prepared, but you do have to go down (therefore back up!) a large slope to get to the hotel from the station. Putting it here in case people plan to travel with a lot of luggage for example! But obviously the slope is out of the hotel's control - don't let it put you off!!

This was by far our most favourite accommodation in the whole trip and we wished we'd stayed longer. Everything was exceptional - we had the largest room by a long way on our trip, the most comfortable bed and the hospitality was second to none. We dropped our bags on arrival before heading off to the snow monkey park and they were in our rooms when we returned. The lovely receptionist explained access to the onsens and booked us in for a private session which was sheer bliss. We were provided with kimonos, slippers and towels and enjoyed a wonderful dip in the outdoor natural hot spring. It was so relaxing and perfect if you're shy about getting naked in front of strangers! The next day we were provided with a traditional Japanese breakfast, including an egg cooked in the hot spring! It was delicious and plentiful and we really enjoyed it. Vegans and vegetarians are catered for so everyone was happy. I didn't realise it was ok to go down to breakfast in your kimono so I got dressed but I noticed the Japanese guests did this with the grey jacket provided slipped over the top and I would definitely recommend doing this for comfort. The owners are so kind. They gave us a map detailing all the restaurants in the town and as it was raining on our last day and they offered us umbrellas and a lift to the station. The price was very reasonable and we would definitely stay there again.

There was nothing we didn't like. The owners have put a great deal of thought into providing top class hospitality and we were very touched by the attention to detail and kindness expressed to us. They should be very proud of what they have achieved here and we would recommend the inn to anyone.

They’re confidently located near the train station and a 5 min walk to the bus that takes you up to the monkey park. This was my first ryokan experience and it did not disappoint. The room was spacious, so nice to have a sitting area! The in-room toilet and sink were both good and very clean. The BEST part about the stay was the meals: I ordered the dinner and it came with breakfast. All I can say is go hungry cuz they feed you a lot of delicious food! The ladies working there are the sweetest. I can’t say enough good things about this place.

Small thing: the shared shower in the in-door onsen has a timed faucet so I had to keep one hand on the handle to keep the water running.

Yudanaka Tawaraya exceeded our expectations! It didn't appear as new or fancy as other Ryokan we stayed at, but it was well maintained, clean and had a lovely charm. My favourite stay on our 18 day trip of Japan. Upon check in, we were given the opportunity to book the private outdoor Onsen at no extra cost. Other ryokan charge for this privilege. The outdoor Onsen was fantastic, private, large and beautiful in the snow. We were shown to our room by one of the staff who sat us down in our room and poured us tea to welcome us. As we checked out and left, two lovely staff members showed us out to the street and then watched us and waved until we were all the way up the street and out of sight.

I didn't like that we didn't stay longer. In addition, showers weren't included with our room and showering was done at the public baths in the ryokan. We were aware of this, but might be a shock to anyone expecting or used to a private shower.

The main purpose of visiting was taking an outdoor onsen (an amazing experience that now I want to do more often). The owners are welcoming and kind, they do their job with love and effort! It was also my first time trying traditional Japanese dinner - I'm glad I decided to order it (the breakfast was great too). They also sell nice souvenirs. There is Snow Monkey park not far from the town, I highly recommend to visit! As well as two local cafes I also visited: CASE山ノ内 and Tea Salon Miyako.

The bedding (especially the blanket) is warm but the room overall was little chilly. So I would recommend to bring some warm fluffy socks and pajamas to wear while you use toilet, sink or just stay in the room (they provide a Japanese-style bathrobe but I didn't want to wear it before onsen experience).

The ryokan is located close to the train station, in an unassuming street off the main part of the Yudanaka village (be warned: you will need to walk uphill to reach the city center). It is very traditional, so you need to take off your shoes at hello (if they are dirty, the staff will clean them for you, which is super thoughtful). My superior twin room was very spacious, featured two beds, a table and two chairs. It also included a toilet and a sink (no private bathroom!). There were also an electric kettle, a tea set, a heater (it is cold there in winter), additional blankets in the room. There is no restaurant on the spot nor in an immediate viccinity. The ryokan has two kinds of onsens available for guests: interior and exterior ones. You can book private sessions in the outside onsen from 7 pm, and it is an amazing experience which I highly recommend, The staff is beyond kind and helpful, the owner speaks perfect English (rarity in Japan!) and can give you plenty of tips where to go, what to visit. I enjoyed my time there.

The lack of a private shower was a shocker at first, but then whenever I used the public shower in the female interior onsen there was literally no one there, so it felt private anyway. The toiletries were provided. Otherwise, the staff had a break from 1 to 3 pm, and I did miss a bit a 24-hour reception.

We stayed one night at this ryokan to experience traditional Japanese accommodation and because it was one of the closest places to the Snow Monkey Park. The staff were very helpful, allowing us to leave our bags at reception the next day and explaining the rules in great detail. We loved the outdoor onsen, which we could book for 30 minutes just for the two of us. The room was spacious and had a sink and toilet just outside the door, so we were almost in a little apartment of our own. We paid for the traditional breakfast and I'm very grateful to the owners for organising a special vegetarian breakfast for my boyfriend, who really struggled to find vegetarian-friendly options in Japan. Overall, a fabulous and unique experience, not to be missed while you're in Japan. P.S. There's a highly-rated sushi place almost next door (called Sushi Ya) but unfortunately, it was completely booked out when I tried to go there for dinner.

Honestly, we loved everything except the blankets, which were too warm :)

I would easily give this ryokan 12/10 if booking would let me. Such an amazing experience form every perspective and definitely surpassed all of our expectations. Beautiful spacious comfy rooms equipped with everything you might need. Extremely comfortable futon beds, sleeping on these made me really want to have these at home. Both indoor and outdoor onsens were great and were never crowded, you could always take your time and enjoy hot bath. We really enjoyed wearing yukatas in the ryokan which also added to the atmosphere of the place. Food was perfect as well! We really enjoyed the traditional Japanese breakfast and the dinner that we ordered was just phenomenal and probably one of the best ones we ever had. Can't even say how many dishes it included as there were just too many but everything was delicious and regardless of the food preferences you would find something you'll enjoy. And finally the staff of the ryokan - extremely welcoming, helpful and willing to teach you something new about Japanese culture. They took us to the Jigokudani monkey park by car and were even offering to drive us to the train station when we were leaving even though it's like 5 minutes away by feet. Just to sum this up, If you're considering going to Yudanaka - this is THE place to stay.

The ryokan is very clean and orderly. Mother and daughter run the place. They have great customer service. I also spent ¥6K for their dinner, and comparable to the few nearby restaurants. Especially nearby small restaurants need to be pre-booked. Location is great few blocks from the train station to Nagano City. Also few bus routes that take you to Snow Money Park and skiing areas. I was able to schedule a 30 minute slot for my private use of the outdoor onsen. I enjoyed my 2 night stay there.