Chuoukan Shimizuya Ryokan

Loved this Ryokan! We wanted to have the experience of staying at a traditional inn and this was lovely. The managers are lovely and very helpful, and you can't beat the location (close to transit, lots of restaurants and the temple). Highly recommended!

Holy. What a unique traditional Japanese stay. It's unlike anything if you've been doing the classic hotel stays in your time in Japan.

The service is beautiful, run by the elderly couple. They would put out our shoes knowing we were last to leave the place - just so thoughtful and even gave us hand warmers when it was freezing.

The Onsen in the spot is a treat. Very small like a public onsen in Japan - super hot. Very unlikely to be overpacked and usually will be the only one (if you're not comfortable with onsen experiences haha...).

Loved everything about this stay. And the location is great too.

Highly recommend if you want to have a very memorable experience in Japan.

Amazing, beautiful, and unique. A step into old Japan with traditional living quarter experiences. A 130 year hotel with modern conveniences . The owners provided such good, kind service.

Convenient spot right across the bus stop (do not get off at gondo train station and walk, it’s very far, take a bus instead). Rooms are very nice, clean, and traditional. The old couple who own the inn are super super nice and thoughtful people, you should come stay just to meet them haha… they saw us outside wanting to try a tonkatsu nearby, and even ran back to get a discount voucher for us 🥹

とても良かったです。We booked the same day and ended up being the only two staying. The building was amazing. It was traditional Japan at its best. The bath was cool, and the room was perfect. We really enjoyed the hospitality of the hosts and the brief one night stay. If I come back to Japan anytime soon I will make sure to visit this Ryokan again!!

Most unique ryokan I’ve stayed at in Japan. The couple were very kind and accommodating. The architecture of the building was fascinating.

If you want to experience the genuine ryokan living with added onsen amenity, this is the place for you. The owners were already the 6th generation managing the business and they’re like grandparents to me who are always there to greet you or send you off when arriving and leaving. Onsen was very nice after a day of long walk or skiing from nearby ski resorts. Location is fairly close to Nozawa and Hakuba. Only negative comment I have and this is not management’s fault, is because of the walls being made up of thin material so one can hear sounds from adjacent room or from outside the building but nevertheless experience was very pleasant.

This may be called a 2 star place, but honestly the service was 5 star. It’s a traditional Ryokan, run by an adorable elderly couple that really go all out to help you, despite not having a great grasp of English. You come in, and they start putting out stools so you can take off your shoes (no shoes, only slippers inside). They then remember them for when you want to leave, getting them ready when you want to leave. Walk down the stairs and they will interrupt whatever they are doing to be attentive (even if I was just bringing luggage downstairs before we left, the lady would fold her newspaper and get up to come see me, and I needed to make 4 trips).We had a room for 3 people, that could have fit 4, a powerful air conditioner/heater, good size shower and bathroom included, all much larger than we were expecting. Hot water was provided in a flask that was hot all the way until morning. There are no chairs though, you are expected to sit on the floor (there are cushions and a back rest in addition to a little table). The beds are also mats on the floor, but very comfortable.

Breakfast is a delight, so many small plates and bowls of pickles, soup, grilled fish, rice, vegetables… the list goes on, definitely something to try. The hotel also has 2 baths, one male and one female, both on the ground floor. You can bathe there in the mornings and evenings, and there are washing stations as well as a soak bath.

The hotel is full of burnished wood including the staircases, so slippers are a necessity, don’t be tempted to walk around in socks, it’s slippery, and there are no lifts, so you’ll have to carry your luggage up and down the stairs which can be a little narrow.

At a 20 minute walk from Nagano station, it’s easy to get to (we did it both ways with luggage). There is a direct bus for 150 yen if you want to use it though. Just down the hill from Zenkoji temple, it’s set ideally midway between the two. Quite a few good restaurants nearby too.

My first time at a Ryokan, so I don’t know if this is standard service or excellent. I want to believe that they are at the top of their game though, even in a country as friendly as Japan, such a pleasure to visit!

Very nice place and people. Kimono experience is unforgettable!

Extremely good place to stay if you are in Nagano. Friendly stuff, outstanding rooms in authentic Japanese style. Assumably there are a bath and sauna available, however I didn't check as I got too many tattoos to enter there. Would definitely stay there again on my next visit to Nagano.

Very nice ryokan located close to the Zenko-ji temple. Hospitality was awesome... with their minimal knowledge of english they tried to help you as best as they could.. Rooms where big and tidy. You have to wear their slippers in the building ... They onsen was nice and clean but a little.e to hot for my taste.. Try to have the traditional Japanese breakfast... it is surprising ... Really an experience I would recommend.

This place is amazing and the owners are super cool. We came back from dinner and the woman dried us off with towels from being outside in the rain. They reccomended a great place to eat dinner and the Onsen was very relaxing. I think we were the only guests in the place. More people should book here!

Excellent and friendly hosts, clean facilities, very traditional Japanese Onsen experience. Close to many excellent restaurants and bars, as well as Zenko Temple. Absolutely loved it.

Very authentic Ryokan experience. Staff is very friendly and helpful, the Ryokan is centrally located to enjoy all the public Onsens in the area. Highly recommended if you want an authentic traditional Japanese experience!

Great experience staying at this traditional Ryokan. The owners were very delightful and so nice. They made our stay in Nagano a great one! I would recommend staying here for a traditional hotel.

Amazing place with the ultimate hosts. Comfy and warm accommodation, fantastic Japanese breakfast and a great onsen to relax in. The kind hosts are what make this place so special.

Google　マップ　インドアビュー™導入済み！

Using the See Inside, you can explore the rooms of this traditional Japanese ryokan.

Lovely couple run the place (they dont speak english and i dont speak japanese and yet they were very nice).
Great onsen after a cold day
Excellent location

We had an excellent stay. Our room was beautiful and the hosts we're great with our daughter!

Maximum level of hospitality. It's not possible to be any more nicer than the owners