Our first night of Kaiseiki dining felt a bit rushed as I had to finish my plate so that they could bring in the next course. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for our 2nd night and I got to properly savour our meal.

We adored our own personal open-air bath in our room in the Junior Suite we chose! That was one of the highlights of our stay. The hotel is about a 10min walk from the Yudanaka train station with our medium-sized luggage. We opted for a shuttle, which you have to reserve in advance for our return. We love ryokans and this was clean and super comfortable. We chose the option of meals with our rooms, which is highly recommendable because it is delicious and you get to experience kaiseiki dining in a private dining room. In addition, the lovely owner paid us a visit during dinner and we got to converse with her and know a little bit more of her beautiful establishment. She also came out to bid us goodbye when we had to leave.

Stayed in May 2025

Nothing, all good

Amazing hotel, large room with all facilities. We had a private Onsen which was so relaxing and well used! All staff were so polite and helpful.

Stayed in July 2025

It’s pricey!

The room was very clean, and food was yummy, very comfortable.

Stayed in July 2025

Absolutely nothing!

After nearly seven weeks on the road around Japan, this was one of our favourite accommodations of our stay. From the host greeting us with umbrellas on our arrival in the rain and a Japanese tea during check in, to the owner of the hotel coming to say hello and have a chat in our private restaurant room, to the beautiful furnishing and decors throughout, this hotel was outstanding! We felt it was time to splurge a little more than normal being our last days in Japan and felt it was worth every cent! Our room was huge, with multiple areas to spread out and relax, double sinks in the bathroom and a toilet for each of us!! And the best feature was the huge balcony with lovely views over the river, a lounge and the open air hot spring bath! The included meals were delicious and enjoyed in your own private room within the restaurant and the complimentary bar and snack service offered in the afternoons, in an exclusive, cosy lounge all made our stay feel even more special. The hotel is a short distance to the Snow Monkey Park and to Shibu Onsen and there’s a great little brewery located just behind the hotel. We would absolutely stay here again and would highly recommend this fabulous hotel.

Stayed in June 2025

Nothing, everything was as or better than we expected.

The breakfast were very good, lots of variety. Location was remote and very relaxing. The view from our Riyokan/onsen was gorgeous overlooking the rivers. The room was very spacious.Very small town, but good food close by. It was a short distance to the snow monkey park and excellent walks through the forest. It is a very relaxing spa and they take very good care of us. Rooftop baths, both communal and private for a couple on request.Free pick up and delivery to the train station, we lacked nothing.

Stayed in May 2025

Expensive with deceptive appearance from outside, but facilities were great

Exceptional private dining. The private open air onset on the balcony was fabulous. Good location for the snow monkey park.

Stayed in May 2025

Nothing. It was perfect

I can't say enough good about Aburaya Tousen. The room was beautiful and huge with our own private onsen in the room. The food at the restaurant for both dinner and breakfast were incredible. And the restaurant service was the best I think I've ever had.

Stayed in April 2025

Can't think of a single thing. This stay feels perfect, or near perfect. I guess just be aware that the shower room is a bit exposed or visible to the public, as it's next to the private tub on the balcony. If you're booking this room with someone you're not comfortable being naked next to, it could be a bit skittish, I suppose.

Worth every cent I paid for, for the junior suite. Service impeccable from arrival to departure where owner lady saw us out. The view of the river out front and mountains backdrop is awesome. Wifi is great, and room very comfortable. We still miss our own private little onsen tub. Private dinner experience excellent, though you might want to order more food (from additional a la carte menu) if you tend to eat a lot. Sweet old owner lady went around briefly greeting all the guests. Lounge (access came with room) very neat and cool, with wine & charcuterie served 5-7p. I could go on and on, but this is by far the best traditional-style stay my entire Japan trip, next to the new Waldorf Osaka modern-style stay I had. It's everything I dreamed a ryokan experience would be & more. Definitely ticked off my bucket list item.

Stayed in April 2025

The owner was such a kind, sweet and polite lady who greeted us during our dinner at the hotel which was super delicious and upon checking out of the hotel, she sent us off with the warmest goodbye! Her staff at the hotel were also v friendly and helpful. It was a wonderful stay!

Stayed in April 2025

Excellent rooms, huge onsen with views, an outdoor section, cold pool, sauna, and a lovely view of the sunset. Breakfast had a little bit for everyone.

Stayed in April 2025

The Staff was so welcoming and friendly. They stood in the freezing cold and waved us goodbye when we left.

Stayed in March 2025

Nothing .

I liked that it was a traditional Japanese restaurant . The art decorations and private Onsen in the rooms .

Stayed in March 2025

The beds were on the ground. I booked a western room and the pictures seemed to show the beds not on the ground. The mattresses were very uncomfortable.

The decor, the staff and the private dinners at night were exceptional. The owner made sure to come by our dining area the first night to welcome us to her hotel. The private breakfast was also amazing.

Stayed in March 2025

We LOVED the onsen! The room and amenities were amazing. Highly recommend the breakfast which was great before going to see the snow monkeys.

Stayed in February 2025

Towls

View from room Breakfast

Stayed in March 2025

The hotel was beautiful and the food incredible, the facilities were lovely and the private onsen was just perfect. The location was very easily accessible from the train station (shuttle is available), and close to the snow monkeys.

Stayed in January 2025

Towels could be thicker and fluffier.

Meals and onsen were amazing! Staff were incredibly nice too!

Stayed in March 2025

Loved it all!

The staff were friendly and very helpful. Meeting the owner of the hotel really meant the world to us, she is so kind. The food was outstanding and a fun experience. Would love to stay there again.

Stayed in March 2025

The hotel facilities and indoor onsen bath especially is super awesome. Also, we loved the rooftop bar which looks very nice when snowing!

Stayed in January 2025

Everything is very comfortable

Stayed in February 2025

The staff and service were incredibly friendly and accomodating. On arrival we were treated to matcha and mochi while the staff checked us in. Our room had its own onsen that was all set up for us when checked into our room. We chose the dinner and breakfast option and the dinner was a standout, traditional Japanese set course menu.

Stayed in February 2025

Everything was excellent.

The onsen was lovely and a highlight of our trip to Japan. We had a suite with a private outdoor bath and it was such a treat. Dinner was included with our room. We expected a typical dinner, but instead received an incredible multi-course meal in a private room - it was superb. The property also offered several lounges and rooftop bar (with individual personal igloos) that were simply wonderful. Highly recommend a stay here!

Stayed in February 2025

The private onsen on the balcony was wonderful. This an experience I definitely recommend particularly for a rest day during your trip through Japan.

Stayed in January 2025

We had a private onsen with a view of the mountains. It was incredible. We also had a separate dining space set up in traditional Japanese style. We loved it! Breakfast was amazing! The public bath was incredible! Clean, beautiful, and so relaxing! They also picked us up from the train station which was really nice after such a long journey to get there!

Stayed in February 2025