Sasaya Hotel

I’ve stayed at different inns in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen six times, and my wife and I chose this place to celebrate our hard work this year. We splurged on a Japanese-Western room with an open-air bath, at a price that could have covered two nights at other inns. The private bath was on the balcony behind a sash window. Frosted glass was meant to prevent people outside from seeing in, but there were fairly large gaps. If we could see outside clearly, someone on the other side could see in, so it wasn’t relaxing to soak. We covered the gap with the bath cover. The view was only rooftops and sky, with little charm or elegance, and I regret choosing the room with its own bath. The Japanese-style room was about 12 tatami mats, the bedroom with a bed about 8, and the rest was spacious, with a sofa and what seemed to be a veranda. Heating is essential in that season, but the building’s air conditioning is centrally controlled, making it hard to set a temperature to your liking. Anyone sensitive to cold might find that uncomfortable. There are two large baths, Ishi no Yu and Ki no Yu. Men and women alternate between them in the morning, so you can use either. I recommend Ishi no Yu’s open-air bath. I got up at 4 AM to enjoy it alone, and at first thought it was much better than the private bath. Then a raccoon suddenly came out of the bamboo grove and made eye contact with me. It wasn’t pleasant, so I quickly went back to the large public bath. I really hope they disinfect where the raccoons get in and take steps to keep them out. At check-in, the front desk only confirmed our booking and gave no detailed explanation. The housekeeper brought our luggage to the room, where matcha and sweets were ready. Then we discussed meal times, yukata sizes, and other things. It would have been fine to handle it all at the front desk, but the housekeeper came in and out several times when we wanted to relax. Perhaps this reflects the inn’s prestige and pride, but I’d have preferred to sort everything out at reception. The standard kaiseki meal was average for the extra cost, with nothing especially tasty. I’d told them about my food allergies beforehand, and they accommodated them well. The dining area was a large room divided by screens, so nearby conversations carried over and it was hard to enjoy a relaxed meal. Four of the other five inns I’ve stayed at in Togura had private rooms. The food presentation was poorly organized too, and after finishing a dish I had to wait a long time for the next one. I love Togura Kamiyamada Onsen and stay at a different inn every month, always looking for one that suits me. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the one for me. What a shame!

I came to Nagano Prefecture for autumn flavors like matsutake mushrooms, fresh chestnuts, and Shinshu apple wagyu beef. The special guest room is 80 square meters, with a reclining bath, a natural hot spring open-air bath flowing directly from the source, and an indoor bath made from granite from the source. The annex has eight separate rooms in a registered tangible cultural property. Seiryokan has the best view, with a source-fed open-air bath and a cypress bath. If my budget allowed, maybe the 80-square-meter special room would be a good choice. Since I’d come all the way to Nagano, a view of the Chikuma River would be nice, but I also didn’t want to miss Honenmushi, the registered tangible cultural property. Nagano’s long-established luxury inns seem to welcome and serve guests very casually. Unlike the ultra-luxury inns in Izu, you can relax without feeling too much pressure. The food has plenty of local Nagano flavors, for better or worse. The ingredients and seasoning at both dinner and breakfast were poor. For breakfast, if it were at Sasaya’s level, I’d like a dish made with care and attention, like rolled sushi or rolled egg. Is this the limit of Sasaya Hotel’s cooking? I wish it were a little more sincere. What do you think, Chef? We need to put in some effort here. For September to October, it would be great to choose matsutake dishes from Bessho/Shiodaira or Shinshu apple wagyu beef from a butcher in Sakaki.

The servers timed everything so thoughtfully that, even though I was a little nervous at the guest of honor’s table, I could relax and enjoy my meal. Everything was delicious and full of dashi. The Shinshu beef sukiyaki pot was especially good, with meat that melted in my mouth and a sweet-savory broth that went perfectly with it. Barley rice and grated yam to finish were simple but tasted luxurious. I attended a year-end party here without staying overnight. It was my first visit, and the atmosphere felt distinguished and historic from the entrance to the lobby and tatami room. This is clearly a long-established inn representing Togura Kamiyamada Onsen. Next time, I’d like to stay privately and take my time enjoying the hot springs.

This is my second stay this year. On my previous visit, both the food and hot springs were excellent, and the natural-source bath in my room was very relaxing too.