Nagasaka Kanko Hotel

If you’re driving to this inn, ask about the permitted parking spots before you arrive. Otherwise, you may end up worn out after unpacking and then being told to move. We got there at 8:00 PM, parked, and started unloading our bags when a staff member came out. Their first words were, “Don’t park there. You’re in the way, so move over there.” There’s no “No Parking” sign or guide to show where guests can leave their cars. As a first-time visitor, how am I supposed to know which places are okay? If some areas are designated, they should be marked clearly. For places where parking isn’t allowed, they could put up signs or cones, or find some other way to show it. Being told to move only after parking and unpacking is just too unkind. Ask ahead if you want to avoid the exhaustion. And look at this photo: can you tell where parking is prohibited? Apparently, everywhere in these images is off limits.

The staff were polite and attentive, and the generous, filling breakfast left me very satisfied. I couldn’t find a place to stay in Kiyosato this time, so I booked here for an extra night to avoid Chuo Expressway traffic on my drive back to Tokyo. It’s in a convenient spot, right in front of Nagasaka Station on the Chuo Line, under 10 minutes from Nagasaka Interchange, and only about 30 minutes from Kiyosato. I’ll definitely use this hotel as a stopover when driving back to Tokyo from the Nagoya area 🎵

The male staff member was polite and explained things kindly. I stayed in the Japanese-style room called “Momiji no Ma” (Maple Leaf Room). Breakfast is served on the first floor, and there’s no elevator, so you have to use the stairs. The room, bathroom, exterior, and breakfast photos I uploaded may be useful to anyone planning a visit. On August 3rd, I took the Shinkansen 🚄 from Osaka City, changed to the Chuo Line in Nagoya, and caught the Shinano No. 17 bound for Nagano to Shiojiri Station. From there I transferred to a local train for Otsuki. The whole trip took about five hours. It’s a tourist hotel. A room with a private bathroom, meaning a unit bath, costs 6100 yen, while a room without meals is 5100 yen. They aren’t serving dinner at the moment, but breakfast is available for another 1000 yen. From Nagasaka Station, it’s a convenient five-minute walk to the left after you get off.

The staff were friendly and clearly kind. You can see their hospitality in the small details, like how sparkling clean the toilets are. There are five guest rooms on one floor, with a shared bathroom and toilet. Those facilities look recently renovated, since they’re fairly new and very clean. The rooms are very clean too.