Music Lodge Yugenso

For one night near Karuizawa, two meals cost 7,500 yen, so I wasn’t expecting much, but the food was still quite substandard. It had no homemade feel and seemed like commercial food. There weren’t any towels hanging in the bathroom, though yukatas and bath towels were provided. I was alone in a room meant for five, but there was only one cup. Sleeping was comfortable enough. Even so, I don’t think I’d go back.

At a price you hardly see these days, this hotel included two meals.

We used the lodge for our club training camp. The building lives up to the “Music Lodge” name: it was well soundproofed, with double-pane windows in each room and heavy doors that closed securely. Each room also had a proper household air conditioner that worked well. The owner led a PA training session as part of the schedule. We didn’t know what to expect at first, but the basics were explained clearly. It would suit first-year students who have never used a mixer or feel unsure about PA. When the building is rented by a group, the large public bath is open around the clock. The changing area is quite small, probably enough for only 4-5 people. The bathwater was very hot, around 42.3 degrees Celsius, and the bathtub faucet didn’t let us adjust the temperature. Bring your own towels. On the last day, staff took a group photo, made a large print, framed it, and gave it to us. A lovely keepsake. Wi-Fi was also a big help since phone service in the area seemed to be absent or down to one bar for most carriers. There are three buildings, each with its own network, so I had to register separately for each one. The breakfast buffet and second-night BBQ were described as luxurious, but the buffet limited how many dishes each person could take, so it felt more like a self-service breakfast than a chance to choose freely. The BBQ used a griddle over a gas stove rather than charcoal. One room’s floor creaked loudly underfoot, though I got used to it.

For a single night, I thought it was fine. Our roomy loft room had two beds, a table, sofa and safe, plus a small unit with a bathroom and toilet. Breakfast was average but enough. It was winter in Nagano and snow lay all around; having two air conditioners made it clear how cold it gets.