Lodge Shiroitori

The staff member was great, especially the older woman, who was friendly and easy to talk to. I’d stay again if I get the chance. There’s a ski drying room on the first floor, so it seems like decent value for a ski trip. The walls are thin, though, and noise from lots of children could bother some people, but that’s probably expected in a lodge. We were there for skiing in February 2023. The building is like a big guesthouse and was clean and well kept. We booked a room with a toilet, and the heat worked well, so it wasn’t cold. Wi-Fi was available, but didn’t seem to reach the dining room. The men’s and women’s baths were separate. They were small but pleasant, though there were no chairs in the changing room, so we had to stand the whole time. Dinner was served in the dining room at tables assigned by room. The kamameshi and foil-baked sakana (fish cake) were delicious, but the fried chicken was completely cold. The food generally tasted good. At breakfast, raw bacon was served as a side, and I wish it had been cooked. Other guests left theirs too. There was coffee from a server, but it was empty by the time I got there, and it didn’t seem like enough had been put out. No staff were around to ask for more. There’s a long slope in front of the inn, so front-wheel drive cars might have trouble when it’s icy. We had 4WD and snow tires, so it was fine.

I was glad to find a drying room, and the room itself was spacious. The bathroom was large and warm, too. The walls seemed thin, though, and I could hear the neighbors clearly. I wanted to sleep early before skiing the next morning, so that was a bit of a problem. I’d read a review saying front-wheel-drive cars can’t climb the slope in winter. There was no snow when I stayed, so I made it up, but I can see how it would be difficult if it were icy. They did say they could pick me up, so that should be fine.

We were lost and unfamiliar with the area when we stopped in front of the inn. A woman who seemed to be the landlady came out within a few minutes and called us “gross” right away. We explained that we’d taken a wrong turn, but she said she didn’t know about that, repeated that parking in front of her was gross, and told us to leave. We were the ones who had parked there, of course, but there were no other cars around and it was 7:00 AM. We were trying to find somewhere to stop at a time when we wouldn’t inconvenience anyone, and her response only confused us more, lol. I think she could have said it another way. Later, a man who seemed to be her husband kindly gave us directions, but we would never stay at this inn.

I was there for work in February, but didn’t stay overnight. It’s a great place. It happened to be snowing, and I got there safely, though snow was everywhere. The slopes are steep, so depending on conditions, getting up them could be pretty difficult.