Fudoson-no-Yu Oyado Kotobuki

The stay was quite okay, and I’m writing this to help others visiting the area. Our whole trip to Nagano was difficult and infuriating. I only knew what to expect here because another girl had left a Google Maps review. I’d searched several booking sites for details about the hotel and found none, so I wanted to return the favor. As far as I could tell, this was the closest hotel to the monkey park. That has its benefits: in the morning we walked straight out and up the hill to the park, stopping for coffee and apple pie at Enza Cafe on the way. But getting there the afternoon before was awful. The old-fashioned train system only accepts certain coins and runs once an hour, so we arrived very late. Even Japanese taxi apps don’t work up here. Luckily, there’s a tiny taxi office across from the train station that was still open after sunset. The hotel is an 8 minute drive from the station. In winter it’s very cold, and the route is all uphill. Local buses stop running early, and I wouldn’t recommend walking. If you’re staying in Nagano, just take the bus in the morning straight to the monkey park. Avoid the trains! I wish we’d known the rooms don’t have private toilets. I can appreciate a warm toilet seat, but it’s still a shared toilet, and the heat only encourages bacteria to grow. Honestly, had I known beforehand, I might not have chosen this place. The hotel is old, but cozy. I slept so well I’ll be talking about it for the rest of my life. Staying in a traditional Japanese hotel has its perks, and looking out from the tatami room at the snow made the trouble getting there worthwhile. Each sex has two onsen pools, four altogether, in separate sections. There’s an extremely hot “swimming pool” inside and a warm pool outdoors. A wooden wall divides the men’s and women’s outdoor areas, and it would be almost impossible to get around it. The outdoor pool faces the forest and there’s no lighting. Some lanterns were there, but they didn’t work. I asked the other woman there if I could use my phone to light the area, and she agreed. It’s pitch black and quite dangerous if you slip and hurt yourself, especially alone, since nobody may come to help. It’s a quiet, small hotel and we barely saw anyone. The sign says not to bring your phone, but I’d bring it for safety if using the outdoor onsen at night. The outdoor onsen is listed as open from 15.00pm until 23.00pm, and the indoor one is available 24h. The door to the outdoor area is permanently open and there’s nobody there, so I’m not sure why it wouldn’t be usable at other times. Sitting in the hot outdoor pool while snow fell on our heads was amazing. My boyfriend and I could even chat across the wooden wall, which made it easy to plan when to head back to the room. There’s only one room key, and the clocks in the women’s and men’s onsens show different times. 🤭 There’s no restaurant, but a vending machine by the onsen entrance sells soft drinks and beer. We had a great time, mostly because the place is so relaxed. There are no strict rules, and things are more or less self-service, so you can do your own thing. I just wish there were more information online. We wouldn’t have panicked about when to arrive if we’d known the onsen might still be open.

There are only 7 rooms, so it’s quiet, and I was often alone in both the indoor and outdoor onsen. The hotel is close to transport and the monkey park, and the onsen was nice. My traditional Japanese room was comfortable and everything worked. The service was outstanding: they helped us a lot in English and shared tips for planning our stay, including figuring out the bus timetable. We’d definitely come back if we had the chance. 10/10, wonderful place and amazing host.

Aki was perhaps the best host I’ve ever met. She really embodies Japanese hospitality, and made our stay special with great food and helpful guidance about the local area. The rooms are lovely, the onsen is great, and you can’t get much closer to the Snow Monkey Park.

Kotobuki is a charming traditional Ryokan, with beautiful outdoor hot springs and comfortable bedding. It’s close to the Snow Monkey Park, two cafes, three restaurants, and a bus station for trips elsewhere. There are large bag storage spaces and hundred yen lockers for an affordable fee, which came in handy when I arrived early. I left my bags, went to the Monkey Park and had lunch, then checked in during the afternoon. Aki looks after most of the place herself. I mistook her for a cleaning lady at first. She was very humble, showed me to my room, handed me the key, and explained the amenities. The room was huge, with 8 tatami mats in the living area, plus a small lounge and balcony. Four or five people could easily fit. The futon was comfortable and the pillow soft. I slept 9 hours every night. There was also a fridge and a sink and mirror area for brushing my teeth and doing my makeup. The room had a traditional spa style Yukata, a tea set with a 3-litre kettle, and essentials like a face towel, bath towel, and toothbrush. Everything was clean and well kept. The shared toilets were easy to get to, and the seats stayed heated all night. In the shared bathing area, there was shampoo, conditioner, body soap, a seat, and buckets for rinsing. The outdoor hot spring stayed hot all night. I usually soaked from 8 pm to 10 pm without getting too hot or cold. The water is naturally heated, and you can feel its quality. There are seats if you need a break from the heat. There are lounge spaces, as you’d expect at most Ryokan, with a massage chair and a spot to read books or play board games. I quickly made friends with Aki and the other guests. The atmosphere was lovely and homey, and I felt at home right away. I tried two cafes that serve food, cafe Enza, a 2min walk, and crystal terrace, a 10min walk. I also went to Hotaru-tei and The Farmhouse, both a 5min walk away. The map in the welcome booklet shows more places I didn’t get a chance to visit. Kotobuki is a beautiful mountain stay for anyone after an authentic Japanese inn experience in Yamanouchi. Solo travelers, families, and couples could all enjoy it.