Suzaka Station × Highly rated Hotel·Ryokan

My first trip to Karuizawa with my mother! This Accommodation is famous for being hard to book, and we happened to find an available date, so we made a Reservation right away!! We drove there in a rental car, and from the moment we arrived, the staff’s warm hospitality made us feel truly welcome. Everything about the Accommodation was wonderful. There are four private Onsen baths that don’t require a Reservation, as well as a large public bath and a cave bath. Surrounded by trees, it’s an Accommodation where you can feel time passing quietly. I’ve stayed at many Hotels and Ryokans before, but this was the first time I experienced such outstanding hospitality—including the food!! It’s easy to see why so many guests return again and again!

Obuse, the town of Hokusai and chestnuts, is known for its beautiful streetscape that feels almost like a theme park. We arrived a little early by car, so we visited Gansho-in Temple and Jokoji Temple before heading to Masuichi Kyakuden. The ceiling painting at Gansho-in—Katsushika Hokusai’s “Phoenix Glancing in All Directions”—was truly breathtaking. As soon as we pulled up in front of Masuichi Kyakuden, a staff member came right out and efficiently carried our luggage inside. The highly sought-after “Chestnut Dessert Suzaku,” which is notoriously difficult to secure, will be offered from 9/10 this year. Because guests staying at Masuichi Kyakuden receive priority guaranteed access, it becomes even harder to make an Accommodation Reservation for stays from 9/10 onward. Since our stay was before then, making a Reservation was easy. Stepping inside Masuichi Kyakuden, you’re immediately enveloped by the stately atmosphere of the kura storehouse building. Our Room was on the second floor; we chose the Relax Twin style. Despite being in a kura-style structure, it also has a terrace, with plenty of natural light and an open feel. There are also more traditional, calmer kura-style Rooms available; however, we were told they are designed with high ceilings to avoid any sense of confinement. Designed by architect John Morford, the Room is fully Western-style with extensive use of stainless steel—its glass-and-stainless bath is well worth seeing. Amenities are L’Occitane; the refrigerator includes complimentary drinks; plus coffee and tea—everything you’d expect from a high-end Ryokan-style stay is provided, making the Room very comfortable. For dinner, we walked about three minutes to Obusedo Honten (part of the same Masuichi group). Every dish showcased the head chef’s experience and refined sensibility. The soup course, simmered dishes, and grilled items had a Kyoto kaiseki influence—above all else, the dashi was exceptional. The sashimi was fresh and perfectly seasoned as well. Local ingredients were used throughout for very high satisfaction overall. One note: the first items served—lightly dressed Kurakake beans and Matsumae-zuke—are not part of the course menu itself (just so you know). They’re clearly intended as snacks with alcohol—especially sake brewed by Masuichi Ichimura Sake Brewery within the same group—and both paired beautifully with their sake: firm Kurakake beans soaked in elegant dashi alongside Matsumae-zuke packed with rich seafood umami made each sip even better than before. In autumn Obuse becomes all about chestnuts; while we couldn’t try “Chestnut Dessert Suzaku,” we did get to enjoy “Mont Blanc Suzaku,” a Western-inspired take on Suzaku. It’s available at their affiliated shop “Entotsu.” We nearly gave up due to long lines but learned that overnight guests can make Reservations—so we were able to enjoy it without waiting. If you stay at Masuichi Kyakuden, be sure to indulge in one of their “Suzaku”-style chestnut sweets if you can. Overall it was an outstanding stay—we thoroughly enjoyed Obuse from start to finish.

Just as the title says—an excellent impression.

It was a Multiple Night Stay for 2 nights. Breakfast was included, there was a large public bath, and the cleanliness around the bed was excellent. The parking area is spacious, so you won’t be left confused with nowhere to park. If I may mention just one point for improvement, the toilet/unit bath had an unpleasant odor (likely sewage smell backflow), to the extent that I hesitated slightly to use it.

Overall, I am satisfied with the Facility as a place to stay, and the meals are delicious. However, when using it for work, it is inconvenient because the Wi-Fi connection is unreliable when I return to the Hotel and try to work on my PC. A wired connection works for PCs, but it is difficult to use on a smartphone. I hope this will be improved in future upgrades.

I had previously visited for a day trip to the Onsen and loved both the Onsen and the scenery, so I decided to stay overnight. The meals were excellent, the view from the Room was wonderful, and my stay was very comfortable. Unfortunately, the outdoor bath in the morning was so cold that it hardly felt like an Onsen.\n\nAs it is currently off-season, there was no shuttle bus on weekdays, which made things difficult. Even one round-trip Shuttle Service would be very helpful.

We stayed with our 8-month-old child and a family of three. The dappled sunlight through the garden with the white wisteria tree was pleasant, allowing us to relax and enjoy the time as the day turned to night. As it is a property limited to one group, I think it is perfect for relaxing. (It was also very nice for us as a family to have a place where we could let our child roll around.) The hostess takes care of everything from check-in to serving meals and providing shuttle service. She is a very loving person, accommodating our various requests, allowing us to have a pleasant stay. This time, we requested various things like baby food and a surprise cake for our wedding anniversary. They prepared local vegetables and a cake from a recommended shop, allowing us to feel the essence of the area while staying at the property. Around the property, there are stylish shops utilizing the townscape of storehouses. If you visit, I think you can ask the hostess for recommendations on good places to visit. This is a property recommended for a long and leisurely stay. This time, we relaxed from lunchtime until the next day's noon. (The coffee we had on the garden veranda in the morning was delicious.) It seems they also accommodate late check-out until 5 PM, so it might be worth considering for your travel schedule.

I visited Suzaka for reasons other than sightseeing. After finishing my main errands, it was still before check-in, so they kindly stored my luggage. They also used a map to explain the area around the Accommodation so I could spend my free time well. It was raining, but thanks to their help I was able to enjoy exploring the area. After checking in and having dinner out, I had a great time in the evening chatting with the Accommodation staff and a guest from Spain. After check-out, they drove me to where I needed to go, which was a huge help. If I have another chance to visit Suzaka, I would love to stay again.

When I travel to Nagano Prefecture for business, I usually stay at a Business Hotel in Matsumoto, but since Kamikochi was in peak season, I stayed in Nagano City instead. It’s not close to the station, but the incredibly low rate, the high Reviews (Google), and simple curiosity brought me here. Both check-in and check-out were handled by the owner. I was genuinely impressed by his exemplary hospitality. Even though we’re in different industries, it was a great learning experience as a businessperson. The Room and wet areas were thoroughly cleaned; the bath and toilet are shared, but it didn’t bother me at all. It seems there are many days when strong teams from outside the prefecture or other groups stay here as well, so if your stay overlaps with those dates it may be lively. If you prefer a quiet stay, group schedules are posted inside the Ryokan, and you can also check in advance when making your Reservation. Commemorative plates from Koshien-participating schools, Ma-kun’s autograph, thank-you letters, and more were carefully displayed throughout the property—it made me feel truly warm inside. It was my first time staying at this kind of Ryokan, and I’m grateful for such a valuable experience. If I have the chance, I’d love to stop by again. The yakitori place just 30 seconds on foot from the Ryokan was also amazing!! (Especially the salted chicken hearts and horse sashimi.) Comparing this place to standard Business Hotels with full Facilities like Route Inn or APA Hotel misses the point—so I hope people who can appreciate an exceptional price without worrying about minor inconveniences will enjoy what Ohashi Ryokan has to offer.

We stayed in a Japanese-style Room. It wasn’t new, but it was clean and very comfortable. For bathing, we used the public bathhouse next door—spacious with bubbling baths, which was also excellent.

I made a Reservation for a twin Room and stayed there. The Room was more spacious than I expected, very clean, and the beds were large, so I could relax well. However, as others have mentioned, noise from adjacent Rooms was noticeable. (The toilet flushing/drainage sound in my Room was loud, so I hesitated to use it late at night.) The parking lot was also on the Hotel premises, which was convenient.

They kindly accommodated our unreasonable requests, and we were very satisfied.