스자카역 × 유아 요금 설정 숙소만족도 평가가 높은 호텔·료칸

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.

I contacted the property to change my arrival time, and I was very grateful that the front desk waited for me even though it was 11:00 PM. The large public bath was available until 2:00 AM, and since it had just opened, everything was clean. Breakfast was also satisfying. The Room was just the right size—not too big and not too small. Also, it is an excellent location for those traveling by car, as it is only 2 minutes from the interchange.

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.

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.

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