Yudanaka Tawaraya Ryokan

Such a lovely place and our first taste of an authentic ryokan. Very clean, quiet, and comfy sleeping on the traditional beds on the tatami floor. The room was huge especially after coming from Tokyo. The staff were very kind and warm. Enjoying a private outdoor onsen among the snow was a magical experience. Note there is no shower in the room, so you must take an onsen to bathe. Location was convenient - 7 min walk down a steep hill from Yudanaka train station which was also where the snow monkey park bus departed. We also enjoyed walking 20 min or so along the river to Shibu Onsen to explore the next town. Highly recommend!

The staff is truly amazing! The lady who runs the Onsen is a delight. She speaks great english and she is very helpful. They all make you feel very welcoming. The place is neat, everything and everywhere is super clean. You can see that they truly embody the Japanese spirit of putting the heart into everything they do. I'd totally recommend this place to anyone who wants a true Onsen experience.

It's a Ryokan, don't expect hotel-like grandeur. Staffs could speak basic english and were very helpful. Once they helped you settle in, you can make yourself at home in the entire ryokan. The onsens (indoor and outdoor) are both great. The nearby restaurants were great, because the location is slightly secluded, most of the times you get private service in the restaurants. All basic amenities were provided and very convenient. We explored around the ryokan's, shibu onsen and the snow monkey park. The entire area is very serene and has all the countryside beauty.

This was by far our most favourite accommodation in the whole trip and we wished we'd stayed longer. Everything was exceptional - we had the largest room by a long way on our trip, the most comfortable bed and the hospitality was second to none. We dropped our bags on arrival before heading off to the snow monkey park and they were in our rooms when we returned. The lovely receptionist explained access to the onsens and booked us in for a private session which was sheer bliss. We were provided with kimonos, slippers and towels and enjoyed a wonderful dip in the outdoor natural hot spring. It was so relaxing and perfect if you're shy about getting naked in front of strangers! The next day we were provided with a traditional Japanese breakfast, including an egg cooked in the hot spring! It was delicious and plentiful and we really enjoyed it. Vegans and vegetarians are catered for so everyone was happy. I didn't realise it was ok to go down to breakfast in your kimono so I got dressed but I noticed the Japanese guests did this with the grey jacket provided slipped over the top and I would definitely recommend doing this for comfort. The owners are so kind. They gave us a map detailing all the restaurants in the town and as it was raining on our last day and they offered us umbrellas and a lift to the station. The price was very reasonable and we would definitely stay there again.

Yudanaka Tawaraya exceeded our expectations! It didn't appear as new or fancy as other Ryokan we stayed at, but it was well maintained, clean and had a lovely charm. My favourite stay on our 18 day trip of Japan. Upon check in, we were given the opportunity to book the private outdoor Onsen at no extra cost. Other ryokan charge for this privilege. The outdoor Onsen was fantastic, private, large and beautiful in the snow. We were shown to our room by one of the staff who sat us down in our room and poured us tea to welcome us. As we checked out and left, two lovely staff members showed us out to the street and then watched us and waved until we were all the way up the street and out of sight.