In a nutshell: - Extremely poor service, in fact - very rude - Food was terrible (and I'm not the avoid-sashimi/sushi- type of foreigner) - Room was dingy I'm confused. I really don't understand why various other guests at Kokuya had such a different experience, while others had such poor ones (like mine). Perhaps in their off-peak season, Kokuya treats... More

It seems that this location does not meet all expectations but was first class for us. The facts are that it has endless amazing springs inside the hotel - ALL with the facilities that you would expect in a 5 star environment. If you visit Japan all the time you may have different traditional expectations but as a natural spring... More

unfortunately this place was a big disapointment. I write this several months after being there so have had time to reflect on our night at Kokuya. We chose the spot after considerable research and correspondence with Zeno. The place looked great from the website and we were greatly looking forward to a night of luxury having gone for budget options... More

My daughter and I chose Shibu Onsen to see the monkeys in the hot springs and serendipitously stayed at Kokuya. This ryokan hotel has large rooms with air conditioning. The food, served in a private dining room, was the best I have had in a ryokan, with an English menu provided, and they catered to my daughter's vegetarianism. It has... More

My father, high school-age brother, and I all loved our night at Kokuya. The room was spacious, with traditional tatami floor and futons, plus constant tea (complimentary) and a nice mini-bar. Our breakfast was huge and had a variety of delicious Japanese dishes, which was interesting as well. My favorite thing was our hotel yukata (robes) and the six different... More

Staying at this hotel was one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. Yes it cost a bit but the experience was worth it. The staff couldn't have been more helpful. We missed our planned train to Yudanaka, but a quick call to the hotel and all was organised for a revised pick up from the train station. On... More

We have had a wonderful time, a superb experience of a traditional ryokan.　It is, therefore, with some disbelief that we have read the recent negative reviews on trip advisor - can it be that someone has a vendetta against the hotel. Personally, we found it an amazing experience, all that we wanted from a ryokan. The staff are superb, hospitality... More

We stayed for two nights in a room with an outdoor bath wich was very beautiful but the room was just ok. It was frequently too cold and the aircon was a bit noisy when it worked. We loved the kotatsu and the view though. The ryokan has a certain charm about it and the baths were really nice. The... More

My family decided to visit shibu onsen and went into some sites to research. We came across a site where this bloke called Zeno, supposedly nagano's ambassador to foreigners, attempted to help those interested to visit Shibu onsen recommend a place to stay at Shibu. As it turns out, this bloke is the son in law of the proprietor at... More