Shibu Onsen Kokuya

Shibu Onsen Kokuya

Kokuya is a traditional Japanese-styled inn, also known as a ryokan, located in Shibu Onsen, a small town in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. Kokuya has a long history since it was founded almost 400 years ago and is currently overseen by the 16th generation of owners, making it one of the oldest hotels in Japan. Even though it is located far from the major cities like Tokyo or Nagoya, it is relatively easily accessible. I took a 4 hour-long bus ride from Shinjuku to Nagano, where I transferred to a local train, and one hour later I was in Shibu Onsen. There I was greeted by the staff of Kokuya who escorted me to the ryokan. 

When you get to the town and to the ryokan itself, you can feel the weight of history all around you. Everything is decorated in a traditional way and it makes you feel like you traveled back to a more simpler time. I really enjoyed the look and feel of Kokuya from the moment I got there. Not only did the staff pick me up at the train station, but when I arrived to Kokuya itself, even more members of the staff were waiting to greet me. They were all very friendly and explained to me all about Kokuya and how to experience it in the best possible way. Shibu Onsen Kokuya itself consists of three buildings that are connected and they contain many rooms and hot spring baths. 

The rooms are separated into two groups, ones with a private open-air bath with hot spring water and without one. The ones that have a private open-air bath with hot spring water included inside the room are separated into three categories C, B and A, from which A is the best. All rooms have that traditional look and feel and no matter in which one you stay at, I believe that you would enjoy it since it is quite a unique experience. 

Kokuya also has six public and two private baths that use free-flowing hot spring water from six different spring sources, and the guests can enjoy all of them. The private ones can only be occupied by one group of guests and the rest are free to use by everyone, however they are gender restricted. Half of them are for men and half for women, but every 12 hours they change which gender is allowed to use that bath. Some of them are outdoor or some of them are indoor, some are more large while some are smaller, some have warm water some have extremely hot water, so there's something for everyone. And if that is not enough for you, there are 9 additional public hot springs located inside town just a short walk from Kokuya. You can access them thanks to the key you receive as the guest of the ryokan. Apart from the rooms and baths, Kokuya has several dining rooms most of which have private enclosures so you can dine in private. 

One more thing I want to point out is the surrounding area. It has several interesting, although less known places you should visit. Some of these are mount Yokoteyama, Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, and the famous Jigokudani Monkey Park where you can witness Japanese snow monkeys bathing in natural hot springs. To conclude, Kokuya has a lot to offer, and if you want to get that feel of traditional rural Japan, it is an ideal place to stay at.