上高地 朝焼けの宿 明神館 — Hotel in Matsumoto

I stayed here for 5 nights, felt so well taken care of by the entire staff, and loved everything about it.

My week at Kamikochi was intended to be a slow and relaxing retreat in nature, and I am so glad that I picked this ryokan as it is situated some distance away from the busy and crowded Kappabashi, yet not so far away. To me, it’s a very enjoyable 40-minute walk in the forest from the bus station.

Everyday I woke up to see the beautiful mountain Myojindake from my window. If I could get up at 5:30am, I would take a walk in the forest - it’s just magical in the early morning! The Myojin shrine and pond just minutes away is magical too.

I also found the location quite convenient for exploring trails that start from the nearby Tokusawa and Yokoo. I don’t climb peaks but I enjoyed doing the lower parts of those trails.

Every day when I came back from my walks, I would relax in the communal hot bath, which I loved so much! And this would be followed by a very delicious dinner (breakfast is equally amazing too).

I have special dietary needs (gluten and dairy sensitivities, vegetarian/vacation-pescatarian). They took great care for me and I did not need to worry a thing about food.

The room was petite and cozy, with tatami, futon, hot tea, and a very good heater (even with the daily power off from 9:30pm, the warmth lasted throughout the night for me, even when I left the windows open with a small gap). It was very comfortable. When I booked this place, I was a little worried about staying at a traditional ryokan and not a hotel with beds. I did not regret it and totally enjoyed this ryokan stay!

I stayed at the annex and found the place to be super clean (I am a clean freak :-p). I noticed that they were doing some improvement work at the rooms level at the main building, so I believe the place will only become better!

You can also order a simple packed lunch of onigiri and pickles when you go for longer walks. And the shop sells a range of food, snacks, drinks and some hiking essentials.

I also liked to chill at the communal balcony. That is a place where you can see the stars at night if the sky is clear.

Most importantly, the entire staff is amazing amazing amazing. So lovely, kind, and helpful. I would definitely love to stay at this place again if I do...

Nice little guest lodge near Myojin pond.

It’s a 45min-1h walk in from Kamikochi bus terminal but if you want to enjoy Kamikochi slowly, stay a night here! If you have some time, take a 1h walk to Tokusawa lodge - the valley & mountain views from the midway point are gorgeous. I also walked 1h from Tokusawa to Yokoo Sanso but the views were mediocre.

Staying at this lodge also means you can get to Myojin pond early where the soft morning glow and mist make the entire place magical!

Many people also chose to stay here before/after their big hikes up the mountain.

Dinner and breakfast were simple but delicious.

Bathroom was available from 3-8pm, and had a small onsen. Decent enough!

I stayed in the dorm room which was comfy too. Suggest some earplugs if you’re sensitive to noise and people tend get up early for hikes and you’d be able to hear their feet shuffle.

Overall a great stay!...

I was very reluctant to stay here at first—given the fact that it’s an hour walk from the central visitor/bus center—but you can stow your luggage at the visitor center and walk light here.

The check-in time is at 14:30 and the checkout time is at 8:30. Sure there’s a schedule for everything—rotating bath time for men and women and dinner at 18:30 and breakfast at 7:00–but it adds to the experience. The lights and power are out at 21:00 so be sure to come prepare.

The hotel was pretty vacant in my stay—with just me and one other room—so that’s also a plus. You can also walk to Myojin Pond and have the whole place to yourself as I did at 6:00.

The staff is also very willing to try to communicate with you in English. For those who are travelling solo, I had the best time of...