Kamikochi Nishi-ito-ya Mountain Lodge — Hotel in Matsumoto

Did you ever want to feel what modern day segregation feels like? Do you dream of being treated like a second class-citizen? Do you want to pay lots of money for something that’s worth very little? Then book a bed/room in the annex of the Nishi-Itoya Mountain lodge, you WILL regret it.

Travelling with my siblings and my father, all 18+ adults, we wanted to visit Kamikochi. Despite booking several months in advance, availability is very low in this mountain « town », so we had few options. Seeing the excellent reviews, and good pricing, I thought this place was the right choice. Boy, was I wrong. The annex, supposed to sleep up to 8, was the perfect option in my mind: it would be spacious as there is only 5 of us, the view looked lovely, the bath looked nice, etc. But then, the fairy tale turned into something less beautiful, way less. After a 10’ wall with the luggage to the lodge, we enter towards the reception, and I get my best Japanese skills out to say hello. The response I get left me speechless : « The 5 Japan Raill Pass, you’re in the annex. Go out to the end of the building and turn right. » [I assume that calling us « Japan Rail Pass » is a way of saying western tourists, as most of us travel indeed by train on a JRP. This is not acceptable for any establishment, you don’t treat paying customers like that.] This, ladies and gents, is the beginning of the Nishi-Itoya segregation process. You enter a very ugly looking building, not pictured on their website obviously, and are met by one other employee (maybe the grandson of the owner? Not sure). It’s then that I realized that the annex wasn’t a tiny building just for us, but a hallway full of 8 people rooms (4 in bunks, 4 on tatamis), shady lights, mosquitoes, flies and even a few wasps flying around. That’s for the second floor. As for the first floor, there is a dining room (because you wouldn’t wanna mix people from the annex with other people, right), toilets, and a shared sink for washing. When I asked about the « real » baths (that were pictured on the website), they said it was in the main building, but didn’t seem too excited about us using it. The room was much smaller that it seemed in photos, it’s old looking, it smells bad, it’s dirty, walls are paper thin, it’s in bad condition and the lack of air makes it way too hot to satay in before late at night when it cools outside. In addition, we all woke up with back and neck pain due to the lack of comfort on the beds, beds that you have to make yourself btw. The best part I think we’re the pillows that all smelled like mold. A pleasure. If you want towels, a kimono etc, you have to pay for it (things that you get for free in the main building). Diner and breakfast were ok taste wise, good quantity, but cold upon serving and, as I said before, just with the few other annex guests. I should add that if you book for less than 4, you have to share that room like in a hostel.

We had asked to change and « upgrade » to the main building but t was only available for our second night. Main building wasn’t great but better (would give it 3,5/5). For the little price difference with the annex you get a much better value.

Most reviews here talk about the main building and I mostly agree with the comments and criticisms made, so this is why I focused my review on the annex.

So if you’re looking for a place to stay in Kamikochi, but that everything except the annex of this place is full, do not book it, you’re betting of staying in Matsumoto and...

It's not just about the food. It's the ENTIRE PACKAGE. I cannot recommend this place strongly enough.||||We have lived in Japan for seven years: we are from the US and UK, speak English and some Japanese, have tattoos, and are vegetarians. It is HARD to find places that can accommodate our dietary needs AND allow us to use the public baths.||||All of the pluses for us:||||It appears to be family-owned.||They speak ENGLISH, and well.||They provided SUPERIOR omotenashi (customer service).||They can accommodate vegetarians AND vegans.||Oh, you have tattoos? It's cool; you can still use the public bath.||It's located right along the river, and you can choose to have a river or mountain view (the backside), and both are excellent.||The bedding was amazing.||The bath was great, clean, with good shampoo and conditioner, and provided hair dryers.||It's a mountain lodge. It's all old-wood and exposed beams in the public areas. It's gorgeous.||The cafe near the entrance is excellent! Gifts and great drinks and snacks right there!||||*||When I say 'omotenashi,' I mean Japan's brand of customer service. Most of the ryokan we have visited in the country have gone above and beyond what we were used to in our home countries in general. But the major thing that stuck with this lodge was the phone help. I'm a pretty obnoxious prospective guest. I have a ton of questions, and although I can get most of them out in Japanese, it's important to me that the place speaks at least a little English if there are any issues. ||||Besides being happy to speak with me in English on all three occasions that I called them, the owner helped me work out how to take advantage of the Go To Travel discount. He didn't have to do that. The owner gave me specific instructions on where to go on their website to get the discount. Because of him, we got a stellar room with an excellent view (33!). Otherwise, we would have got a budget room on the English-language site since that's all that was being offered there. ||||The food was the best we've had in our time traveling around the country. It was as if there was an actual team of vegetarians in the kitchen, making spectacular, diverse, and creative meals for us specifically. It was all so good. ||||The location is right across the bridge from the bus terminal, a 7-minute walk once you step off the bus (cars aren't allowed in Kamikochi). You are right in the middle of all of the trails - 3.5 km to each end of the area. You can walk left one day and walk right the next. It's all walkable.||||The sound of the river definitely put us to sleep each night, and the bedding was fine. We were extremely comfortable over the two nights/3 days...

It's not just about the food. It's the ENTIRE PACKAGE. I cannot recommend this place strongly enough.||||We have lived in Japan for seven years: we are from the US and UK, speak English and some Japanese, have tattoos, and are vegetarians. It is HARD to find places that can accommodate our dietary needs AND allow us to use the public baths.||||All of the pluses for us:||||It appears to be family-owned.||They speak ENGLISH, and well.||They provided SUPERIOR omotenashi (customer service).||They can accommodate vegetarians AND vegans.||Oh, you have tattoos? It's cool; you can still use the public bath.||It's located right along the river, and you can choose to have a river or mountain view (the backside), and both are excellent.||The bedding was amazing.||The bath was great, clean, with good shampoo and conditioner, and provided hair dryers.||It's a mountain lodge. It's all old-wood and exposed beams in the public areas. It's gorgeous.||The cafe near the entrance is excellent! Gifts and great drinks and snacks right there!||||*||When I say 'omotenashi,' I mean Japan's brand of customer service. Most of the ryokan we have visited in the country have gone above and beyond what we were used to in our home countries in general. But the major thing that stuck with this lodge was the phone help. I'm a pretty obnoxious prospective guest. I have a ton of questions, and although I can get most of them out in Japanese, it's important to me that the place speaks at least a little English if there are any issues. ||||Besides being happy to speak with me in English on all three occasions that I called them, the owner helped me work out how to take advantage of the Go To Travel discount. He didn't have to do that. The owner gave me specific instructions on where to go on their website to get the discount. Because of him, we got a stellar room with an excellent view (33!). Otherwise, we would have got a budget room on the English-language site since that's all that was being offered there. ||||The food was the best we've had in our time traveling around the country. It was as if there was an actual team of vegetarians in the kitchen, making spectacular, diverse, and creative meals for us specifically. It was all so good. ||||The location is right across the bridge from the bus terminal, a 7-minute walk once you step off the bus (cars aren't allowed in Kamikochi). You are right in the middle of all of the trails - 3.5 km to each end of the area. You can walk left one day and walk right the next. It's all walkable.||||The sound of the river definitely put us to sleep each night, and the bedding was fine. We were extremely comfortable over the two nights/3 days...