Shirahone Onsen Tsuruya Ryokan — Hotel in Matsumoto

We really wanted to experience so remote places in the Japanese Alps and due to road reconstruction this place was certainly it! 1.5 hours from Kamikochi on a bus (including the change) and we arrived into Shirahone Onsen Spa. The kind gentleman at the information booth called Tsuruya Ryokan and within a minute a member of staff came down in a car to collect us and saved us from walking up the steep hill with our bags! From the moment we arrived the lady and gentleman who must own the place made us feel SO WELCOME and were extremely friendly and sweet. We were the only non-japanese guests staying and no english is really spoken (one of the waiters spoke some Spanish and as my husband is Spanish this was pretty handy!) it was a little hard to communicate but it was not a big issue at all. The room was very large (8 tatami mats as well as sitting area at the windows) and we had our own bathroom and toilet which was nice but we did not use the bathroom, choosing to use the onsen showers instead. We had a lovely view over the gorge and it was so nice the only noises you could hear was the water rushing past and the birds tweeting! ||||The onsens were lovely and the water a lovely bluey white colour and around 42 degrees - perfect for relaxing our muscles after lots of walking in Kamikochi. I went in a couple of times in the evening and also at 6am which was a perfect way to start the day! ||||Dinner was a huge spread of sushi, wagyu beef, fish, tofu, miso soup, rice, siba noodles, pickled vegetables and more! It was served in the communal dining room but it still felt very intimate sat on cushions on the tatami mats . It was delicious and extremely filling. They also served some lovely local beers as well ;-) Breakfast was Japanese style as well which was good but I find it hard to stomach fish in the morning! The rice porridge was yummy! ||||Upon check-out we were kindly taken back to the bus stop and wish a safe journey. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left it was great service with the biggest smile! I would go back...

My husband and me loved our stay here so much. The room was very clean and it has a spectacular view to the forest and waterfall. The sound of waterfall helps falling asleep. There’s an open air onsen with beautiful milky blue water, it’s separated for man and woman. The food was delicious and beautifully served. There were different dishes, made from locally sourced ingredients. There was also a welcome glass of beer when we checked in. During the dinner there was a nice sake testing experience, 3 glasses of local sakes for 1100 yen. This hotel is a real hidden gem, visited mostly by locals, it seems we were the only overseas guests. And it was especially nice that they speak very good English here. I hope we will come back here again to enjoy this...

We stayed here for three nights in Late September. Although the place seemed a little deserted on arrival the helpful staff could not have been more welcoming. The owner is a wonderful chap who bends over backwards to be of assistance (and reminded us of Manuel from Fawlty Towers).||||The rooms are clean and spacious. Accommodation is traditional Japanese, and so you need to get used to constant shoe changes! ||||The hotel has a fantastic indoor and outdoor onsen that we were able to use after days walking in the Japanese Alps. (Or at any other time for that matter).||||The hotel fed us fantastic fare, that left us full and very happy. And the staff who served it were an...