BYAKU Narai 歳吉屋 — Hotel in Shiojiri

An outstanding modernisation of a historic property. The architecture and interior design are strident, but rightly so — it’s absolutely beautiful. Furnishings and homeware are of extremely high quality, with specific attention paid to the lacquerware used in the rooms and restaurant. Coffee cups and even the wagashi box uses only the finest finishes of lacquer from the surrounding villages — not just those produced with ordinary techniques.

Much care was also put into the meals, with much of the ingredients sourced locally. Many of the dishes we tried were the best renditions of the specific ingredients we managed to try over our days in the region. E.g. the pillowy koi in yamaimo and tsukemono sauce was a revelatory way to serve koi. And unlike many other high-end ryokans — which tend to overfeed guests — here they got portion control just right. (Except the giant tamagoyaki at breakfast, but that tasted great so I’m not complaining 😛) I also appreciated the complimentary drinks selection at the reception.

Just a few cons that prevent this from being perfect: The room we stayed in was too dark in the living room. I could barely read the info sheet they provided. The trash bins were awkwardly located. There’s none in the living room or the wash basin, so when we finished a drink or opened some toiletries, we had to meander upstairs to the bedroom, or into the toilet, to throw it away. It wasn’t made clear where one could do a sake tasting before the bar opens in the late evening. (Not really a con for me) The bath here is not from a free flowing source, if you’re into that...

What an amazing hotel. The architecture, the attention to detail. I've stayed in nice hotels around the world and this would stand out anywhere. Certainly one of the most memorable and to find this in the Nakasendo is amazing. ||I remember coming across this hotel by chance off a YouTube video (channel: Abroad in Japan), and it was the push I needed to come to the Nakasendo, because I wanted to stay in a completely modern hotel. And so I built my trip around staying here.||Making a non-refundable reservation at Byaku 8 months ago felt like taking a chance because there were only 3 reviews on Tripadvisor, and only a handful more on Google, and I didn't know my bearings around the area... and it was the right choice. Knowing what I know now, I'd absolutely do it all over again. A lot more reviews on Google now too. I guess no one uses this site anymore ;)||Byaku is amazing. I know I already said that. They started off with 2 or 3 buildings. Now they have 16 rooms across 4 buildings. I stayed in Room 110, it was beautiful.||Absolutely go for the dining-included option, because their restaurant, Kura, is where you're going to have the best meals in the Nakasendo.||1 night is not enough. 3 nights might be too much. 2 nights felt perfect.||Things to do in Narai town... not much. Day hikes around using the hotel as a base. Our main highlight in Nakasendo was taking the train to Nagiso to get to Tsumago, and hiking Tsumago to Magome.||Take note the local trains to/from Narai station are not very frequent so make a note of...

What an amazing hotel. The architecture, the attention to detail. I've stayed in nice hotels around the world and this would stand out anywhere. Certainly one of the most memorable and to find this in the Nakasendo is amazing. ||I remember coming across this hotel by chance off a YouTube video (channel: Abroad in Japan), and it was the push I needed to come to the Nakasendo, because I wanted to stay in a completely modern hotel. And so I built my trip around staying here.||Making a non-refundable reservation at Byaku 8 months ago felt like taking a chance because there were only 3 reviews on Tripadvisor, and only a handful more on Google, and I didn't know my bearings around the area... and it was the right choice. Knowing what I know now, I'd absolutely do it all over again. A lot more reviews on Google now too. I guess no one uses this site anymore ;)||Byaku is amazing. I know I already said that. They started off with 2 or 3 buildings. Now they have 16 rooms across 4 buildings. I stayed in Room 110, it was beautiful.||Absolutely go for the dining-included option, because their restaurant, Kura, is where you're going to have the best meals in the Nakasendo.||1 night is not enough. 3 nights might be too much. 2 nights felt perfect.||Things to do in Narai town... not much. Day hikes around using the hotel as a base. Our main highlight in Nakasendo was taking the train to Nagiso to get to Tsumago, and hiking Tsumago to Magome.||Take note the local trains to/from Narai station are not very frequent so make a note of...