Matsuya Ryokan — Local services in Nagano

If you come to Nagano and want to try a ryokan then this place is well worth staying. It is located along a line of shops leading up to the Zenkoji Temple, you have to walk past the large angry wooden statues on your way there.||||We had Room 28 which had its own on-suite shower and toilet. There are stairs to get to this upper level and the room is found after a squeaky journey on wooden floorboards. The Ryokan is not cheap but a stay is worth the experience if you can afford it.||||The family that runs this Ryokan are wonderful people. They are always smiling and greeting you and seem genuinely interested in you. They do not speak a lot of English but I should have made more of an effort to learn some simple Japanese phrases.||||One thing I can recommend is to have at least one dinner meal from this Ryokan as it is exceptional. The lovely people bring out all the courses one after another and you are full at the end. You can order sake which was the clincher for me.||||We walked North from the Nagano Train Station and takes about ~25 minutes. There are buses and taxis but the walk was not too difficult. If you try walking there during the night time, it can be very dark after you walk past the wooden angry statues (the Ryokan has a lantern and is on the left side as you approach the temple). The Zenkoji Temple just along from the ryokan can be visited multiple times...

If you come to Nagano and want to try a ryokan then this place is well worth staying. It is located along a line of shops leading up to the Zenkoji Temple, you have to walk past the large angry wooden statues on your way there.||||We had Room 28 which had its own on-suite shower and toilet. There are stairs to get to this upper level and the room is found after a squeaky journey on wooden floorboards. The Ryokan is not cheap but a stay is worth the experience if you can afford it.||||The family that runs this Ryokan are wonderful people. They are always smiling and greeting you and seem genuinely interested in you. They do not speak a lot of English but I should have made more of an effort to learn some simple Japanese phrases.||||One thing I can recommend is to have at least one dinner meal from this Ryokan as it is exceptional. The lovely people bring out all the courses one after another and you are full at the end. You can order sake which was the clincher for me.||||We walked North from the Nagano Train Station and takes about ~25 minutes. There are buses and taxis but the walk was not too difficult. If you try walking there during the night time, it can be very dark after you walk past the wooden angry statues (the Ryokan has a lantern and is on the left side as you approach the temple). The Zenkoji Temple just along from the ryokan can be visited multiple times...

If you’re after an authentic, Japanese experience, this is the place to be! It was great - the staff were attentive and extremely helpful, going above and beyond any customer service I have experienced in other accommodations elsewhere. The range of food was full of variety and they catered for a vegetarian upon request, without losing any of the authenticity of Japanese food. The futons were comfortable to sleep on (although my mum did have to layer a few together with two duvets before she was comfortable enough, but in the end she slept very well!). It has a very homely feel to it, with communal sinks and open areas. One disadvantage was that unfortunately there isn’t an alternative to the communal showers and bath. Sharing your shower with another stranger might be a little too far for even the most cultured of travellers! If you didn’t feel comfortable sharing your shower with other strangers then you’ll have to go without washing. Apart from this, the location was perfect, the staff were fantastic and the Ryokan itself was great. This was the Japanese experience my mum and I were after to end our great two week holiday in Japan. Thank you...