Jizokan Matsuya Ryokan

Japan , Nagano
Nagano, 484 Motoyoshi-chyo
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50 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2026

Robyn

We loved everything about our stay here. The room was comfortable and clean, the onsen was great, the staff, service and breakfast outstanding. This is a very traditional ryokan hotel in a wonderful location, very close to the Zenkōji temple and Nakamise St.

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2025

Aida

Amazing location with great hospitality. One of the most unique experiences of my life.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2024

Susan

The staff is welcoming and kind, this is a family run business for 6 generations! The half board breakfast and dinner are exceptional, kaiseki style and every dish is presented beautifully. The location is right on the ometesando, lots of foot traffic but quiet. Futons are comfortable. We loved our stay and want to go back!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Oct 2024

Chris

Lovely stay at a traditional ryokan (at least I think so, it was the only ryokan we stayed at).
Great location very close to Zenkoji Temple - this place is within the temple area and was even the Zenkoji Main Hall in the past.
We had the dinner one night, which was an impressive feast! But maybe a bit much for my kids.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2024

Ilidia

The Real Japanese Experience

I just loved the Matsuya Ryokan. It’s run by a lovely couple that were so welcoming and warm to us all the time. The room was spacious, very clean and it gave us the full experience of Japanese living.
The dos was small but enough to live the onsen experience too.
There was a good coffee machine next to the reception where we had the best coffee in Japan so far. The Expresso that we are so used to in our country. The Ryokan is in the nicest area of Nagano, with all its lovely shops and at a 2 minute walk to the main temple. It was a lovely experience that I would recommend to other travellers.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2024

Jason

Excellent traditional ryokan Japanese Inn

Fantastic traditional ryokan experience. Lovely friendly staff with good English. Breakfasts and dinner were excellent and different each day. It is an old inn, the bathrooms are small and you’re sleeping on foutons on the floor, so you must accept that’s part of the experience. But everything else is great and the location is absolutely superb, right on the steps leading to the gate and temple. Beautiful, peaceful area at night.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Wui Heng

Very nice ryokan to stay. Friendly and helpful staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2024

David

Beautiful Ryokan in a Perfect Location

A fantastic traditional ryokan within steps of the Zenkoji Temple.
The owners and staff were delightful and we felt as though we were living in a family home.
We stayed in room 16 on half board and are so glad we did. There are plenty of places to eat in the area but the food we were served in the ryokan were as good as anything we ate in 3 weeks in Japan.
Nagano is a lovely town and a welcome change from Tokyo.
Don’t forget to visit the Snow Monkeys - the highlight of our trip.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2024

Abey Matthew Varughese

Situated right next to the Zenkōji temple. Up a slope so if you’re coming with heavy luggage, I would recommend the bus or taxi from Nagano station. Has a nice traditional breakfast option. There is a dinner option too but you’ll need to reserve one day in advance, or at the very least, in the morning at breakfast time. There is a public bath within the building itself but it’s pretty small, however given that it’s a small guest house I don’t think it will matter. You would probably be able to use it whenever you want to.

The rooms are cozy and very well appointed. Futon bed is laid out for you, and is taken away when you step down for breakfast so be mindful of that.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Dec 2023

Verified traveler

Comfortable ryokan

Top location for staying at Nagano city, it’s right next to the famous Zenkoji temple. Many good restaurants within walking distance. Guest service is top notch as well.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2023

Kara

This is such a beautiful historic property. It’s within the Zenkoji temple area and a fantastic find. We had the Japanese style room. Beds are hard but we are getting used to them. Staff are so lovely. This is a lovely family business. I would love to come here again.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2023

Stacy

Staff were very helpful and pleasant.
Traditional Japanese guesthouse with onsen.
Great location near Zenko-ji temple.
Good food options nearby.
Very safe.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2023

Giancarlo G.

The staff was very friendly and the hotel is located on the same street as one of the main temples in the area. Very convenient.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2023

Qi'En

Very authentic Japanese ryokan experience, authentic and delicious Japanese set meal breakfast, very lovely staff, and great English-speaking staff too, convenient location as it is close to Zenkoji temple and surrounding beautiful areas, also close to the bus-stop where you take the bus to other places such as Togakushi shrine or to Nagano station for the Shinkansen. Price was very reasonable for a ryokan in comparison to other places. Will definitely stay here again if I come back to Nagano (which I think I will as I loved Nagano) and if the price remains good!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2023

Samantha

Our stay at the Matsuya Ryokan was our first Japanese style accommodation. We stayed here with our two boys. The baths were really lovely. The staff was incredibly sweet. It was literally steps from the Zenkoji Temple, which was amazing to visit. It's on the street with tons of shops and restaurants. We regret not reserving dinner with them the night we were there, especially since restaurants close very early in the evening.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2023

Lincoln

Great ryokan to stay at. Very close to the temple and dining district. Staff is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2023

Andrew

Very comfortable solo trip

Had an incredibly nice stay here, from the friendly staff to the perfectly clean room, and delicious breakfast.

You get tea and different snacks each day in your room, so if you're the type to want to take it easy inside sometimes on your trip, it's very nice to have some quiet time in your room and sip on tea and try the different local sweets they give you each day.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2023

Christy

Stayed over the new year season and loved every bit of the ryokan and its surrounding area festivities.

Room was spacious for 4, although it was abit difficult to open our 2 large luggages.

Onsen was a bit small, just nice for 2-3 persons.

Service was amazing and food served for dinner and breakfast was wonderful. Amazing for the price point.

The surrounding area is right next to the main temple so the location was really convenient in terms of sightseeing and local delicacies.

As we stayed over the festive period, the main bus route was closed. We had to take a much longer route upslope with our luggages, so be sure to check before hand!

Overall, i really reccomend anyone who’s looking to stay at a ryokan for good food and a would want to immerse in the local culture. 11/10!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2023

Alessandro

Staff really friendly. Perfect for families and for who wants to experience the traditional Japanese life.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2023

Carrie

Very friendly and a lovely experience.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2022

Brian

Great little public bath. Very kind owners.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2022

Isabelle

We thought this ryokan was amazing! The location is perfect, in the center of old Nagano and a few minutes walk from the temple (convenient to attend the early morning prayer). The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. The Japanese breakfast was phenomenal; we didn't try the dinner as we asked for it too late. Note that you need to give the hotel a few days advance notice for meals; they didn't ask us proactively if we were interested in them. The staff was able to recommend other local restaurants for dinner, which was great too. Overall, we loved our stay and wish we could have stayed longer.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2022

Rodney G

My stay far exceeded my expectations. The location and accessibility are excellent. The surrounding are spectacular and basically part of the Temple and most importantly the hotel was spotless and the staff were exceptionally friendly. I was very happy and grateful for my stay. I highly recommend.

Rodney-

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2022

John

Our best accommodation experience in Japan by far and the bar was already very high. It is a true gem with comfortable and spacious rooms, very friendly staff and the food is of a very high standard. It felt like a gourmet feast on the first night and then it got even better on the second! The onsen bath was simple but very welcome. And being almost on the steps to the delightful Zenoji temple and gardens was the icing on top of a very delicious cake!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2022

Abdessadk

the whole area

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2020

Verified traveler

Stay here! Great experience

The hotel qas very clean and well maintained. The family that runs it is incredibly nice and welcoming. The location is fantastic and has free parking a few blocks away. The only slight negative was how bright the room was in the morning but that only affected me from our group and could be fixed with a sleep mask. Highly recommend and will stay there ahain on ouf next visit to Nagano

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Very traditional Ryokan with tatami mats floors and futons for sleeping. Great onsen! Right in the heart of the old town and 200m from Zenko-ji Temple

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2020

Matt

The building is old, but well maintained. It's a straight 20 minute walk from Nagano station and is located really centrally to a lot of sightseeing spots and tourist attractions. The staff were super welcoming and accommodating. It had a real family run vibe. They were very non-Japanese guest friendly, including tattoos at their hot spring bath. The bath wasn't huge, it could fit four adult men in at once, if you are comfortable being close to each other. The room was comfortable and warm. Towels, razors and hairbrushes were available, but you need to bring other toiletries yourself. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2020

Yvonne

Great hosts and excellent breakfast

Amazing breakfast, close to the temple and most importantly felt welcome by the warm service and greetings from the family that runs the ryokan. Highly recommended.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Dec 2019

Sarah

Wonderful traditional stay

Absolutely ideal location and couldn’t believe how close we were to the temple! Wonderful warm welcome by staff. Traditional ryokan with impeccable staff (our beds were laid out in the 30mins we went for a quick wander) and we thoroughly enjoyed the traditional breakfast (big thank you for explaining the correct way to add seaweed!). Would recommend to friends in a heartbeat

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Staff service very nice. Big room than picture on website. Dinner and breakfast are very good.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

This was a traditional Japanese inn with tatami floors and futons. I booked to get a taste of the Japanese way of sleeping. The futons were a bit alarming but I slept well.

The hot bath in the basement was excellent.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Apr 2019

Anthony

Unique, historic and traditional, 5 minutes from Zenkoji

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2019

Dmitry

Authentic ryokan experience

Can't go wrong with this place if you want to experience an authentic Japanese ryokan: it's an old wooden house just steps away from a huge Buddhist temple, service is great and the shared bathhouse is a wonderful way to end a long day. Our room didn't have a bathroom, but there was a shared one just outside and using it was never a problem. We tried the kaiseki dinner as well, and it was a ton of food, a must try at least once.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2019

betty s w

Excellent service

Very enjoyable stay

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2019

C.Brown

It's a pretty, renovated Japanese-style inn. My room was very nice. It had a low table and chair for me to sit in, and adequate storage space for my luggage. It was equipped with a modern air conditioner/heater, as well as a private sink, shower, and toilet. If you want the Japan experience, try the public bath/shower. Breakfast was very tasty; one of the staff came to get me when it was ready. It's in a nice area, with only a short walk from the Zenkoji Temple; it's also quiet at night. Nagano station and downtown are about a 20-minute walk away. The staff spoke enough English to help me with anything I needed, and were very courteous and friendly.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

I wanted a traditional Japanese cultural accommodation and this fitted the bill. The property is soo close to the spiritual heart of Japan namely the Zenkoji Temple. This is like to a catholic, being next to the Vatican and Bethlehem all in one street.

Loved the owners and the food they served. Travelled all over the world, best stay ever.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2019

Keanan

What an AMAZING EXPERIENCE

This ryokan is placed very strategically next to seemingly on of the larger attractions in Nagano, Zenkoji Temple. It’s not very close to any train stations, but the whole of Nagano city is pretty small and we were able to walk to the hotel from the Nagano Shinkansen station. The ryokan itself was absolutely lovely. The breakfast and dinner that is included was amazing and the staff were all so kind and helpful. It truly felt like the quintessential traditional Japanese experience!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2019

Dave

Amazing location, lovely hosts.

Amazing location, lovely family hosts, very traditional Japanese accommodation. Sleeping on mats takes some getting used to.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Wonderful accomodation and experience at the ryokan, thank you!

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Excellent location- very close to Zen-Ko-Ji. This made it easy to visit multiple times; in the afternoon, morning, night etc.
Hotel was very clean and stay were very friendly. The futon and pillow were excellent and I slept very well. I had breakfast included and it was quite good.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Highly recommended, give it a try!

Words can not describe how amazing this place is. Whilst I was initially taken aback by the traditional feel of it (I’d been used to western hotels on my travels) I can honestly say this was the best experience of my trip. Located in a beautiful area up a short walk up a hill from the metro, you were met with a tiny street filled with traditional shops and at the end a beautiful temple. Nestled away amongst the shops was this place and when we were entered we were met with the nicest family ever with great Japanese hospitality. Very helpful, kind and informative. We went for a traditional room with western style bathroom (to keep it private) and the beds were those on the floor. We came into a table in the middle and when we later came back they had kindly made the beds up for us. There is free use of onsen baths. Extremely sad to leave but well seen off by the family. Can’t conment on the breakfast or dinner as we didn’t have it.
Would highly recommend this place!!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2018

Karen

The entire staff was very friendly to everyone in our group despite only one of our foursome able to converse in Japanese. The hotel is very centrally located near the Temple. Plenty of little stores and food options during daytime hours, and very quiet at night (street is closed to car traffic). We enjoyed our breakfasts so much that we also ate dinner there one evening.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2018

Genaro

Truly Japanese

Very friendly and homely Ryokan.
The food is incredible and the people is amazing

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2018

Yuliana dewi

Amazing stay

Amazing stay. Full of services. Food are fantastic. Recommend the kaiseki dinner. The family running this Ryokan are very accommodating. Location is very peaceful but during weekend can be crowded. Surrounded by many shops and few steps from the temple. Will definitely come back.
We are staying in family room with private bathroom. Have small onsen in the common area.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2018

Geoff

Stay, WITH the food option

We had the half-accom option, the dinners were fabulous, served immaculately, great variance in the \"Japanese degustation meal\"
Breakfast similarly varied & impressive
& the onsen soak at the end of each day wonderful

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2018

Aimee

A fabulous traditional ryokan experience! The hospitaity was terrific, the food was amazing and the onsen was a treat at the end of a cold day at the monkey park.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2017

Tammy

Excellent location

Such a lovely stay in this traditional, family-run Japanese hotel! Clean, comfy rooms. Had dinner there one night and what a feast. And then to walk out the front door to lively market area only steps away from the shrine. Highly recommend this quaint hotel in beautiful Nagano.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2025

Miguel

Perfecto. Magnífica ubicación. Muy buena atención por parte de los anfitriones. Se respira tradición desde el primer minuto.

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2025

Anass

It is a great traditional place with an amazing location!

Friends_and_family Family