Name: Chuoukan Shimizuya Ryokan
Address: 49 Daimon Cho, Nagano, 380-0841, JP

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2026

Jacob

Fantastic stay

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2026

Paik Swan

Room was very nice clean and spacious. Lovely little onsen perfect for the end of a cold winter day. Great location for walking to Zenkoji temple and station. Lots of little shops and cafes to explore.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Feb 2026

JUNE

Room is spacious for 2 persons. Historical Japanese architectureal building. I don't believe there is any room with its own bathroom and toilet.
Public hot spring bath room is small and the pool can only house 3 or max 4 persons. The old couple owners are very nice but cannot communicate in English. Usually local customers.Location is very central so close to amrnities and eateries and the famous Zenkoji temple.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2026

meriem

Perfect Ryokan expérience! Such a cute couple as staff to help you out ! Definitely recommand !!

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2026

Matthew

Cozy ryokan in a nice area. The lady in charge was very friendly and welcoming.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2026

Lian

This place is great if you’re truly looking for a traditional experience. Futons on the floor, royakan, family run and hostel like. Good to know that it’s shared bathrooms, showers are only in onsen area, and hallways are quite cold in winter. Couple is very friendly and makes a lovely breakfast - note this is Japanese style.
It’s very close to temple, Gondo and old part of town - super cool, but it also closes quite early. A unique experience we will remember for sure. :)

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2026

Laura

Very close to Zenko-ji and wonderful hosts

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Rosa

Our room was very clean. Staff was very friendly and helpful.
We enjoyed our morning breakfast.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2025

Andreas

The owners made us feel very welcomed. We enjoyed their homemade traditional Japanese breakfasts, his and her onsen bath, and the care they took to make us feel comfortable. We cannot recommend this highly enough!

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

18 Dec 2025

Maria

The hotel was old and smelly, lady who welcomed me was very inpatient and not polite. I left without staying there and moved to other hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

Arami

Great spot to rest. Amazing hosts.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2025

Trevor

Grateful for the staff.

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2025

Renan

Staff was really nice but wi-fi was not working throughout my whole stay

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2025

Sean

Excellent location for a quick trip to Zenkoji Temple and a very good bargain. The only issues are the stairs being steeper than most people are likely used to, and the futons can give you a stiff back. The price is nice in that it gives you the ability to try out the Ryokan experience without committing to a heavy price tag.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2025

ann

Fabulous breakfast. Traditional Japanese breakfast. The only drawback was the staircase. Its really steep. And there's no lift. Soundproofing from the street wasn't the best but a beautiful room

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

09 Sep 2025

Janet

I stayed 2 nights here. After the first night, I decided to relax in my room, read my book and venture out after lunch. However, at 10am the woman running the inn knocked repeatedly on my door. When I answered, she brushed by me and entered my room saying “cleaning cleaning” she grabbed the air conditioning remote and turned it off then ran over and opened the curtains. She then just stood there and stared at me repeating “cleaning cleaning”. I wasn’t prepared to leave right away but she was persistent. If you stay multiple days you will have to leave at 10am for the day. I read a lot of the comments about the woman being rude but I didn’t find her rude. She only speaks Japanese, and a few English words, so communicating can be difficult. It’s a great experience staying in an old traditional Ryokan. Maybe only stay 1 night

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2025

Gregory

Loved it! Authentic and comfortable. Great location. Great hosts!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2025

Betty

This is an authentic old-style ryokan with welcoming hosts who treat their guests like family. The building is very old and, being wooden construction, creaky and drafty, but also charming. The onsen was exceptionally clean and a wonderful first time experience for us. The breakfast was beautifully presented and delicious, with a variety of offerings we had never before encountered. We are westerners in our early 70s and were a little worried about sleeping on futons on the tatami mat covered floor, but we both slept well and appreciated this truly Japanese experience in the lovely city of Negano.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2025

Connor

Very nice hotel, super clean. The owners were super kind and welcoming. Highly recommend.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2025

Seth

enjoy Japanese tradition

I had a wonderful stay at this traditional Japanese ryokan. The couple that runs it is lovely. It was just a bit of an adjustment from having modern amenities and an ensuite bathroom but I wanted the real experience and I got it! Definitely recommended.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2025

Oivind Olav

164 year old ryokan and sixth generation family running it! Shows it age but hosts were great and the breakfast was really nice.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Mar 2025

Marcus

Before booking, I'd really recommend looking up all of the etiquette required when staying at a Ryokan. You really need to know what to expect before getting there, as I feel like this is among the most traditional you'll find in Nagano. But if you've learnt all of that, and you're up for it, this is a perfect stay. The hosts are incredibly welcoming and hospitable. But don't expect any English, and make sure you know the Ryokan rules.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2025

loic

The Ryokan was beautiful, clean, comfortable, and conveniently located in Nagano, and the owners were extremely kind and helpful. We loved our stay there!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

17 Mar 2025

Michael

Lovely Ryokan in the historic area of Nagano. Perfect spot to experience true Japanese hospitality.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Mar 2025

jennifer

A peaceful and calming stay. Charming hosts and what a spread at the japanese breakfast, a lot of work went into it.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

Gavin

The staff was very kind and accomodating.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2025

Deanna

Excellent stay at this traditional Ryoken

It was a fabulous opportunity to stay at a traditional Ryoken and treated with Japanese hospitality. The location was also perfect and we could walk to the temple any many of the best restaurants which our hosts easily knew! So grateful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2025

Santosh

In the middle of it all, it’s a hostel type property but don’t let that discourage you. Lovely couple that welcome you and help you with whatever you need. Location is amazing with a short walk to the temple and to all eateries. Room is cozy, overall I loved the experience

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jan 2025

Lucas

It was a great and affordable ryokan! The couple who own the ryokan was kind and assisted us as much as they could. It was kinda cold but the rooms were heated properly. Overall great stay!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2025

John

Excellent place to get the traditional Japanese experience.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2025

Eduardo

Great to experience a Ryokan stay at a reasonable price. Superior service by a very nice couple. Highly reccomended!!

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2025

Jill

This seemed like a very traditional, well cared for, old, lodge. Couple who run it are very hospitable with many unique features such as tea service, slippers, large breakfast, linens, hot hand packs provided etc.
Cold and dark. Thin walls. Shared washing and toilets.

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2025

Darryl

We enjoyed our stay

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2024

Isabel

incredibly kind owners, wonderful room!

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

18 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

Toilet Bidet not working!!!

I rarely leaves review. This is one of those time that I thing leaving a proper review let others make good decision. First, the good thing. The property is very near to main attraction. In walking distance. Now, the not so nice things. 1. The place is so cold. Our family is left shivering whenever we get out of the room. And the toilet is not inside the room. 2. This is a very old property. So, very steep stairs to negotiate especially if you have heavy luggage. 3. The so call \"hot spring\" is really so so. Dont be trick by the picture that is shown. Also, the bath room is so cold as it is winter, Not enough heating. 4. finally, the men's toilet bidet is not working. This is the first time ever I encounter a bidet in Japan that is not working. A very disappointing stay and also a very expensive one. Definitely not worth what we paid for.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2024

Bronte

Chuoukan Shimizuya Ryokan is a historical building in a convenient location. It is a 10 minute walk to the famous Zenkōji Temple and only 1 minute from the locals' favourite ramen and tonkatsu.

However, the highlight of this Ryokan are the hosts. They made every effort to make us feel welcome and comfortable, despite the language barrier.

I strongly recommend staying at Chuoukan Shimizuya Ryokan if you value culture and coziness.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2024

Jennifer Cabreros

the couple who owns it are so so nice and lovely.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

27 Oct 2024

ROBERTO YUICHI

3 weeks before traveling to Nagano, we suffer a great loss from my father passing away. We wrote to this ryokan to cancel or change the dates. None of this options were avaliable and they didn't respond. We also call by telephone and a really rude and unpolite guy answer and didn't gave us any option or alternative dates to book with them. Terrible.

8/10

Excellent

07 Oct 2024

Rhian

This Ryokan was perfectly located on the main street in Nagano.

This Ryokan is very old, and has very steep stairs. Toilets are located on various floors between main floors. Bath only open 7-9am then again in the evening.

Tatami mats were comfortable, and street side views windows were lovely.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2024

Ryan

Awesome

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2024

Isabel

This is the perfect place to stay if you would like to try a traditional ryokan. Everything was amazing and I want to go back here again!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2024

Kenneth

I stayed for 5 days and it was an outstanding experience in a ryokan. The staff was excellent and the location couldn’t be better. I highly recommend this when in Nagano.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2024

Brooke

We had three kids with us, and we were treated so well. It was so much fun!

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2024

Susan

We loved everything 😍 our only challenge were the steep stairs but we did it! やった!

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

30 Mar 2024

Mariko

The property is in a good location, very close to Zeno-ji on the main street, and is easily accessible either by a local bus or taxi. The building has an old charm and guests can get some idea of what it was like to live in a traditional Japanese house. The dinner is not offered, but a traditional Japanese breakfast is lovingly prepared and served by the owner’s wife. This ryokan is a nice place to experience some Japanese cultures.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2024

Julie

Really enjoyed this Ryokan! We were hoping to have a traditional Ryokan experience while in Japan and this was perfect. The couple managing the property were very kind and attentive. The location is also very handy (right on the main street between Nagano station and Zenkoji temple). Highly recommend staying here.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2024

Carol

Gorgeous elderly couple. Very attentive and helpful. Old and authentic place. We loved it. Traditional breakfast was great.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2024

Richard

Outstanding Ryokan. Thankyou

Outstanding. What a wonderful Ryokan to stay in. All reviews about the lovely couple who own and run the place are true. They are truly kind and attentive. Comfortable and cozy. It has been a very special moment on our Japan travels. Thankyou so much

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2024

Nancy

The hotel is amazing. Literally it's out of an anime -like spirited away. When wandering around Nagano one day, one of the restaurants we ate for dinner asked where we were staying. After telling them they said, \"that's a very famous ryokan your staying at.\" And I wasn't sure why until staying there. It was a perfect traditional Japanese ryokan, what you would purposefully come to Japan for. The stairway up and around to our room was very much like all the different stairways in spirited away. Loved the experience. Our room was also spacious and very traditional. There is no private bathroom and the toilet is separate, the washing area for brushing teeth was also public and the shower is where you would onsen. It's definitely an experience. The only thing was the water was consistently cold when washing face, hands or brushing teeth but because of how great they were I would still rate it highest because of what they exceled at. We loved how neat, tidy and diligent the staff was. It was family - and they made it feel completely welcome and warm. They were the sweetest to our son who can be a handful but that's how they showed they care. We loved it. It was also super convenient and great how everything was close by. Not like Tokyo, a little more like some of the streets in Kyoto. We wish we stayed there longer. Will definitely suggest to anyone staying and will definitely come back for a long stay next time we are in Japan.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2024

Chun Kit

This is a very tradition Japanese house. The only concern is the climbing of stairs. If you are a person with mobility, it will be a better choice for you to choose another place as there's no elevator.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

29 Dec 2023

Thanh

My google map failed to take me to the right address. Once at the ryokan, took my heavy bag climbed up stairway and a little walk to my room. The toilet is outside but next to the room. No shower. It’s downstair, at the communal bath / onsen. The location is quite good, yet, I won’t return.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2023

Sangwan

Historic Inn

Historic Inn, truely different experience.

Great location, short walk to large temple. 20 plus minute walk to central station and main restaurant area, nice evening walk.

Simple, healthy Japanese bfast

Would recommend only for those who dont need modern creature comforts.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2023

Dorryn

Fantastic owner. We were well taken care off. Truly a magical place to stay. Traditional ryokan with lovely elderly couple. Highly recommended.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Nov 2023

William

Great!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2023

SWEE KHENG

Throw back to old times.

We had a very nice stay here. Couple who run the place is very amiable. The lady who took care of us was very patient with us. She allowed my family to use the onsen even when we came back late after 10pm which is closing time. Breakfast on 1st morning, we were tired from journey, so she came to room & woke us up to ask wether we still have breakfast. She is such a sweet lady. Wld love to come & stay if we were to come.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2020

Cindy

The couple tanning it was very nice and helpful.
Great area!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

The room was warm and comfortable, and the staff were very accommdating. The washing facilities were cheap and effective. The onsen was a little small but it was fine.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Older ryokan with great hosts who go out of their way to provide great service.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2019

AntonioJr

The opportunity to experience a traditional japaenese dwelling was super. We love everything about the room, its extremely clean, iwe really enjoyed tstaying here. and we highly recommend trying this if you are planning to visit Nagano. The elderly couple was super helpful and even waved us off when the time came to head back. 5 stars...

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

the owners made us feel very at home, they could not do more to please us as their guests, we were treated more like family!
the Japanese breakfast we courteously served, it was delicious!
we could not recommend this Ryokan enough, especially with the obliging owners!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Really enjoyed our stay here! The hosts were so kind (we were running late from our earlier destination but they stayed up and waited for us until we got in.) Highly recommend. Great service, room, and breakfast.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2018

Liviu

Amazing experience in Japan !

Amazing experience in Japan ! Perfect and spacious japanesse room ( 8 tatami), green tea always available in the room, amazing and completelly variated breakfast prepared and served by the host each day, familiar service with close attention to each detail. The bus station going to Togakushi National Park ( Express70) just in front of the Ryokan. Perfect central location at the steps of Zenkoji Temple.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

The couple running the show was the highlight, extremely helpful and caring. The traditional rooms were gorgeous also!

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2018

Evita

A lovely ryokan stay in Nagano. A little on the dated side but no complaints at all. Everything was lovely. Clean, cozy, and comfortable. The hosts were absolutely delightful. 20-min walk to Nagano Stn. Close to major sights and restaurants. Shared bathroom (showers) with onsen were very clean. I would 100% stay again.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Authentic Japanese experience

Great room, great location and great couple who run the ryocan.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2017

AT

Great, comfortable, spacious-clean, beautiful room, combined with hospitable, helpful and cheerful hosts/owners.
what a perfect combination!

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2017

Verified traveler

Great location and great service

This was our first stay in a traditional Japanese ryoken and we had a great stay. The welcome was fantastic with a tour round the hotel and tea served in our room. We also enjoyed the spa and the Japanese breakfast.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2026

Yoko

古き良き時代を感じる建物を、大切に清潔に維持されています。
おかみさんとご主人様のお人柄や、サービスがとても素敵でした。
今回、シャワーとトイレ付き12畳のお部屋をお借りしました。こちらはリフォームされた新しいお部屋で、快適そのものてした。
また必ず伺います！

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2026

Morgane

Very nice Ryokan conveniently placed close to the temple. The room was neat while the owners were welcoming and friendly.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2026

Jan Vidar

Vi var så heldige å finne dette fantastiske vertshuset. Det er drevet av et koselig eldre ektepar som selv om engelsk kunnskapene er begrenset gir den beste service. Er du ute etter en mer autentisk japansk Ryokan kan denne plassen virkelig anbefales. Her er det papirvegger, futon senger og onsen for begge kjønn. Plassen ligger sentralt i Nagano. Vi kommer nok aldri til å glemne dette sjarmerende verthuset med de like sjarmerende vertene. 10/10 og vi vil gi de beste anbefalinger.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

27 Apr 2026

François

Hôtel traditionnel sympathique avec un personnel très serviable

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2026

alejandra

Un ryokan muy tradicional que te hace vivir la experiencia real de una estancia japonesa!
Los señores demasiado amables y lindos con nosotros!

Nos encantó!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Ana Teresa

Fueron muy amables, nos gusto mucho el lugar, esta limpio pero el lugar en si descuidado.la madera en mal estado. La ubicacion buenisima

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2026

Jero

老闆很親切，裡面古色古香

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2026

Elisa

Soggiorno incantevole in struttura tradizionale. Camera pulita, futon comodi, l'atmosfera meravigliosa. Posizione comoda e tranquilla. I proprietari erano molto cordiali, gentili e disponibili.

Partner