Reviews of Shimaya Ryokan

27 April 2012 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The couple that own the ryokan are so friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. There is also an onsen which is great. It's so close to Yudanaka train station and the owners drove us to the snow monkey park.

Disliked: carrying my luggage up/down stairs

13 March 2012 Jasper would recommend this property

Liked: It's a very nice, traditional ryokan. The rooms are spacious and clean. The owner is very helpfull and after arriving took us directly to an onsen with a nice view over the valley and afterwards to a nice isakaya. Also they provide free transportation to the monkeypark.

Disliked: -

17 November 2011 Joy would recommend this property

Liked: The staff, the size of the rooms.

Disliked: Not having an elevator.

09 July 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Beautifully set out rooms that were very clean and had all we needed plus more. There was one onsen to share for the whole property, but as we were the only customers that night we were able to have private usage of it. I think private reservation times are also available during busier periods of the year. The family are absolutely lovely and went out of their way to make our stay perfect. We were explained all the things to do in Yudanaka and all the local restaurants available. We were also driven around to attractions, such as the snow monkeys (an absolute must do while in Nagano/Yudanaka!). We had the Japanese style breakfast and it was also fantastic. Definitely would return to Shimaya ryokan if I was ever to visit Nagano again.

Disliked: Nil

21 May 2011 Gwendoline would recommend this property

Liked: Lovely big rooms Great facilities. Very caring and helpful hosts who will do anything to help you enjoy your stay in Yudanaka and provide helpful travel advice. They will go out of their way to meet all your needs including transportation. The meals were prepared thoughtfully and were delicious. Everything was excellent.

Disliked: I didn't dislike anything.

08 March 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The owners are very helpful, welcoming and chatty.

Disliked: it is old, but has a nice unpretentious retro feel.

14 February 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The family that runs the place is great. Very kind, extremely helpful. I think this is a great place for people who don't speak any Japanese and need that extra help to figure out where to eat, where to go, how to get there etc. They have pamphlets in English and even translated menus for restaurants close by. As well, they can take you to the monkey park (if you don't have transportation) and to onsen. And i highly recommend the kaiseki dinner! So delicious!!!

Disliked: Onsen is not as cool as other ones i have experienced. The owner knows of a really nice one- it has an overlook of the mountains and costs 600 Y that he can take you to. I highly recommend it- we went and its a gorgeous view! Also, this is a ryokan, not a hostel. So, i wouldn't say its an ideal place to meet people. Better to go with friends or with your significant other.

07 February 2011 James would recommend this property

Liked: Great staff, willing to drive you to all local attractions such as monkey park and ski resort free of charge. Helpful and extremely friendly. Rooms were beautiful - traditional Japanese, and Onsen was able to be booked privately, VERY HOT! WiFi is included and was stable and fast.

Disliked: Not much at all.

29 January 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Yumoto, are extremely kind and helpful. Location is perfect for visiting both the Snow Monkey Park (Mr. Yumoto will drive you there) and seeing the lovely town of Yudanaka. Room was warm and clean. Breakfast was an excellent value and contained a wide variety of items.

Disliked: No complaints.

26 December 2010 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Owners were very helpful and friendly. Gave lots of good advice and assistance with travel to the Snow Monkeys

Disliked: Hot springs created an interesting smell in the town

03 December 2010 IAN would recommend this property

Liked: Very friendly owners and staff. Helpful with tourist info and transport to monkey park.Onsen facilities were great.Provided an accurate and enjoyable reflection of Japanese hospitality and cultural experience.

Disliked: Nothing.

04 September 2010 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The rooms are beautiful and kept immaculate. The staff are the friendliest people who go way out of their way to help you enjoy your stay (including driving you to local sites of interest, giving maps and directions and restaurant recommendations). There are a bunch of very good and very affordable restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

Disliked: The only possible negative is that I was the only guest there (which was actually a plus for me as I was exhausted and needed a break). If you are looking for a party atmosphere probably not your best bet.

16 July 2010 Jacquelin would recommend this property

Liked: great stay, looked after me and drove me around everywhere that i needed to go! :)

Disliked: the pillows haha

12 June 2010 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Although it felt a little bit like traveling back in time (starting with the train to Yudanaka) because of the "retro" equipment in the hostel, we enjoyed our stay very much. The hostel owner provided a free shuttle service to the hot springs, which he even reserved for us, the train station as well as the monkey park. He was extremely helpful regarding any kind of tips for sightseeing, hiking and dining. When I forgot a bag in his car, he even sent it to my hotel in Kyoto so that I had it already, the next day. All in all I recommend the hostel for travelers seeking a Japanese experience outside the big cities with a little "freaky" touch (like the self playing piano in the breakfast room). Further positive points: free wireless internet connection and good Soba Noodle restaurant in Shibu Onsen (we could even order in English ;))

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

27 May 2010 Scott would recommend this property

Liked: Our stay at the Shimaya Ryokan was better than we could have hoped. The owner was the most helpful and friendly person we met in our travels. He was amazingly helpful, recommending great places to visit and even driving us to them and back.A great stay very much recommened - great location to see the snow monkey's too!

Disliked: Scott left no negative feedback.

01 May 2010 Julie would recommend this property

Liked: The owner, Mr Yumoto is so helpful and very friendly. He has dropped us around the town and even to the restaurant. The Monkey Park was a lovely walk up into the hills and made a very pleasant afternoon. The food recommendation was excellent, esp as getting vegetarian options can be challenging in Japan without language. The hotel is nice, clean and friendly. The decor is rather 70s retro, & kept expecting to see James Bond, but we loved it!!

Disliked: Julie left no negative feedback.

09 April 2010 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: amazing

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

08 March 2010 Amy would recommend this property

Liked: This hotel made our stay in Japan memorable, an amazing hostel in a great location and extreamly helpful owners who were wiling to do anything to make your stay amazing, which you would never get at a larger hotel/hostel.Great resurants and sighting seeing reccommendations were given that we would never have forund unless we were told about them

Disliked: Amy left no negative feedback.

25 February 2010 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Everything just great except for unfortunate smell of urine in toilet even though window was open. But given how good everthing else was (room, hosts, japanese breakfast) I would 100% recommend this place.

Disliked: Customer left no negative feedback.

23 February 2010 Francis would recommend this property

Liked: close to the snow monkeys & friendly helpful owner

Disliked: Francis left no negative feedback.

22 February 2010 Siew Kei would recommend this property

Liked: Friendliness and helpfulness of the staff.

Disliked: Siew Kei left no negative feedback.

19 January 2010 Meredith would recommend this property

Liked: An unforgettable experience. Affordable ryokan experience for those, like me, who have a limited budget! Yumoto-san speaks great english (though I'm sure any Japanese you can offer will be most welcome), pulls maps out from every direction, and will go out of his way to let you experience the most that Yudanaka and the region has to offer, including driving you up to the monkey park and will even offer to pick you up when you're done. However, he will most likely recommend (weather-permitting) you walk back through the most beautiful streets full of traditional buildings, restaurants, onsen, breweries, museums and shrines, just to name a few. I stayed mid-winter, and the constant snowfall just made the whole experience as charming and magical as I could have imagined. Dinner at Asashinaya (a local restaurant recommended by Yumoto-san) was a perfect meal after a long day's walk in the snow. Being the only guest at the ryokan that night, I had the onsen to myself - an amazing Japanese experience. Heater in my traditional room was welcome in the minus-degree weather, and the futon was as comfortable as can be. I opted for a Western-style breakfast in the morning (lots of food!), though a Japanese style is also offered. Dining room was a delightful time-warp, with a pianola in the corner and a gorgeous retro jukebox. We swapped photos before I left to catch the train back to Nagano, which really topped off the feeling of home and the welcoming character of Yumoto-san and his wife. Definitely recommend to anyone wishing to head to Yudanaka or the monkey-park - stay at least a night and head home with the most beautiful and rewarding experience. I travelled alone and I couldn't have asked for a better host or accommodation, however I can imagine it would only get better and would be oh so romantic with a companion! One thing I have to recommend - snow boots, if you have your own! Yumoto-san has a vast range of boots and sizes if, like me, you have no idea how to live in snow and show up with a pair of old sneakers!

Disliked: Meredith left no negative feedback.

08 January 2010 tanya would recommend this property

Liked: The owner is a star! He has all the information on where to go e.g we were going to ski and he suggested a local ski resort which was fine for the days ski we wanted to do. He also recommended and booked for us an onsen at the end of the slopes (private and well worth doing) He then took us to and from the slopes! He also got us from the train station and took us to an from the monkey park the next day. He does everything to help. The rooms are fantastic and the views brilliant. Low price for everything you get. Totally recommend.

Disliked: tanya left no negative feedback.

27 December 2009 TZYY SHIUAN would recommend this property

Liked: Our stay at Shimaya Ryokan was perfect. Mr Yumoto was extremely kind and offered to bring us to the snow monkey park (without us even asking), and he also drove us back to the ryokan when we were done. The ryokan was very clean and cosy, and we felt very comfortable during our stay there. When there were few guests around, he even arranged for us to use one of the baths as a private bath.Mr Yumoto also gave us a lot of good recommendations for our meals, e.g. suggesting that we try Yamaguchiya restaurant when we said that we would like to have soba for lunch. When he heard that we were going to visit Nagano city after leaving the ryokan, he gave us some useful information (e.g. what to see, eat and buy) and even offered to drive us down to the Yudanaka train station. We really enjoyed our stay there and appreciate the hospitality shown to us by Mr Yumoto and his wife. We would definitely stay at Shimaya Ryokan again should we return to Nagano in the future.

Disliked: TZYY SHIUAN left no negative feedback.

24 December 2009 JOANNA would recommend this property

Liked: The services were excellent to extent of personal pick-up to and fro train station. This was extremely valued as we have several large and heavy luggages to manage. Mr Yumoto was very kind and even mended my shoe sole that gave way during the trip. Strongly recommended for travellers who are looking for small and no frill short stay accomodation.

Disliked: JOANNA left no negative feedback.