Ryokan Naraya

Naraya is one of the hotel in the area with the longest history, and is located right around the corner of the yubatake, or the onsen water field. Kusatsu is one of the best known onsen in Japan, and therefore very much worth visiting. Since the hotel is located in the old town area, the free parking is located about five minutes drive from the hotel, where there is a free shuttle bus taking you back to the hotel. The hotel has very good service level, even comparing with other Japanese onsen hotels. The room we had was very spacious and clean. The air conditioner is a modern one, but the heater is a nostalgic model. The onsen is one of the best we have ever experienced. The color and smell of water give you a sense of how genuine the onsen was. The first night dinner was very impressive and beautiful food. The chef was coming to your dining room with a sushi trolley, you order your preferred sushi and he /she made them in front of you. Our second night of stay dinner was a let down. The dishes were like those you have in izakaya, a total disaster. We also had coffee in the hotel coffee shop which also serve scustomers from outside. The coffee was good as well as their above average price.

After renting a car near Karuizawa station, we arrived at Kusatsu onsen town to find the narrow roads packed with holidaymakers. It was quite harrowing finding our way to the ryokan after circling around. On arrival the front office people were very helpful and led me to a free parking area some distance away. Our experience was very much as described by past reviewers...a traditional ryokan right in heart of the hot spring attraction centre. The room was very spacious. Dinner and breakfast were good enough but no wow factor. What was most delightful for our stay was the very friendly and attentive Nepalese front-end staff named Khadka, who made it easy for us with his good English. He was almost always there to attend to our every need and we enjoyed our conversation with him when he served us at the bar. I would highly recommend having drinks at the bar with its cosy ambience and enjoying the front seats facing the window where we can see people walking by as well as a view of the pagoda. Our stay there was memorable!

4/13-15 Atami Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen Trip This is the third time Kusatsu Onsen has been visited. An inn, Naraya, where my father had always wanted to stay. I was able to make my dream come true. The hot springs were good, and the quality and quantity of the food was great. What surprised me was the surprise. He made sushi in front of me and served it. Breakfast is generally Japanese, but we had freshly baked croissants for sale. I was in a hurry because I was so busy, but I was glad I could stay. As expected, Kusatsu is one of the three major hot springs in Japan. Thanks for your help.