Matsuya Ryokan

Stayed 3 nights at this lovely ryokan. It is the first ryokan that I have ever stayed in. Great atmosphere, family-owned and run. Staff were warm and helpful. Our room was cosy and whenever we were due back in the evenings , the aircon was set to 26 Celsius, which seems very common in Japan, but too warm for me. Easily fixed, because each room has its own aircon. We enjoyed breakfast and one dinner. So elaborate, fresh and tasty. My friend and I are now in a western-style hotel in Sapporo and miss our little Nagano home!

Staying here was a wonderful experience. Very clean, staff were very nice , and Japanese breakfast was very authentic. The indoor onsen was fantastic! Very good location – – just down the street from the Zen Koji temple, and just about a 10 minute walk from downtown/train-bus station. We were able to message with the staff/family to let them know we would be several hours late due to our flight delay, and they responded with reassurance that they would be ready for us. we never stayed in for dinner, but we heard it was really good. our room was pretty tight with three people, but that is understandable based on the typical size of rooms. Need to be able bodied – – lots of stairs/steps. Pretty limited English from staff. Would recommend going to the 7 AM meditation service to get a blessing at the temple.

We had an amazing ryokan experience at Matsuya. We stayed in a traditional japanese room and couldn't have asked for anything more right from the minute we stepped into the ryokan. After being greeted warmly we were taken for a tour of the ryokan, which was definitely necessary as there are quite a few stairs and halls and our room was at the back of the ryokan. We had booked a traditional japanese room and it was wonderful. Windows all around the room overlooking beautiful trees in neighbouring yards. We also had a functional, small bathroom a tv and wifi. There was hot tea waiting for us upon arrival and when we got back from dinner our room had been rearranged into it's sleeping formation with sleeping pads and blankets on the tatami mats. The food at the ryokan was extremely comprehensive for both dinner and breakfast (both very traditional japanese menus). Plus they had an onsen that we enjoyed (separate for males and females). Definitely recommend staying here and enjoying the full package by getting your meals included. I booked through japanican website.