Kiriya Ryokan

Out first time as Canadians in Japan with a family of 4 (two teens). Nozawa was recommended to us by a friend who lived there for awhile. Did NOT disappoint. Exactly what we were after. Staying in a traditional ryokan was one of the best decisions we made on our holiday. We were treated like members of the family by Ko and the staff the entire time. I have traveled somewhat extensively and have never been treated with more kindness and warmth than at Kiriya Ryokan. I suspect that many ryokans in the area provide similar services, but I can say we all loved this place. The food was excellent and had enough variety of everyone in our family from adventurous to picky eaters. Everyone loved the cats. The onsen was simply magnificent to soak in every evening. We had the onsen entirely to ourselves every evening which was a wonderful treat. Ko assisted us with making some local travel arrangements and providing some much needed advice. She saved us much $$ arranging some transportation for us at points and giving us some local hints. As far as its relation to the ski hill, the location can't be beat. Its one of the closest accommodations to the Yu road (the covered belt lift to the hill base). Pro Tip: If you're renting equipment, rent from the Shirakaba Rental at the base near the Ryokan, not from Sports Thanks near the base on the other side of town. Its slightly more $$ but the experience was WAY better with better gear, 90% less crowds and you can just easily get there from Kiriya without walking across town. Saved us an hour at least each day. What's your time worth? Kiriya's location in town is perfect. Everything in the entire town is walkable. There are many food stops nearby to try. I recommend the small izakaya right on the street down from Kiriaya. I don't write many reviews of hotels on Google but wanted to make a special point of offering up some praise to this ryokan. Its a special place and Ko was so wonderful I felt the need to mention it and give some kudos where deserved.

We loved this place from the minute we arrived. The staff were so friendly and it felt more like being in someone’s home than a hotel. We had a traditional room with our own bathroom. I did struggle with sleeping in the mat but I was fine once I added a couple of extra mats. The breakfast was a great mix of local cuisine and some western options. The dinner we did here was amazing. The location is good with a short 5 minute walk to the main part of town and a 5 minute walk to the moving walkway to the base of the mountain.

This is a wonderful traditional well maintained Ryokan in a perfect location. You are steps away from Yu Road, which gets you to the hills in minutes. Great amenities for drying ski equipment. The breakfast is a mix of Japanese and Western with enough changes to keep it interesting. The Ryokan is well run, with a wonderful host Ko and the 10 cats that provide entertainment and companionship without getting in the way. You really feel at home and the host goes out of her way to ensure you have the perfect stay, a true example of Japanese hospitality. We will certainly be back.