CChloe Lim SanThe heart warming and hospitality of this family is one of my best experiences in Japan.
It was my first time traveling to Hakuba and it was snowing heavily. Masanori san was busy with dinner but he had his daughter to pick me up instead (she have left for university so I reckon on normal days, he will have to go out of his way to pick passengers if they needed.) One key thing to note was to specify where you are properly because i took a bus and they didn’t stop me at the interchange but instead they dropped me off at the Hakuba stop (outside North Face shop) so it was quite confusing and they couldn’t find me at first.
The room is very spacious and the morning snowing view was really nice. The free Hakuba shuttle bus is just one minute away and it comes every hour, you can have breakfast at 7/7.30am and take the shuttle bus at 8/9am (might not come on time but just be earlier as there are many others taking the same bus). In house Onsen was decent with hot enough water but will be perfect if only it was outdoors (more for the ventilation and view).
The dinner made by Masamori san was one of the main reasons why I booked this hotel - French cuisine. It is delicately made and ingredients are carefully sourced, you can literally taste the freshness of their ingredients. Book at least one day in advanced!
At 84, their granny got to be the cutest and sweetest, we sang that one or two Japanese song she knew and she was so happy she served us tea, we kind of almost feel bad that she is serving us but after speaking to her daughter knowing that it is working there that keeps her body strong and makes her happy (so during Covid, she was feeling weak).
And also they link up with Lion Gear for all rental of everything you need. You just have to let Masamori san know and he will arrange for them to pick you up at your preferred time. After choosing your gears, he said they will send me to the slopes (went Goryu/Hakuba 47), but they didn’t and instead they sent me to Happo and I had to bring my gears and walked 20-30mins to the bus stops and paid for the V2 buses (the larger buses are not free - so you got to pay 800Yen per person). After I told Masamori san the story, he was really apologetic and immediately called them up. The next day, he got them to compensate me for the trouble and it really did helped ease the not so great experience and time wasting - the Lion gear boss was generous in compensating and explained that it was their new staff and they didn’t follow the previous arrangements.
Supermarket is about 15-20mins walk away, can be pretty cold but the walk is really nice, proper walking path with snow built up like walls.
All in all, I will still rate this place 9/10 for the hospitality and sincerity of this family, the food and the spaciousness of the room! Highly recommend you to go for the French dinner!
OO.K. MACI’ve stayed at many ryokans throughout my travels—often making up half of each trip—but this one felt a bit different.
It seemed to be run by just one person, who I assume is the owner. Everything was self-service, which might be understandable considering it was the most affordable option among the ryokans in the area.
Most amenities required an extra fee, such as towels. Payment was made by dropping coins into a basket and making your own change, which wasn’t very convenient—especially since I didn’t carry much cash.
One thing I appreciated was the luggage delivery service. I was able to leave my bag at the lobby before check-out and have it sent to Toyama Station (for about 4,000 JPY, cash only).
What stood out was the creativity in the shared spaces. There were several common rooms designed for relaxing and spending time—perfect if you’re traveling with friends. You could play ping pong, read books, watch TV, or use the canteen, which had a microwave and dishes available.
They even had coin-operated massage chairs and a small fitness room.
However, I must mention two important downsides:
1. Limited nearby dining options – Many restaurants shown as open on Google Maps were actually closed. The only one that was open had extremely slow service—I waited nearly an hour for dinner.
2. Insects—large ones – Unfortunately, I encountered big insects in my room, which made it hard to sleep. (He even provided insect-catch tape for me while introduce the room) I stayed awake most of the night, worrying it might come back—especially stressful since I had to get up early the next morning to catch a bus to Ogizawa.
Minds you, stairs only, need to carry your luggage down by yourself.
Overall, while it offers good value for the area and has unique communal features, this ryokan may not suit travelers who prefer full service, cashless payment, or guaranteed comfort.