Rekishi-No-Yado Kanaguya

This is an older ryokan in a historic building. Some things might look a bit dated or be less comfortable, but that's actually part of its charm. There are many private and public baths here, and walking through all those dim corridors between them was a really cool experience. The Kaiseki dinner wasn't bad, but some of the appetizers were a bit too traditional and unique, so they might not appeal to everyone. You can order other dinner options; I chose the beef one and had to contact the ryokan via Instagram beforehand to arrange it.

One day isn't enough, so I recommend staying for two nights. Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy the hotel's onsen, all nine of Shibu Onsen's hot springs, and even Jigokudani Onsen. The in-house tours and hot spring source tours were a lot of fun. People from other inns were also coming to take photos of KANAGUYA at night. I also visited Jigokudani Monkey Park and bathed in Jigokudani Onsen with the monkeys – it made for the best memories!

The hotel is about a 25-minute walk from the Snow Monkey Park bus stop, but there's a shuttle bus service to Yudanaka Station. The Japanese-style rooms are spacious and have a historical feel; they come with a toilet but no shower, so you'll need to use the public bath for bathing. There are three public baths, one of which is open-air. Additionally, there are five private baths available on a first-come, first-served basis – if it's unlocked, it's all yours! Dinner was very generous. I had a stomach ache after breakfast, but I'm not sure if it was related. Each room receives one key for the 9 Onsen巡浴 (hot spring tour) of Shibu Onsen, so guests in the same room will need to visit them together. The front desk sells towels for collecting stamps from the 9 onsen and special entry tickets.