Aburaya Tousen

This is a very traditional Japanese Ryokan – our first experience of Japanese Ryokan culture including sleeping on futons. Our room was super-clean and beautiful, a tatami floor and three carefully laid out futons. We had a large picture window with views of the river below and a stunning beautiful range of mountains all around us. The colours in Autumn all around us were breath-taking. In terms of location, it’s a short walk from the hotel, across the bridge to Yudanaka where we found a handful of restaurants. The village was very quiet but maybe we were there out of season. The snow monkey park is a short easy drive away from the hotel. Disappointingly, we hadn’t booked in for dinner at Aburaya Tousen and it was booked up for both the evenings we were there. Totally our fault - next time we definitely will do this and I’d highly recommend it. We visited the hotel’s brewery close by and had a drink there – the evening we visited there was no food being served there. The breakfast buffet is mainly Japanese traditional food, with extensive choices. We visited the hotel’s rooftop Onsen every evening – this was a beautiful experience out in the fresh clean open air. The Onsen is separate females/males. The hotel also offers private Onsen options. Overall, we were delighted with our stay at Aburaya Tousen – a very traditional, clean and comfortable hotel and a wonderful experience. Very friendly, super helpful team of staff too. We would definitely recommend this hotel.

Aburaya Tousen has excellent facilities and professional staff who communicated very well. I especially loved the cleanliness of the room and onsen baths. We also really enjoyed the breakfast spread! There are a few restaurants nearby, including a craft brewery literally next door. I chose this ryokan for its proximity to the Yudanaka station, where you can take a short 15 minute bus ride to the Snow Monkey Park. Aburaya Tousen provided shuttle service by request and it was a breeze to schedule with them

The wonderful staff and excellent service, the kaiseiki dinner is a must, the location (easy walk from station and ideal for a visit too snow monkey park) and mountain views. Our room was well equipped and the private outdoor onsen was a highlight. We took breakfast in the buffet instead of a private room with different menu and it had a range of Japanese and western options. The lovely wonder has run the hotel since she was a young bride. You can see how passionate and proud she is. Very visible leadership and care for her staff and patrons. Did I mention catching the Sakura at the end of the season? So pretty. This is apple, apricot, wine and Sakura country. We loved every minute.

The staff was so helpful and polite. I would highly recommend getting the kaiseki dinner. We had 8 in our family and we enjoyed the private room, the sushi chef coming out, the owner coming in and checking on us, it was all very special. The onsen was wonderful, so spacious and full of amenities. They provide lots of amenities in your room too. The breakfast was amazing. My mom grew up in Japan and couldn't get over the selection of Japan items. Best breakfast we had during our Japan trip. We also appreciated the shuttle to Snow Monkey park and it was easily walkable to the train station, even with luggage.

A beautiful Onsen-Ryokan located in a quiet and tranquil area not too far from the Snow Monkey Park. The facilities are beautiful, especially the large spacious rooms with private onsens. The dinner was fantastic, and a great introduction to traditional, local Japanese cuisine. There are many rooms and quiet areas throughout the Ryokan to sit and relax. The staff were lovely and accommodating and we loved our visit.