Things to do in Nagano Prefecture, Chubu: The Best Onsen Resorts

May 22, 2021 Tonie Szymanski

Nagano Prefecture (長野県, Nagano-ken) is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Nagano. Due to the abundance of mountain ranges in this area, the land available for inhabitance is relatively limited.
Restaurants in Nagano Prefecture

1. Nozawa Onsen Public Baths (soto-yu)

Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun, Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun Nagano Prefecture +81 269-85-3155 http://nozawakanko.jp/
Excellent
53%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 139 reviews

Nozawa Onsen Public Baths (soto-yu)

In the popular Nozawa Onsen area there are 13 individual baths called "soto-yu" (public baths). The history of hot springs go back to around the 800 AD.

Reviewed By Vuelalupita

Nozawa onsen is a charming town, and the efforts by the local authorities to promote its bathing culture resulted in a cute little booklet to collect ink-free stamps! I loved the approach, and used it to visit 10 different sites in town. It was in Japanese, but had numbers so I could figure out locations. At the end, I was awarded with an original towel with design by artist Taro Okamoto, so pretty! I recommend it for other travellers they do this, it costs less than 500 yen and makes a great adventure of your visit to the town. I arrived on a snowy/rainy day, and the information office went as far as to lent me a handkerchief to wipe the stamps! I loved their care for the utmost details, very happy with all the experience.

2. Nozawa Onsen

Toyosato, Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun 389-2502 Nagano Prefecture +81 269-85-3155 http://nozawakanko.jp/
Excellent
73%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 295 reviews

Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is located just one hour’s drive from Nagano City in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture – a charming hot spring village located at the foot of Kenashi-yama Mountain which is home to around 4,000 people. The village is said to date back to 8th century but has been renowned for it’s hot springs and traditional inns since the Edo period. More recently Nozawa has also gained popularity as a ski area that features a great variety of terrain and amazing snow that’s hard to match.

Reviewed By ToniaM927 - Tweed Heads, Australia

Nozawa Onsen is the most gorgeous little ski village, comes to life from 2pm. Skiing is awesome. Great places to eat. Easy to get around by foot. Loving our stay.

3. Shirahone Onsen

Azumi, Matsumoto 390-1515 Nagano Prefecture +81 263-93-3251 http://www.shirahone.org/
Excellent
56%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 71 reviews

Shirahone Onsen

4. Tazawa Onsen

Tazawa, Aoki-mura, Chiisagata-gun 386-1601 Nagano Prefecture +81 268-49-0052 http://www.vill.aoki.nagano.jp/assoc/hotsprig/hotspring.html
Excellent
75%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 20 reviews

Tazawa Onsen

5. Bessho Onsen

1853-3 Bessho Onsen, Ueda 386-1431 Nagano Prefecture +81 268-38-3510 [email protected] http://www.bessho-spa.jp/
Excellent
37%
Good
52%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 180 reviews

Bessho Onsen

6. Shibu Onsen

2211-1 Oaza Hirao, Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun 381-0401 Nagano Prefecture +81 269-33-2921 http://www.shibuonsen.net/index.php
Excellent
48%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
2%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 258 reviews

Shibu Onsen

Reviewed By Aprime1980 - London, United Kingdom

I came here for the 9 onsens which is days to cure any illness but big broken hearts You can also get the keys to open those onsens from ryokan in that Immediate area so please enquire I wore a full sleeve thermal room Yukata and hanten which is like a winter Yukata from my ryokan. I also had warm socks and borrowed an umbrella from my ryokan befire waking about. You need to buy a towel which comes in a red envelope for 350 I will tell you on how to do the stamps. So get the key from the ryokan which should be attached to a big wooden thin block do you can’t lose it plus there should be a small plastic map attached to it Read the rules of the onsen at of the 9 buildings. I used cold water in the onsen to make it cooler I would advice against doing all 9 in one go as your towel will become quiet wet after the 3rd or 4th time Spread it over 2 days. Please use my photo to see where the stamps go and what way up. The top stamp is simple as all are like that apart from the big stamp on the top row Each onsen had 2 stamps where the fire symbol goes on the top and where on the towel it goes. It’s the bottom stamp you want to get right , look at the back to see the number on what way it is up OR make sure the metal pin on the back of the big stamp is on the top / 12 o clock position Number 1 onsen is in the far right of the towel as the Japanese counting is right to left. You don’t need to do the stamps in order as where my ryokan was the order I did it was 3,2,1,4,5,6,7,8,9 otherwise I would have back track and j would recommend carrying water or you can buy from the vending machine There are toilets which your map key should show as a green symbol. There was a building near onsen 1 which was on the map which had toilets and had table tennis stands on it. After you complete you should do what I did and get a nice ramen and soft drink bit if you drink alcohol then by all means get that I did at 1900 to be fair as I knew it would be quiet and it would be even more beautiful with the lights like the anime spirited away I will get my towel framed and please observe and obey the rules. If you have tattoos then as the rules say don use the onsen. I ain’t got any so that wasn’t my problem Please don’t be that stupid foreigner who makes the rest of us look bad. Please do research and if you use the cold water in the onsen then turn it off after use

7. Kagura no Yu

Minamishinanowada, Iida 399-1311 Nagano Prefecture +81 260-34-1085
Excellent
34%
Good
59%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 29 reviews

Kagura no Yu

8. Yuyuan Biwanoyu

3-26-1 Asamaonsen, Matsumoto 390-0303 Nagano Prefecture +81 263-46-1977 http://www.biwanoyu.com/
Excellent
39%
Good
55%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 31 reviews

Yuyuan Biwanoyu

9. Ringo no Yuya Obu

3-9-44 Ishishiba, Matsumoto 399-0007 Nagano Prefecture +81 263-24-2602 http://www.orchard.co.jp/obu/index.htm
Excellent
68%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 28 reviews

Ringo no Yuya Obu

Why Don’t You Experience Japanese Culture for Common People? We take a bath every single day. By taking a bath, we remove our physical fatigue of the day and adjust our body conditions. Thanks to this manner, Japan may be among the top 3 country with the longest lifespan. Men and women separately take baths naked. It is for you to hard to believe but we have the culture to take a bath naked. Therefore, there are baths separated by men and women. Why don't you experience our Japanese original "Naked Communion"? We NEVER wash our bodies in a bath tub. Where do you wash your body? We warm up and heal our bodies in a bath tub. We rinse off and wash in "the washing body area".

10. Kumano Tearaiyu

8969 Toyosato, Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun 389-2502 Nagano Prefecture +81 269-85-2242 http://nozawa-terayu.com/onsen.html
Excellent
50%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 24 reviews

Kumano Tearaiyu

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