2010-05-22

A votre arrivée au ryokan SHIMAYA, Mr Ichirou Yumoto(qui parle beaucoup), vous accueillera avec un grand sourire, cet homme charmant est une véritable mine d'or.
Toujours prêt à rendre service, il vous donnera toutes les informations sur ce qu'il y a à voir ou à faire dans la région (notamment un "onsen avec vue superbe sur les montagnes et Yudanaka), n'hésitez pas à lui poser des questions il se fera une joie de vous répondre.
A la fin de votre séjour, si vous avez été sage, vous aurez droit à une séance photo.
----------------------------------in English------------------------------------
Upon arrival at the ryokan SHIMAYA, Mr Ichirou Yumoto (who talks a lot), will welcome you with a big smile, this charming man is a goldmine.
Always ready to serve, he will give you all the information on what to see and do in the region (including an "onsen with great views of the mountains and Yudanaka), feel free to ask questions he will be happy to answer.
At the end of your stay, if you've been good, you'll have a photo shoot.

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

SNOW MONKEY YUDANAKA SHIBU OBUSE SHIGAKOGEN SHIMAYA

On 15th of Feb 2010, we travelled from Tokyo to Nagano Station and took the Nagano limited
express to Yudanaka train station. Once we got hold of our bearings, we started our trek up the
slight slope to Shimaya Ryokan in the snow. Not long afterwards, a white‐hair Japanese man drove
by in his small van and stopped to ask us in English where we were going. When we told him we
were heading towards Shimaya Ryokan, he asked us to get into the van. We found out later that he
is Ichiro‐san, the owner of Shimaya Ryokan.
As it was only about 3pm, Ichiro‐san immediately suggested that we visit the monkey park. We
quickly checked into our Japanese‐style tatami room and off‐load our luggage. 10 minutes later, we
were in Ichiro‐san’s van again with another Singaporean couple on our way to the monkey park. We
were very grateful to Ichiro‐san’s offer to drive us there as the journey was mostly uphill and it was
snowing. Ichiro‐san also told us that the 30minutes trek to the Monkey Park was going to be a
beautiful experience and he was spot on. After visiting the monkeys, Ichiro‐san picked us up from
the entrance of the Monkey Park trail and recommended an outdoor hot spring experience which
was our first time in Japan. The hot spring, which only costs 600 Yen per person, overlooks the Japan
Alps. We also asked Ichiro‐san to recommend a cheap and good eating house and he brought us to a
Japanese restaurant that is within walking distance from the ryokan. We had a good soba and curry
katsu meal for dinner. The restaurant also gave us a small memento when we left, which now hangs
at our bedroom door knob.
Next day, Ichiro‐San recommended that we take a walk along Shibu Onsen (about 20mins walk from
Shimaya Ryokan) in the morning and visit Obuse (few train stops from Yudanaka Station) in the
afternoon. He was so hospitable that he drove us to the start point of the walk that is on a hill top
which has a scenic view of Shibu Onsen. It was a great walk and we had a value for money lunch of
fried chicken and rice (directions found in a leaflet in Shimaya Ryokan) in one of the restaurants. We
got back to Shimaya Ryokan and prepared for our trip to Obuse. At Obuse, we walked around the
quaint small town and found a classy restaurant that serves chestnut rice.
Since we had a good experience with much help and advice from the knowledgeable Ichiro‐san, we
decided to extend our stay in Shimaya Ryokan for another night. We wanted to visit the ski slopes
but we didn’t know the best place to go as we had no intentions to ski. Ichiro‐san suggested that we
go to the Yakebitai ski slope which offers a great view. Ichiro‐san also gave us specific instructions to
take Gondola 2 for better sightseeing experience. He also offered to give us a ride to Yudanaka
Station the next morning and provided useful instructions for getting from the ski‐slope to Nagano
Station.
The next morning, we woke up to have an early dip in the onsen at the basement of Shimaya
Ryokan. Before checking out, we took some photos with Ichiro‐san and his wife, who gave us three
Japanese lucky coins for “happy connections”. We were indeed happy with our stay and experience
with Ichiro‐san and his wife’s service at Shimaya Ryokan.
Siew Kei and Geraldine, Singapore (4th April 2010)

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

YUDANAKA SHIMAYA Snow monkey

Dear Mr Shimaya,


It was a delightful surprise to find your e mail in my mail box today. I'm so glad you sent us this pictures as it reminds me of the nice moments we had staying at your Ryokan!


I would like to give you many thanks to you and your wife for your kind hospitality, it really made us feel like being hosted by a family!


Please keep on with your smile and attention. And simple things like, giving us a good tip about the restaurant we should try, beer and sake museum, taking us to the monkey park or even lending us your snow boots are nice attentions we wouldn't find elsewhere ; D


We enjoyed travelling through Japan a lot, but your place was defenitely the BEST! Next time we'll stay way longer!


By the way, I never found a Yukata as nice as the one I had in my room when we stayed with you... Would it be possible to buy you one?? I enclose a picture ; D I don't mind if it's been used, it was so comfortable...


Again, a million thanks, we certainly will recommend you to everyone !


Charles and Adeline










= Charles Dickburt =





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From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

2010-01-20

Thank you so much for the pictures, it was a pleasure to stay at your beautiful Ryokan. I would love to come back sometime and will recommend you to anyone going to Japan :-)

Kind regards
Jenny

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

Dear Mr and Mrs Yumoto,
Thank you so much for the wonderful stay at Shimaya
and for all your kindness. It was the BEST place we stayed
in Japan. We LOVED it and we keep telling all our friends about it.
Thanks again.
Maria and Ray Beswick

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

Shibu Onsen 9 ONSEN & Yudanaka

九湯めぐり



WALK FROM MONKEY PARK VIA ９ONSENS

After visiting the monkey park, there is a pleasant walk back to the ryokan.
Ask Yumoto san for directions.

In the older part of town (on the walk back) there are 9 onsens. To make the walk more interesting(& to get a souvenir to take home), you can buy a cloth and collect the stamps from the onsens & temple.

Buy the cloth from any of the shops in the onsen area. It comes in a red packet and costs \300. On the bath of the packet is a map showing the location of the onsens & the temple. If you go to the temple first, there is an example of where to put the stamps. The temple is #➉on the map.

On the cloth the name of each onsen is written from right#① to left#⑨．You need to watch the name of the onsen to the correct stamp. Each onsen has its name written on a small wooden board near the stamps.
Once you have walked all the way back, there is a foot onsen next to the station –great for tired feet!

Katie &　Kym　Australia. 091125

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

YUDANAKA Publick Hotspring

10/11 -09 From Jenny Trozell SWEDEN
Tonight　I tried the public hotspring close to Shimaya. I was alone there and did not know how to handle the extremely hot water. Since I did not know better I finally managed to get in. I only could stay in the water 2 minutes since my skin hurted badly.
I afterwards understood that one is supposed to add a bit of cold water before entering the onsen.
I also tried the outside Roten-buro Tomi-no-yu and that was more my thing. The water was perfectly temperatured and view was amazing. I absolutely recommend that one.
I took the public one for 600\ and was almost alone there.

Thank you Mr & Mrs Yumoto for a really good stay. My room was fantastic &your service perfect I love it here and would like to come back one day.

Ps. Make sure to try the Japanese breakfast , it was absolutely amazing. I love it!

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

YUDANAKA private bath, sobanoodles

We recently stayed at Hotel Shimaya, and to be honest, there's not too much we can add to the accolades of previous guests. Yes, Yumoto San and his wife will astound you with their generosity and willingness to go that extra mile to make your stay memorable. Yes, the rooms are spacious, tidy and inviting. So what can we add that will be of value to future guests?

Well, we can offer an insight into the Onsen located on the hilltop overlooking the valley. Having experienced both the public and private baths. Both of us agree that the public experience was more traditional, with better views and cheaper rates to boot. However, if you are travelling as a couple and wish to experience the sunset from the warmth of the natural springs together, then it is worth forking out the extra cash for that privilege. Also it's a good option if you have modesty issues as full disrobing is required.

We can also recommend the restaurant down the street behind the hotel that specialises in soba noodles - very nice food and reasonable prices.

Overall we immensely enjoyed our stay in Yudanaka, and a large part of that is due to the hospitality provided by Hotel Shimaya - thank you so much for a wonderful Japanese countryside experience!

Alison and Matt
(Brisbane, AUSTRALIA)

タグ：JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

small picturesque town with a big heart YUDANAKA SNOW MONKEY PARK

We had a lovely stay at Yudanaka, thanks to the hospitality of Mr Yumato-san and his wife. The small picturesque town of Yudanaka really warmed our heart! Mr Yumato-san gave us a warm welcome when we reached Yudanaka and offered us great advice on how to make full use of our time there. A visit to Yudanaka must, of course, include a visit to the adorable snow monkeys. Mr Yumato-san very kindly drove us up the hill, so that we could save our energy for the 45-minute walk bringing us to the snow monkeys.

He also suggested we go to a cosy and private hot spring 30 minutes away by car and we weren't disappointed with what we got. Peaceful, with a nice view, the cosy onsen turned out to be great and well worth the price! We had dinner at a small family-owned restaurant a few minutes' walk away from the ryokan. Run by Mr Yumato-san's friend, the place brings you back to old Japan: it has a cosy ambience and the gentleman running the place is pretty friendly.

Mr Yumato-san, thank you so much for being such a wonderful host! We are sure many more people will have very warm memories of Yudanaka!

タグ：yudanaka snow monkey shimaya JAPAN NAGANO Snow monkey Jigokudani YUDANAKA SHIMAYA

Dear Mr Yumoto

Dear Mr Yumoto
Thank you very much, we've had a very pleasant stay at Shimaya Ryokan your hospitality an friendlyness is oustanding, we never forget you and our time in Yudanaka and will definitely make sure to tell our friends to come visit you.
Best regards to your wife to and ARRIVEDERCI A PRESTO!!!!

Angela Ara

タグ：yudanaa snow monkey park