Kiso-Fukushima is an iconic post town in Kiso Valley, Nagano prefecture, with roots from the Edo era. The town has a lot going for it as the biggest, most populous, and most vibrant town of the Edo era in the renowned valley. Since it is on the world-famous Nakasendo Trail, most hikers on the trail usually stay the night in this town, and it also serves as the gateway to Mount Ontake. From hot springs to luxurious inns and bustling nightlife, Kiso-Fukushima is one of the best places to stay while exploring rural Japan. If you are planning to walk the Nakasendo Way, you might like to read more on The Nakasendo Way: History, Post Towns & Guide and When is the Best Time To Walk The Nakasendo Trail.
Here are some of the best accommodations in Kiso-Fukushima when you decide to spend the night.
photo credit: Kaido-Roman Onyado Tsutaya Website
Kaido-Roman Onyado Tsutaya
This Ryokan inn is 320 years old and spots a luxurious traditional hot spring where immersion cures stress like a charm. It is located in the main town at the backdrop of Mount Ontake and borders the Kiso River, making its location naturally idyllic and charming. Several contemporary and Japanese-style rooms are available, featuring bathtubs, air-conditioning, refrigerators, and mountain or river views. As a perk, the hotel's open-air spring baths (male and female options) offer gorgeous views of the Kiso River and have been a major draw for guests. There is an on-site restaurant and bar, a gift and coffee shop, and meals like Gourmet Cuisine Ogottsu make your stay incredibly delicious.
Urara Tsutaya
Plug into a realm of tranquillity, luxury, and exceptional bliss at this traditional Ryokan Inn, with dreamy views of the mountains and rivers. With just a minute's walk from JR Chuo Line Kiso-Fukushima Station, you can access this heavenly palace of wellness and sublime treats. Room options include suites, Japanese-style rooms with open-air baths, twin rooms, and modern rooms. Each interior is lavishly decorated with wood furnishings, tatami mat floors, air-conditioning, wooden baths, lacquered tables, refrigerators, and even TV in the suites. The natural hot spring baths come with mountain views, and its Kaiseki cuisine from fresh Kiso ingredients can spike your feel-good hormones to high heavens.
Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari
Enjoy the hospitality and warmth of this premium Ryokan, where Japanese-style and modern rooms ensure your stay is sufficiently hedonistic. In-room amenities include private baths (shower/tub) refrigerators, mountain or garden views, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, Western-style toilets, futon beds, and private balconies. The hotel is located in the mountains and takes a 25-minute drive to reach from Kiso-Fukushima. There are indoor and outdoor hot spring baths for both genders and families, and on a shared or privately reserved basis. Meal options range from Western to vegetarian, but are sure to stun your taste buds. Interestingly, this Ryokan Inn doubles as a ski resort, with a complimentary ski shuttle that makes access to the slopes seamless.
Nukumorino Yado Komanoyu
Nukumori is a luxury Ryokan dipped in the forest, featuring Japanese-style rooms alone, but of different categories. Amenities include elevators, refrigerators, futon beds, bathtubs and showers, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and wardrobes. In addition, there is an outdoor garden, an on-site restaurant where meals are usually more than enough, a hot spring bath for relaxation, and a free star-gazing session for guests. The Ryokan Inn is located along the Old Kiso Road and is the only hot spring inn on the Kisokaido Road. Shuttle services are available from Kiso-Fukushima Station, which is just a 10-minute drive.
Kisojinoyado Iwaya
For 350 years, this traditional Ryokan has served as a shelter and luxury retreat for hikers on the Nakasendo Trail and travellers alike, including imperial families since the Edo period. This Inn is located in the heart of Kiso-Fukushima, and accessible by a 10-minute walk from JR Kiso-Fukushima Station. The Iwaya Inn features 12 Japanese-style rooms in different categories, and some offer scenic vistas of the Kiso River. In-room amenities include baths, toilets, showers, air-conditioning and heating, TVs, and refrigerators. Meals at the restaurant lounge facing the garden are luscious and irresistible, finely crafted from local ingredients to give each guest a literal taste of Kiso. Hot spring baths and open-air public baths amplify the experiences for guests, with optimal relaxation and even healing benefits.
Zenagi
Zenagi is an elegantly restored Japanese Kominka house in the Kiso Valley in Nagano. Built over 300 years ago in Edo period, the house was beautifully renovated into a modern accommodation where a collection of fine arts and crafts of the Kiso are scattered throughout the property. Overlooking a bucolic expanse of rice fields, flowering trees and forests, the “wellness and expedition hotel” invite guests to indulge in the unique luxury escapes that Zenagi has to offer. There are just three suites at Zenagi for just one group or family to stay at a time. The suites incorporate traditional Japanese designs such as washi paper screens and urushi lacquer floors. Bathrooms features cedar tubs crafted by local artisans with a big window looking onto a private zen garden. There is also a sacred hinoki cypress trees just behind the house, used to restore Japan’s most important shrine Ise Jingu. This is a perfect place to relax in a peaceful moment in the countryside disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of city life. The meals are prepared by Michelin-starred chef and the menus are inspired by Kiso Valley flavours, from rivers and forest to mountains. There are butlers and outdoor activities led by Olympic-level sportsmen for Zenagi guests. Either hiking the Nakasendo Kodo, canyoning in the beautiful Kiso river gorge, cycling through rice terraces, or paragliding to get a bird’s-eye view of the Japanese Alps, Zenagi is a magical place to stay in the Kiso Valley. Let it enchant you.
