This post contains affiliate links. If you book something through these links I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about my disclosure and affiliate policy here.
…
Disclosure: I was invited to Shibu Onsen by Nagano Tourism & JNTO
When planning my Japan itinerary two things were on the top of my list: seeing snow monkeys and staying at a traditional ryokan. Ever since hearing Pico Iyer speak about his experience at a ryokan and how the silence had its own presence, I have wanted to hear this silence for myself.
And yes, snow monkeys!
So I started to google how to get to Jigokudani Monkey Park from Tokyo and came across Shibu Onsen in Nagano. The little onsen town seemed the perfect location to see the monkeys, stay at a ryokan, and see what the Japanese onsen were all about.
Why you should visit Shibu Onsen
Table of Contents:
Shibu Onsen is a sleepy and picturesque resort town. People come here to hike or ski, depending on the season, and to visit the nine public onsen in town. While there are thousands all over the country, Shibu Onsen has established itself as one of the premier wellness destinations in Japan. You pretty much do a pilgrimage to all nine public bathhouses and will have good luck after. And even if you don’t believe in good luck, the hot springs have medicinal benefits.
Charming is a word that immediately comes to mind when you see Shibu Onsen. It looks like a typical mountain village directly from a storybook. Remember Spirited Away? You will in a moment, follow me and read on…
Where to stay in Shibu Onsen
While there are plenty of guesthouses and hotels near Jigokudani Monkey Park, you will want to stay at a traditional ryokan in Shibu Onsen. It adds to the experience or rather becomes part of the experience.
What is a ryokan, you may ask. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. Most rooms are outfitted with tatami mats and traditional furniture. You sleep on futons that are only set up when it is time to sleep and swiftly disappear once you are up. There are a few Japanese furniture like a low table that might be covered with a cozy, heated blanket if you are coming during the winter months.
As far as interior, size, and decor go there are fancier and less fancy ryokans, some are family-run guesthouses, and others are more like 5-star hotels. The traditional style is what they have in common.
Sometimes to remember when booking a ryokan:
- Many have communal baths. You will probably have a separate toilet (and a pair of toilet slippers) but your bathroom is shared.
- Breakfast and dinner are usually included when booking a room. Chances are you will be served a Kaiseki Ryori which is basically a multi-course royal feast. Honestly, dining times were my favorite!
- Ryokans are not cheap but you can definitely find some that are less expensive than others. I’d say splurging on a night during your Japan holiday is worth it.
- Unfortunately, many ryokans do not accept single travelers. I guess because you are paying for a whole experience including meals and not just a mere room.
- More and more ryokans can be booked on sites like booking.com, but some only have their own website and you will have to use an English agent when booking as a tourist.
Probably the most famous ryokan in Shibu Onsen is Kanaguya. This is mainly because it is said to have inspired the bathhouse in the beloved Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away. Every evening you will see a small crowd taking selfies there.
They are the ones that have a no-single-traveler rule though. At first, I was upset about that but then it turned out to be a stroke of luck because I got to stay at Shibu Onsen Kokuya instead. Which incidentally is just across the road.
Kokuya ryokan Shibu Onsen is absolutely stunning. They have various room categories, some with your own bath and onsen, as well as many private onsen that you can book at no extra cost.
I got to stay in one of their traditional rooms and their newly appointed Kuon suite. Time for some honesty: I did not like sleeping on a futon. First of all, I like a headboard so I can sit in bed and also a wall behind so monsters won’t get me. Sleeping in the middle of a room is not my thing. And also, futons are hard. I love a hard mattress and you will rarely hear me complain in any Asian beds but this was too much for me and my old bones (I turned 45 after all when I was staying at Kokuya!).
With that, I was excited to move to the suite for the second night as it had ‘normal’ beds. In addition, not one but two private onsen, a sauna, and a cold plunge. I was in water-wellness heaven!
What to do in Shibu Onsen
I had exactly two reasons to come to Shibu Onsen: play with snow monkeys and visit all nine onsen in town for good luck. As I said, there is also plenty of sking and hiking in the area but as you know, I am not a fan of either.
Visiting the 9 local onsen
There are nine public onsen, bathhouses, in Shibu Onsen. It is said to bring good luck if you visit all of them. When staying at a local ryokan you will get a key to the onsen. The key has a little map that will show you which onsen is where and they are also clearly numbered. The onsen are said to have healing properties for different ailments.
So how does an onsen visit work? At your ryokan, you will be given a yukata which is a cotton kimono as well as geta shoes, a coat when it is cold, and towels. Off to the onsen you go. And yes, everyone walks around like that in Shibu Onsen.
At the onsen, you will identify the door for your gender. Inside is a changing area where you will strip and leave your yukata and big towel. All you take inside is your small towel. Inside the onsen (please use your inside voices) you will first use a bucket with water to clean yourself before getting into the onsen. I watched some Japanese women who just knelt on the side and gently poured water over themselves. You can take your little towel and put it on your head while you sit in the onsen and use it after to pad yourself dry.
How long to stay in the onsen? That depends on both the water temperature and how many onsen you want to visit in a day. It takes a while to get to all nine… As a souvenir or prove that you made it, you can buy a little piece of fabric everywhere and stamp it at each onsen. This way you can commemorate your good fortune after visiting all of them.
I did not make it. Getting out of my clothes, into the bath, out of the bath, back into my clothes… I simply didn’t find it relaxing after a few so I decided to use my private onsen at Kokuya instead. Many ryokans in town have their own so it is worth checking it out, also if you are traveling with your partner.
Can I go into an onsen when I have tattoos? The answer is usually no. However, some places sell stickers to cover tattoos for an onsen visit but this will obviously depend on how big yours are. Most public onsen are a no-go for people with tattoos however you can definitely use the private ones at your ryokan.
Day Trip to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
My main reason for coming to Shibu Onsen was its proximity to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. All I wanted for my birthday was to play with see baby snow monkeys. The so-called snow monkeys are actually Japanese macaques and are the most northern-living monkeys in the world. While I have seen plenty of monkeys and apes including gorillas and orangutans, I realized how odd it was to see a monkey in the snow.
The Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park has been around since 1964 when a local man started to feed monkeys who came down from the mountains. Just like humans, monkeys like to sit in a hot onsen, and what better than to have a snack while you are at it?! Regular food meant more monkeys and eventually, it became a business.
One can argue the ethics of feeding wildlife for sure, but while it has become a tourist attraction, it is honestly one I don’t mind. I have read mixed reports on rangers chasing monkeys to come to the onsen for tourists but have not seen that myself.
You can either organize your own trip or do a tour of the Snow Monkey Park. I did the latter and had an amazing guide, Tamio, who told me so many interesting facts about Japan and the snow monkeys. He also functioned as my personal photographer when we got to the monkeys and showed me to the local beer and sake brewery for refreshments afterward.
Alternatively, you can just take the bus from Yudanaka station. It takes 15 minutes to get to the Snow Monkey Park. From the parking lot, you will need to walk approximately 1.8 km to the entrance. The walk isn’t difficult as such but you should have proper shoes when the ground is snowy. You can rent gear if needed.
Once you have made your way through the winter wonderland you will get your ticket. It costs ¥800 (only $5) and if you book a tour that is included.
After that, you can stay as long as you want with the monkeys (in the winter months from November to March the park is open from 9 am to 4 pm). I recommend you come at 10 am or 2 pm when it is feeding time.
And yes, you want to make sure to go when it is cold and preferably snowing. When it gets too warm, fewer monkeys come down the mountain as they don’t want to sit in bathtub warm water. If you are unsure what the monkey situation is like you can check out the Jigokudani Monkey Park live cam before.
Visitors will gather around the onsen to watch and take pictures of the monkeys. While it could have been a bit more snowy for my liking, I absolutely loved it. Yes, the area is small and yes, there are other tourists but I personally could have watched them for hours (and I kind of did). And of course, them being Japanese monkeys, they are very well behaved especially compared to their Thai or Indonesian cousins. I wouldn’t have minded a cheeky monkey baby jumping on my shoulder.
How to get to Shibu Onsen, Nagano
Getting to Shibu Onsen may seem a bit complicated and even though there are three modes of transport involved it is really not. So please, don’t let that deter you!
First, you will need to get to Nagano. Nagano is a city in the province with the same name and the station is aptly called Nagano Station.
How to get to Shibu Onsen from Tokyo: You will start your trip at Tokyo Station and board the Shinkansen. From Tokyo to Nagano, you can take the Hokuriku Shinkansen for example and the trip will take about 1.5 hours. You can use your JP Rail Pass or buy an individual ticket that will cost around ¥8000 (about $50) for an unreserved ticket.
How to get to Shibu Onsen from Kyoto: Coming from Kyoto you will need to switch trains at least once. You could take the Thunderbird to Tsuruga and then the Hokuriku to Nagano. Alternatively, you take the Tokaido-Sanyo to Nagoya and then the Shinano Express to Nagano.
Confused? Don’t be. Honestly, just put your departure city into Google Maps and add Nagano Station as your destination and it will show you all the different options including travel times and prices.
Once you have made it to Nagano Station you will need to switch to a local train, the Nagano-Dentetsu Line to Yudanaka. You will need to exit the station completely and take an escalator going down on your right with a sign – this is the way. If you get lost just ask at the information counter, everyone is very nice and yes, they speak English and know that tourists want to get to the Snow Moneky Park.
You buy a ticket for ¥1,190 ($7.50) at the counter, again they are used to tourists and hop on the next train. It takes just over an hour to get to Yudanaka. This ticket is not covered by your Rail Pass.
Now you have almost made it. To get from Yudanaka to Shibu Onsen, most hotels will pick up their guests from the station. Alternatively, there is a bus from Yudanaka station or you could even walk – it is a nice 30-minute stroll.
The best time to visit Shibu Onsen
Whether you ski or not, winter is the time to be in Shibu Onsen. It is a lot more fun to go into an onsen when it is cold outside and the town looks so magical when there is snow. And if you are going to see the snow monkeys, you will want snow. They don’t really like to sit in a hot onsen either when it is warm outside.
That said, there are chances for snow and cold weather any time from November onwards and it lasts until March. I was there on March 7th and we even got some fresh snow while I was in town.
I am sure Shibu Onsen is pretty in summer as well but to me, this is much more a winter destination.
How long to stay in Shibu Onsen
Most people only stay one night in Shibu Onsen. To be honest, I am not sure if that is due to the ryokan prices or because there is technically not that much to do. I was happy to have two nights which made the long-ish travel time worth it. It also meant I had more time to attempt bathing in all nine onsen and to spend hours with the snow monkeys.
Packing essentials
Taking trains in Japan you want to travel light. And when you are staying at a ryokan you really won’t need much. You will get all your bathroom essentials and usually pajamas too. In addition, you will get a yukata and geta shoes as well as an overcoat for going to the onsen. Yukata means bathing cloth and is pretty much a cotton robe you wear to the onsen.
Admittedly the geta shoes are something to get used to and I ended up wearing my boots lest I would stumble and twist my ankle.
On that note: yes, bring boots and warm clothes for adventuring. However, you can rent almost anything at the entrance of the Snow Monkey Park and honestly, the road is not bad even when covered with snow.
Where and what to eat in Shibu Onsen?
Staying at a ryokan means you will get to enjoy a feast too. The food at Kokuya was no exception. You will get traditional kaiseki, multi-course meals with seasonal and regional ingredients. A nice touch: you get an English menu so you know what you are eating. Sushi, wagyu hot pot, little delicacies too pretty to eat – make sure to order some delicious plum wine with your meal.
For lunch there are a few different restaurants in town though, to be honest, the selection is not huge. In addition to the amazing Japanese vending machines where you can buy yourself hot water, there are a few little stores. Perfect to get a snack or a sneaky bottle of plum wine for after dinner.
There is also a bakery where you can get the famous snow monkey buns, a cute and edible souvenir from your trip to Shibu Onsen! If you are not one for sweets, get an onsen egg from the little hot spring in front of Kokuya. There is an honesty box to pay for them and even a sign telling you when the next batch will be ready to eat.
More trips & tips in Japan:
WHAT TO EAT IN HIROSHIMA – A FOOD TOUR TO TRY IT ALL!
NO LOST IN TRANSLATION – THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING TO JAPAN.
