Overview

Discover more than 120 years of hospitality at Hotel Nakamuraya, a long-established hotel close to JR Shiojiri Station. Since opening in 1903, it has welcomed you to the centre of Shinshu with Japanese-style rooms, Western rooms, communal baths, and a spacious interior built around a seasonal courtyard.

The location makes it easy to explore Shiojiri, Matsumoto, the Kiso Valley, and the former Nakasendo route. You can visit local wineries, walk through historic post towns, or see one of Japan’s finest original castles before returning to a quiet room near the station.

Hotel Nakamuraya is a city hotel rather than a traditional hot spring ryokan, but Japanese touches remain part of your stay. You can sleep on tatami and futons, wear a yukata, enjoy a Japanese breakfast, and relax in a shared bath at the end of the day.

Accommodation

You can choose from seven room categories: Semi-Double, Standard Twin, Double, Japanese-Style, Superior Twin, Deluxe Twin, and Wonderful Twin. Every room is non-smoking, and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the accommodation floors.

The 13-square-metre Semi-Double Room has a 120-centimetre bed and provides a practical setting when you are travelling alone or sharing a shorter stay. The 21-square-metre Double Room gives you a wider 150-centimetre bed, while the 24-square-metre Standard Twin Room has two separate beds and more floor space.

The Japanese-Style Room has a ten-tatami layout with low furniture and futon bedding. This is the best choice when you want a more traditional stay or need space to sit together on the tatami.

The Superior Twin upgrades the standard twin design with a more refined interior and a larger bathtub. The Deluxe Twin offers a spacious layout with two Simmons beds and works well when you want extra room to relax.

The Wonderful Twin suits a family stay or time away with friends. It combines two Simmons beds with bunk beds, giving you a flexible sleeping layout without placing everyone in separate rooms.

All Western-style rooms use Simmons mattresses. Room equipment includes a television, empty refrigerator, electric kettle, hairdryer, LAN connection, towels, yukata, slippers, shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. Bathroom and toilet arrangements depend on the category.

You can borrow useful items such as a mobile phone charger, trouser press, humidifier, blanket, sewing kit, and nail clippers. An amenity bar near the first-floor elevator provides additional personal-care items.

Dining

Begin your morning with the Shinshu “Best Selection” Japanese breakfast at Restaurant Kikyo. Natural morning light fills the dining room while you enjoy dishes made with ingredients and flavours connected with Nagano.

The signature morning curry is prepared with Shinshu Premium Beef and a touch of Shiojiri wine. Other regional dishes include Shinshu salmon grilled with salted rice malt, Nozawana pickles, a kanten salad, and mushrooms simmered in a lightly seasoned sauce.

Freshly cooked Nagano rice is served with miso soup made using traditionally brewed Shinshu miso from a long-established Matsumoto producer. Simmered aubergine and delicate vegetable dishes complete a balanced start to the day.

Hotel Nakamuraya focuses on breakfast rather than regular lunch and dinner service. Shiojiri Station and the surrounding streets place local restaurants, izakaya, soba shops, and wine bars within easy reach.

Onsen and Wellness

Hotel Nakamuraya does not have a natural hot spring. Instead, you can use separate shared bathing areas for men and women on the second floor.

The men’s bathing area includes a cypress bath. The natural scent and warm texture of the wood create a distinctly Japanese bathing experience after sightseeing or a long train journey. The women’s bathing area provides a separate shared bath in a refreshed setting.

The baths open during the afternoon and evening before reopening in the morning. There are no open-air baths, saunas, or reservable private baths.

Guests with Tattoos

You can use the shared bathing areas when your tattoos remain fully covered. Please keep them concealed throughout your time in the baths.

Facilities

The spacious lobby overlooks a Japanese courtyard that changes with the seasons. You can sit here after arrival, meet before heading out, or take a quiet break between sightseeing trips.

The first-floor service corner is useful during a longer stay. You can use coin-operated washing and drying machines, a microwave, an ice machine, and local sightseeing materials. A drink vending machine and designated smoking area are available on the second floor.

Hotel Nakamuraya has four banquet and event spaces for meetings, celebrations, memorial gatherings, and group meals. The largest hall can support sizeable organised events, while smaller rooms provide a more personal setting.

Two nearby parking areas provide space for cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks. An electric vehicle rapid charger is available in the first parking area. You can also arrange a rental car directly through the property when you want to explore Shinshu by road.

Free Wi-Fi covers every room, and the front desk can provide luggage storage, rental items, local maps, and sightseeing information. Support and enquiries are primarily handled in Japanese.

Activities

Shiojiri is one of Japan’s best-known wine-producing areas. You can visit nearby wineries such as Alps Wine, Goichi Wine, Shinano Wine, and Izutsu Wine to discover wines made from local grapes, including the region’s well-known Merlot and Niagara varieties.

Travel into the Kiso Valley to walk through Narai-juku, a former Nakasendo post town lined with preserved wooden buildings. The long historic street gives you a vivid sense of how merchants, pilgrims, and samurai once travelled between Kyoto and Edo.

Matsumoto Castle is an easy day trip by train. You can enter one of Japan’s remaining original castle towers, explore the grounds, and continue into Matsumoto’s old streets, museums, and cafés.

Closer to Shiojiri, Hiraide Ruins introduces you to settlements dating from the Jomon period through the Heian period. Reconstructed houses help you picture daily life across thousands of years of local history.

For wide mountain views, visit Takabocchi Plateau. On a clear day, you may see Lake Suwa, the Japanese Alps, and Mount Fuji. The plateau is especially known for sunrise, sunset, and night-sky scenery, although seasonal road conditions can affect access.

Additional Features

Hotel Nakamuraya combines a three-minute walk from JR Shiojiri Station with Japanese and Western rooms, Simmons beds, communal bathing, a regional Japanese breakfast, free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, parking, and on-site car rental.

All accommodation rooms are non-smoking. A separate smoking space is provided inside the building, and the second parking area can accommodate larger vehicles.