Overview

Slow down beside the Chikuma River at Hotel Seifuen, a long-established ryokan in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen. From the large windows, gardens, and outdoor spaces, you can take in the river, surrounding mountains, and the changing colours of Shinshu throughout the year.

Hotel Seifuen has welcomed travellers beside the Chikuma River for more than 90 years. Its spacious Japanese garden, natural hot springs, seasonal Shinshu cuisine, and traditional rooms create a restful setting away from busy city life.

Three hot spring sources rise within the grounds, supplying generous amounts of natural water to the bathing areas. You can move between indoor and open-air baths, enjoy a private soak, walk through the garden, or rest beside the river as the pace of your day begins to slow.

Accommodation

Hotel Seifuen has 63 rooms divided between the main building and the Seiryutei annex. Most rooms follow a Japanese design, with tatami flooring, low furniture, wide windows, and space to sit together before futon bedding is prepared for the night. Japanese-Western and Western-style rooms are also available when you prefer raised beds.

Every room in Seiryutei faces the Chikuma River. Standard rooms on the second and third floors have a 12.5-tatami layout and a shower booth. Rooms on the fourth and fifth floors combine a 10-tatami Japanese room with a separate twin bedroom, giving you traditional living space and the convenience of beds.

In the main building, standard Japanese rooms have around 12.5 tatami mats and look towards either the Chikuma River or the Japanese garden. Upper-floor Japanese rooms offer the same generous tatami layout with elevated river or garden views. You can also choose a Japanese-Western room with a 10-tatami area and twin bedroom, or a Western-style twin room.

For a more spacious stay, the main-building special room combines a large living room, an eight-tatami Japanese room, and a separate twin bedroom. Located on the sixth floor, it overlooks the Chikuma River and gives you plenty of space to spend time together.

Bathrooms and shower facilities depend on the room category. The listed room types are non-smoking, and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

Dining

Dinner introduces you to the flavours of Shinshu through local ingredients, seasonal vegetables, and carefully prepared Japanese dishes. The menus change throughout the year, allowing spring, summer, autumn, and winter produce to shape each meal.

You can expect a multi-course dining experience that moves through delicately presented dishes, sashimi, cooked courses, and a final rice dish. Each plate focuses on the natural character of the ingredients rather than heavy seasoning.

Private dining rooms are available for selected meal arrangements, giving you a more personal setting in which to enjoy dinner. A separate children’s meal can also be prepared for younger travellers.

Begin your morning with a Japanese breakfast buffet in the top-floor dining area. More than 30 dishes are prepared for breakfast, and wide windows let you look out across the Chikuma River while you eat.

Onsen and Wellness

Hotel Seifuen draws its hot spring water from three sources within the grounds. The alkaline simple spring has a pH level of 8.65 and feels gentle against the skin. This type of water has long been known as a “beauty bath” because its mild alkalinity helps leave the skin feeling smooth after bathing.

The water is 100% natural, and every hot spring bath outside the accommodation rooms receives free-flowing source water. The shared bathing areas open in the afternoon and again early the following morning, with the men’s and women’s sides changing at 5:00 a.m. This allows you to experience both main bath settings during an overnight stay.

Manten-no-Yu has a spacious indoor bath, an open-air bath, and a sauna. Large bathing areas give you room to stretch out, while the outdoor setting brings you closer to the fresh air and seasonal scenery.

Sazare-no-Yu offers an indoor bath, an open-air bath, a pot bath, a sauna, and a reclining bath with massage jets. You can move between different temperatures and bathing styles as you unwind. The bathing facilities also include a cold-water bath for cooling down after the sauna.

For a quieter soak, choose from three free-flowing private baths: Ichi-no-Yu Tsubaki, Ni-no-Yu Kaede, and San-no-Yu Hagi. Each has a different size and atmosphere. Advance reservation is required, and each bathing session lasts 45 minutes.

The foot bath sits within the Japanese garden. You can warm your feet while looking towards the trees and feeling the breeze from the Chikuma River. During colder months, it offers an easy way to warm up without entering the main bathing areas.

Guests with Tattoos

Hotel Seifuen has shared indoor baths, open-air baths, saunas, and a cold-water bath. If you have tattoos, use one of the three reservable private hot spring baths rather than the shared bathing areas.

Facilities

The 2,000-square-metre Japanese garden ranks among the largest in the area. Walking paths lead you past trees, seasonal flowers, fresh spring leaves, and autumn colours. The garden also contains the foot bath, where you can sit outside and enjoy the river breeze.

THE Library offers books connected with Shinshu, including history books, essays, photography collections, and works on traditional performing arts. Soft background music creates a comfortable setting for reading between baths or before dinner.

For a livelier evening, Hotel Seifuen has ten karaoke rooms in different sizes, including rooms with sunken seating. Some rooms can accommodate larger groups, and reservations follow a first-come, first-served system.

You can also enjoy a game of table tennis in the multipurpose hall. The same hall can support meetings and organised gatherings, while additional large and small meeting rooms are available elsewhere in the property.

The shop carries Shinshu specialities, regional products, locally delivered foods, small gifts, and personal-care items. Free Wi-Fi covers the rooms and public areas, while computers in the lobby provide another way to access the internet.

Private dining rooms, large and small meeting spaces, limited rental plug adapters and voltage converters, and parking are also available.

Activities

Take an unhurried walk through the Japanese garden, soak your feet beneath the trees, or bring a book to THE Library for a quiet afternoon. Table tennis and karaoke give you more active ways to spend time together without leaving the property.

Togura Kamiyamada Onsen also changes with the seasons. Spring brings apricot blossoms, while summer includes local festivals and fireworks. Autumn is a good time for fruit picking, and the cooler winter months invite you to spend more time in the hot spring baths.

The area has long welcomed travellers returning from pilgrimages to Zenkoji Temple. Hotel Seifuen provides a comfortable base when you want to combine the historic temple with an overnight hot spring stay.

Additional Features

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, and towels are provided in the shared bath areas. You can arrange a complimentary transfer from Togura Station in advance, and parking is available when you arrive by car.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed in limited numbers, while children’s yukata are available in several sizes. Limited plug adapters and voltage converters can also be requested during your stay.