Overview

Step into the peaceful rhythm of Bessho Onsen at Nanakusa no Yu, a 16-room ryokan surrounded by the historic temples and countryside of Shinshu. Tatami flooring extends throughout the building, allowing you to leave your shoes behind and experience the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional Japanese inn from the moment you arrive.

The ryokan takes its inspiration from the small wildflowers that grow beside the path to Anrakuji Temple. This idea shapes a stay built around gentle hospitality, seasonal cuisine, thoughtful details, and one of the oldest hot spring traditions in Nagano.

You can walk to Kitamuki Kannon in around three minutes and Anrakuji Temple in around five minutes. After exploring Bessho Onsen, return for views across the Shioda Plain, a free-flowing sulfur spring, and a carefully prepared Shinshu dinner.

Accommodation

Choose from Japanese rooms and Japanese-Western rooms, including two special rooms with private open-air hot spring baths. Large windows frame the rural landscape, the mountains around Ueda, and the lights of the city after sunset.

The two Deluxe Suite Rooms, Asagirisou and Komachisou, combine a 12-tatami Japanese room with a six-tatami bedroom. You also have an enclosed veranda, a sun deck, a shower room, and a massage chair. A round cypress open-air bath on the deck receives free-flowing natural spring water, allowing you to bathe privately whenever you choose. From the room and deck, you can look across the Shioda Plain towards the mountains around Asama and Sugadaira.

The Japanese-Western Semi-Suite combines a 12-tatami room with a six-tatami bedroom. An enclosed veranda and sun deck open the room towards the countryside, while a massage chair gives you another place to rest. This room has a shower room rather than a bathtub.

The Japanese-Western Modern Suite was renewed in March 2023. Its 15-tatami layout includes two semi-double beds and a massage chair, with wide views across the Shioda Plain and Ueda. Some rooms have a body shower, while others have a unit bath.

The Six-Tatami Twin Room combines a six-tatami Japanese room with a six-tatami bedroom. You also have an enclosed veranda and a private bathroom. For a fully traditional stay, the Standard Japanese Rooms offer either ten or 12 tatami mats, futon bedding, an enclosed veranda, and a private bathroom.

Every room is non-smoking and includes free Wi-Fi, a television, refrigerator, kettle, humidifier, hair dryer, yukata, towels, and toiletries. Tea, local sweets, and several types of pickles add a welcoming Shinshu touch when you settle into your room.

Dining

Seasonal kaiseki dining introduces you to the produce of Shinshu through colourful courses prepared with Japanese techniques. The menu changes with the seasons and may include A5-grade Shinshu black wagyu, Shinshu salmon, tender Shinshu chicken, freshwater fish, mountain vegetables, and locally grown produce.

Autumn brings one of the region’s most anticipated ingredients: fragrant matsutake mushrooms harvested around the Shioda Plain. Each course brings out the natural flavour of the ingredients rather than covering them with heavy seasoning.

Dinner is generally served in a private dining room, giving you space to enjoy each course at your own pace. Selected arrangements also allow dinner to be served in your room.

Breakfast is a Japanese set meal designed for a gentle start to the day. You can enjoy warm vegetables, an onsen egg, rice, soup, and small side dishes. The rice is Koshihikari grown by contracted farmers in the Shioda Plain.

Shinshu sake, locally produced wine, and carefully selected shochu are available to accompany dinner.

Onsen and Wellness

Bessho Onsen has welcomed bathers for around 1,400 years and is regarded as the oldest hot spring area in Shinshu. Its weakly alkaline water feels gentle against your skin and has long been known locally as a skin-beautifying spring.

The top-floor bathing areas look across the Shioda Plain and Ueda. You can watch the morning sun rise over the landscape or soak beside the lights of the valley after dark.

Separate bathing areas for men and women each include an indoor bath, an open-air bath, and a sauna. The sides do not switch during your stay. You can use the hot spring baths from 14:00 until 9:30 the following morning, while the saunas close at 22:30.

The water is classified as a simple sulfur spring with hypotonic, alkaline, and high-temperature qualities. It emerges at approximately 50.6°C and is almost colourless and clear, with the light mineral scent associated with hydrogen sulfide. You can also taste the spring water from the designated drinking outlet beside the bath.

The water is traditionally associated with easing fatigue, muscle and joint discomfort, sensitivity to cold, and stiffness after travel. After bathing, step onto the terrace to enjoy the night view, morning light, and fresh air above the town.

For more privacy, reserve the panoramic bath known as Chijo no Hoshizora. You can use this private bath for a 45-minute session between 14:00 and 21:00. The two Deluxe Suite Rooms also include private cypress open-air baths supplied with free-flowing spring water.

Guests with Tattoos

You cannot use the shared indoor baths, open-air baths, or saunas if you have tattoos. You can enjoy the spring water privately in the reservable panoramic bath or by choosing one of the two Deluxe Suite Rooms with its own open-air hot spring bath.

Facilities

Tatami flooring covers the interior of Nanakusa no Yu, creating a comfortable space where you can move around without outdoor shoes. Lounge Kusabana offers a place to sit and relax, with morning coffee available around check-out time.

Private dining rooms and larger banquet spaces accommodate meals for couples, families, and groups. The first-floor Michikusa shop sells Japanese accessories, rabbit-themed items, sweets, local sake, Nagano wine, and nostalgic textile artwork by Akiko Yamaguchi. A children’s play space is also available on the first floor.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building and in every room. All rooms are non-smoking, with a smoking room on the second floor and an outdoor smoking area on the first floor. Complimentary outdoor parking is available for up to 20 vehicles.

Activities

Bessho Onsen and the surrounding Shioda Plain are often called the Kamakura of Shinshu because of the temples, shrines, and cultural sites found across the area. Several leading sights are within an easy walk of Nanakusa no Yu.

Kitamuki Kannon is around three minutes away on foot. The temple faces north towards Zenkoji in Nagano and is known for its connection with protection from misfortune. Anrakuji Temple is around five minutes away and is home to Japan’s only surviving wooden octagonal three-storey pagoda, designated a National Treasure.

Continue your walk to Jorakuji Temple or Bessho Shrine, both around seven minutes away. You can also explore the three public bathhouses of Bessho Onsen, stop at the foot baths, or taste spring water from the dragon-shaped drinking fountains around town.

For a longer outing, visit Ueda Castle Ruins Park, around 20 minutes away by car. The former castle grounds are especially popular during the spring cherry blossom season and autumn foliage period. Ikushimatarushima Shrine can be reached in around 15 minutes by car.

Additional Features

Check-in begins at 14:00, and check-out is by 10:00, although times may differ between accommodation plans. Nanakusa no Yu is around a six-minute walk from Bessho Onsen Station.

A complimentary afternoon shuttle operates on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Additional pickup arrangements may be available at other times. Free outdoor parking is available when you arrive by car.

Your stay brings together 16 non-smoking rooms, free Wi-Fi, private dining spaces, free-flowing sulfur spring water, shared indoor and open-air baths, saunas, a reservable panoramic bath, and two rooms with private open-air hot spring baths.