Overview

Enjoy complete privacy at Senshin-an, a whole-house hot spring villa in the forests of Hotaka Ariake. Only one group can stay each day, giving you the freedom to use the villa, garden, kitchen, hot spring, and shared living spaces without anyone outside your group.

The villa was renewed in January 2026 and now offers more than 200 square metres of indoor space. Current group plans accommodate up to 25 people, making Senshin-an suitable for a couple seeking extra space, an extended family holiday, a celebration, or a group retreat.

Traditional Japanese craftsmanship shapes the building. Skilled shrine and temple carpenters created the detailed timber framework, curved beams, tea room, and distinctive spiral staircase. Natural materials and changing daylight connect the interior with Azumino’s forests throughout the day.

Accommodation

Senshin-an follows a spacious 6LDK layout with several Japanese and Western sleeping areas. You can sleep in a double bed, use the sofa bed, or arrange futons across the tatami rooms. This flexible setup gives a large group space to stay together while keeping separate areas for sleep and relaxation.

The main living room gives you plenty of room to gather, while a second sitting room includes a traditional sunken kotatsu. You can enjoy meals in the large dining space, watch the 75-inch television, or spend quieter time in the authentic tea room.

A stone-paved corridor, hand-shaped timber details, decorative glass, and a spiral staircase built without metal fittings reveal the level of craftsmanship throughout the house. The tea room opens towards an inner courtyard, while the wooden deck gives you space to cool down after bathing and look at the night sky.

The detached Ariake annex adds an eight-tatami room and a six-tatami room for larger groups. It also includes its own private indoor hot spring bath, giving you another bathing space alongside the main villa’s semi-open-air rock bath.

Heating and air conditioning help you stay comfortable throughout the year. Free Wi-Fi, towels, toiletries, hair dryers, and bedding are provided. The interior is non-smoking, and pets cannot stay at the villa.

Dining

Senshin-an is primarily a self-catering stay, so you can prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner whenever it suits your plans. There are no fixed restaurant hours or standard meal services to shape your day.

The large kitchen includes a refrigerator, microwave, oven, toaster, rice cooker, electric kettle, coffee equipment, cooking hobs, pots, pans, utensils, plates, glasses, and cutlery. You can shop for fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, wasabi products, and other local ingredients around Azumino before returning to cook together.

The dining area gives a large group enough space to share meals comfortably. You can also enjoy an outdoor barbecue on the grounds when weather and property conditions allow.

For a special occasion, selected accommodation arrangements include a private chef who prepares dinner inside the villa. This lets you enjoy a fully catered meal while keeping the privacy of a whole-house stay.

Onsen and Wellness

Bathe whenever you choose in Senshin-an’s private semi-open-air hot spring. The large natural-stone rock bath has enough space for around six adults and remains available 24 hours a day.

The water comes from the Nakabusa Gorge area at the foot of the Northern Alps. It is classified as an alkaline simple hot spring, with a pH above 8.5. The smooth water is often called a beauty spring because its alkalinity can gently soften the outer layer of the skin.

The spring water flows directly into the bath without added heat or cold water. A continuous flow keeps the water fresh while allowing you to experience its natural temperature and mineral character.

Large openings connect the bathing space with the surrounding greenery, creating the feeling of an outdoor soak while keeping you partly sheltered. After bathing, step onto the wooden deck to cool down in the forest air.

The Ariake annex provides another private indoor bath with free-flowing natural spring water. Senshin-an does not have shared bathing facilities or a sauna.

Guests with Tattoos

You can use all hot spring baths at Senshin-an if you have tattoos. The villa, main semi-open-air bath, and annex bath are reserved entirely for your group, so there are no communal bathing restrictions.

Facilities

Senshin-an includes a large living room, sunken-kotatsu sitting room, dining area, complete kitchen, authentic tea room, inner courtyard, garden, wooden deck, barbecue area, and private hot spring baths. A 75-inch television and free Wi-Fi give you entertainment and connectivity during time indoors.

A washer and dryer are available for longer stays. Bathroom amenities include shampoo, conditioner, body soap, bath towels, face towels, toothbrushes, combs, hair ties, a Dyson hair dryer, and ReFa styling equipment.

Free outdoor parking is available for up to four vehicles. The villa does not provide a station shuttle, elevator, sauna, gym, restaurant, or daily housekeeping during a continuous stay.

Activities

You can shape your day without leaving the grounds. Begin with a private hot spring bath, prepare breakfast together, sit beside the inner courtyard, and spend the afternoon enjoying the garden or tea room. In the evening, share a barbecue before relaxing on the deck beneath the stars.

The traditional tea room gives you a setting for quiet conversation, meditation, or your own tea experience. Incense is also available, allowing you to choose a fragrance that suits the mood of your stay.

Beyond the villa, explore the art, water, farms, and mountain scenery of Azumino. The Mountain Art Museum is close by and displays works inspired by Japan’s alpine landscapes. You can also visit Hotaka Shrine, Daio Wasabi Farm, the Azumino Art Line, and Alps Azumino National Government Park.

Cycling routes lead through farmland, clear streams, wasabi fields, and views of the Northern Alps. For a longer outing, travel towards the mountain trails around Nakabusa Onsen, visit Kurobe Dam, or spend a day exploring Matsumoto Castle and the historic streets of Matsumoto.

Additional Features

Check-in begins at 15:00, and check-out is by 11:00. Self-check-in gives you greater flexibility when arriving later in the day.

Senshin-an offers one-group use, accommodation for groups of up to 25 people, a 6LDK layout, free Wi-Fi, parking for four vehicles, a complete kitchen, barbecue facilities, laundry equipment, and 24-hour private hot spring bathing. The entire indoor property is non-smoking, and pets are not accepted.

Senshin-an received the Booking Award at BEST OF MINPAKU 2026, recognising its private hot spring experience, traditional architecture, and whole-house setting in Azumino.