Overall Ratings & Reviews Matsuya Ryokan

The staff is welcoming and kind, this is a family run business for 6 generations! The half board breakfast and dinner are exceptional, kaiseki style and every dish is presented beautifully. The location is right on the ometesando, lots of foot traffic but quiet. Futons are comfortable. We loved our stay and want to go back!

Lovely stay at a traditional ryokan (at least I think so, it was the only ryokan we stayed at). Great location very close to Zenkoji Temple - this place is within the temple area and was even the Zenkoji Main Hall in the past. We had the dinner one night, which was an impressive feast! But maybe a bit much for my kids.

I just loved the Matsuya Ryokan. It’s run by a lovely couple that were so welcoming and warm to us all the time. The room was spacious, very clean and it gave us the full experience of Japanese living. The dos was small but enough to live the onsen experience too. There was a good coffee machine next to the reception where we had the best coffee in Japan so far. The Expresso that we are so used to in our country. The Ryokan is in the nicest area of Nagano, with all its lovely shops and at a 2 minute walk to the main temple. It was a lovely experience that I would recommend to other travellers.

Very nice ryokan to stay. Friendly and helpful staff.

A fantastic traditional ryokan within steps of the Zenkoji Temple. The owners and staff were delightful and we felt as though we were living in a family home. We stayed in room 16 on half board and are so glad we did. There are plenty of places to eat in the area but the food we were served in the ryokan were as good as anything we ate in 3 weeks in Japan. Nagano is a lovely town and a welcome change from Tokyo. Don’t forget to visit the Snow Monkeys - the highlight of our trip.

Situated right next to the Zenkōji temple. Up a slope so if you’re coming with heavy luggage, I would recommend the bus or taxi from Nagano station. Has a nice traditional breakfast option. There is a dinner option too but you’ll need to reserve one day in advance, or at the very least, in the morning at breakfast time. There is a public bath within the building itself but it’s pretty small, however given that it’s a small guest house I don’t think it will matter. You would probably be able to use it whenever you want to. The rooms are cozy and very well appointed. Futon bed is laid out for you, and is taken away when you step down for breakfast so be mindful of that.

Top location for staying at Nagano city, it’s right next to the famous Zenkoji temple. Many good restaurants within walking distance. Guest service is top notch as well.

This is such a beautiful historic property. It’s within the Zenkoji temple area and a fantastic find. We had the Japanese style room. Beds are hard but we are getting used to them. Staff are so lovely. This is a lovely family business. I would love to come here again.

Staff were very helpful and pleasant. Traditional Japanese guesthouse with onsen. Great location near Zenko-ji temple. Good food options nearby. Very safe.

The staff was very friendly and the hotel is located on the same street as one of the main temples in the area. Very convenient.

Very authentic Japanese ryokan experience, authentic and delicious Japanese set meal breakfast, very lovely staff, and great English-speaking staff too, convenient location as it is close to Zenkoji temple and surrounding beautiful areas, also close to the bus-stop where you take the bus to other places such as Togakushi shrine or to Nagano station for the Shinkansen. Price was very reasonable for a ryokan in comparison to other places. Will definitely stay here again if I come back to Nagano (which I think I will as I loved Nagano) and if the price remains good!

Our stay at the Matsuya Ryokan was our first Japanese style accommodation. We stayed here with our two boys. The baths were really lovely. The staff was incredibly sweet. It was literally steps from the Zenkoji Temple, which was amazing to visit. It's on the street with tons of shops and restaurants. We regret not reserving dinner with them the night we were there, especially since restaurants close very early in the evening.

Great ryokan to stay at. Very close to the temple and dining district. Staff is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Had an incredibly nice stay here, from the friendly staff to the perfectly clean room, and delicious breakfast. You get tea and different snacks each day in your room, so if you're the type to want to take it easy inside sometimes on your trip, it's very nice to have some quiet time in your room and sip on tea and try the different local sweets they give you each day.

Stayed over the new year season and loved every bit of the ryokan and its surrounding area festivities. Room was spacious for 4, although it was abit difficult to open our 2 large luggages. Onsen was a bit small, just nice for 2-3 persons. Service was amazing and food served for dinner and breakfast was wonderful. Amazing for the price point. The surrounding area is right next to the main temple so the location was really convenient in terms of sightseeing and local delicacies. As we stayed over the festive period, the main bus route was closed. We had to take a much longer route upslope with our luggages, so be sure to check before hand! Overall, i really reccomend anyone who’s looking to stay at a ryokan for good food and a would want to immerse in the local culture. 11/10!

Staff really friendly. Perfect for families and for who wants to experience the traditional Japanese life.

Very friendly and a lovely experience.

Great little public bath. Very kind owners.

We thought this ryokan was amazing! The location is perfect, in the center of old Nagano and a few minutes walk from the temple (convenient to attend the early morning prayer). The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. The Japanese breakfast was phenomenal; we didn't try the dinner as we asked for it too late. Note that you need to give the hotel a few days advance notice for meals; they didn't ask us proactively if we were interested in them. The staff was able to recommend other local restaurants for dinner, which was great too. Overall, we loved our stay and wish we could have stayed longer.

My stay far exceeded my expectations. The location and accessibility are excellent. The surrounding are spectacular and basically part of the Temple and most importantly the hotel was spotless and the staff were exceptionally friendly. I was very happy and grateful for my stay. I highly recommend. Rodney-