BLOG

Located between Yudanaka Station and the Jigokudani Monkey Park, Shibu Onsen is a historic hot spring town boasting a 1300-year history. Blessed with numerous thermal water sources, the town has long...

The snow monkey area is regionally known as Kanbayashi Onsen and is home to several high-end Japanese style inns such as HOTEL SENJYUKAKU. It's the most nearby place to stay when wanting to visit the ...

GOEN offers casual Japanese dining directly opposite Yudanaka Station – the gateway to the Snow Monkey Park and Shiga Kogen. Serving great sushi, sashimi and other Japanese favorites including yakito...

One of the great joys of visiting any 'onsen' (hot spring) town in Japan is the feeling that you are stepping back in time. With their mix of tradition and (often) fading architecture, many onsen tow...

The decorative planting workshop is one where moss is used to create a living decoration in a glass bowl. This form of art derives from the age-old art of bonsai, an artform where a tree (usually a t...

Every year in the month of August the streets of Shibu Onsen are closed to traffic and open to all sorts of game stalls and activities. The entire town is one festival site. Walking along the narrow s...

Boasting a 1300-year history and numerous sources of thermal water, Shibu Onsen has long been regarded as a place of healing and refuge. Home to many traditional guesthouses, most of which have t...

Visiting and staying in a traditional ‘onsen’ (hot spring) town is something of a must-do activity when coming to Japan. Making use of Japan’s abundance of natural thermal water, many hot spring town...

As traditional hot spring towns, both Yudanaka Onsen and Shibu Onsen have natural thermal foot-baths that can be used by anyone, free of charge. Known as 'ashi-yu' in Japanese, they are often located ...