Otari Onsen Okunoyu Amakazari-so

Amakazari-so, located deep in the mountains of Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture. This accommodation closes for the winter season from mid-November, but it offers an unexpectedly wonderful onsen and a dinner featuring carefully selected local ingredients, providing great satisfaction. The spring water from Mount Amakazari is exceptional as well. The autumn foliage around Omaru Falls and Kamaike Pond during this season is stunning, making it an accommodation worth visiting.

I visited to see the autumn leaves at Tsugaike Nature Park in October and found this accommodation while browsing their website, so I made a Reservation. Initially, I imagined it as a simple mountain lodge for climbing Mt. Amakazari, but it far exceeded my expectations in a good way.First of all, the food is incredibly delicious! While not overly luxurious, the seasoning perfectly matched our taste preferences. The dishes seemed to be skillfully prepared using fresh local ingredients. We ordered a course with a sake tasting set and enjoyed four varieties of sake, each unique and flavorful. (Personally, my favorite was "Otari Nishiki," which was highly recommended.) Additionally, you can grate authentic fresh wasabi yourself to enjoy with sashimi, soba noodles, or ochazuke—this was another highlight.The service is attentive and polite; chatting with the staff added to the enjoyment of our stay.The bath area has slightly limited washing spaces but offers excellent hot water. The outdoor bath had such perfect water temperature that I could soak endlessly. After bathing, complimentary cold local milk is provided—a nice touch.There’s also an open-air bath surrounded by nature about 100 meters outside the building. Although signs on-site indicate usage hours from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, guests were seen enjoying it early in the morning as well.The exterior appearance and interior facilities—including guest rooms and elevators—are all clean and seem recently renovated or well-maintained. However, one downside is that there are many stink bugs; we borrowed tape from reception to deal with them extensively. Since it's located in the mountains this might be unavoidable—but if you dislike insects strongly—it may be better visiting during another season!Additionally—as they share management ties w/ Tsugaike Nature Park—you can purchase discounted combo tickets (gondola + ropeway + park entry) for ¥3，500 instead-of regular ¥4，000 price saving money! It takes around 30–40 minutes by car reaching gondola station near base allowing last-minute weather-check before buying tickets!