ZEN Hostel in Yamanouchi

The hostel is in a convenient location near Yudanaka station which has a public onsen (plus a foot bath) and access to the shuttle buses to all the snow resorts in the area and Snow Monkey Park. Our private room was spacious and had a nice view over the mountains. The shared bathrooms were clean and easy to use. It has multiple individual showers in which has a small change area then the actual shower. The staff was helpful and quick to reply if you send them a message about any problems. The only downside was the futon in the private room. Each guest is given one futon and if you are used to sleeping on soft mattresses, this won’t feel too comfortable for you. A fix is stacking more futons on top of each other.

I had dinner there a while back in 2017 but thought the decore was modern and nice. Staff were friendly and food pretty good. From memory there was limited places open at night nearby but its a great little town :-)

Nice traditional building in beautiful surroundings. Went there in wintertime, so it can be a bit cold, but still ok. Nice fireplace downstairs to keep you warm. Beds are equipped with curtains and are comfortable.

Staying for 1 night in Zen hostel, good stay with a cheap price. Booked 1 room for ourselves (not the sharing room). Good traditional Japanese room, but we can still feel the cold inside the room. The way to the shower room feels cold without warm clothing (maybe a slipper could help). The lock is a little tricky (still left a little gap between the sliding door).

Oh they have lounge for people to commune, and a little Japanese garden

Nice stay for a 1 night, as we mostly do activities outdoor.

Hosts are super nice! Rooms are spacious however as a westerner I've still not grown used to sleeping on mats... I'm also a side sleeper so I may be biased. Definitely a great place to stay!

We came for a couple of days in early March and this area was a definite highlight of our trip! Perhaps it was off season, but it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Staff was friendly and helpful. Overall the quaint and peaceful vibe of the area really sat well with my smalltown heart compared to the hustle and bustle of the metro areas of Tokyo.