Kashiwaya Honten | Bessho Onsen

About us

Welcome to Bessho Onsen.
This hot spring resort is located in Ueda, the centre of between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Ideally situated for easy access, it can be reached from Tokyo in only 90 minutes by train.
Ueda Castle, occupied approximately 400 years ago by Sanada Yukimura,one of Japan's most famous Samurai, nurtured the development of history and culture in the surrounding castle town.
You can experience Not only there are many valable and histrical culturel assest can be found also a variety of pleasures and activities to be experienced each season, such as taking in the local seasonal landscape in open air baths, picking seasonal fruits and skiing and other sports in the winter in the city.
It is noteworthy that Nagano's famous sightseeing areas such as Hakuba, Karuizawa, and Matsumoto can all be reached in approximately one hour by car from Ueda city as well as connected by public transportations.
Snow monkey or Shopping in Karuizawa also easily accessible.

1,400-year-old historical hot spring resort of Bessho Onsen is traditionally called 'Sacred Onsen resort blessed by the Sun & the Land' is located only 30 minutes by local train from Ueda sta.
A lot of tourists visit all year round for its excellent quality of hot spring water, as well as for the spiritual and traditional temples and shrines that offer an elegant Japanese feel with real local wind.
Kashiwaya Honten suggests your unforgettable stay for enjoying Japanese experiences by relaxing with hot springs, dining on Kaiseki cuisine with local ingredients, and real Japanese night wering Yukata and sleeping on tatami mat with Japanese Ryokan atmosphere.

Access

・Tokyo to Ueda : Approx.90min by Hokuriku Shinkansen.
・Nagoya to Ueda : Approx.210min by Shinano Liited Express and Shinano Tetsudo Line.
・Kanazawa to Ueda : Approx.100min by Hokuriku Shinkansen.
・Ueda to Bessho Onsen st. : Approx.30min by Bessho Local Line.

Sightseeing

Bessho Onsen was written about in the 10th century in the famous Japanese historical collection of essays, The Pillow Book.
Of course, there are more several historical backgrounds or legends in this region.
Therefore, One thousand years later and Bessho Onsen is still a beloved place where visitors can relax in peace while gazing out over the lush mountains and rural landscape.
Although located near Tokyo, here one can appreciate the wonders of rural Japan and the beauty of the seasons' changing colors.

Spring
The Castle Blooming with Sakura

Japan's most well-known flower, Sakura, is used in Ueda city's logo. Every year in mid-April, 400,000 visitors come to the Ueda Castle Senbon Sakura Festival, where 1,000 Sakura trees blossom throughout the castle grounds and are admired by festival-goers with a beer in one hand and some Takoyaki or Yakitori in the other. Udon and Tempura dishes made using the wild vegetables found only in this area are also valuable to taste.
Summer
The Sun and the Green Land

During the day, the warm sunlight bathes the land, and hikers and trekkers admire the rural landscape of mountain roads surrounded by sparkling green mountains and rice paddies. Just quietly hear the sound of the night. Chirping and whirring of insects all your around. John Lennon's favored summer resort, Karuizawa, is only one hour away by car.
Autumn
Glitter of Golden Harvest

The picturesque mountains colored red and yellow is a wondrous sight. Almost as if all the ancient village has worn brilliant party dress. The 1200 year-old Aizen katsura tree's leaves turn yellow; the trees near Shogunzuka change to crimson; and many other trees besides display their bright colors to the passerby. The rice paddies ready for harvest reflect the sun's rays and paint the countryside with a golden hue. Surely the harvest in autumn makes a lot of seasonal local vegetables and mushrooms that give you an great appetite.
Winter
Pleasant Sensation of a Brisk Morning

Winter season brings an enjoyable crisp coldness and on rare occasions presents a snowscape of purity and elegance. Definitely, this is the best season to soak our remarkable quality of Onsen. Just make your body warm, make you feel your heart warm. Tourists can enjoy the season skiing and doing winter sports at Ueda city's ski resort. Jigokudani Yaen-koen well known for Onsen bathing Snow monkeys are only 90 minutes away by car.

The closest ryokan to Kitamuki-Kannon temple

Kashiwaya Honten is located in the most popular tourist area at Bessho Onsen, along a back road to the Kitamuki-Kannon temple, which is known as a spiritual 'power spot'.
It is a rarity in Nagano prefecture: a small and high quality ryokan.
We provide facilities and cuisine which allow you to fully experience the feeling of Japan's four seasons, and our top quality service has been highly regarded by our customers for a very long time.
The ryokan is split into a main building and a side building, and has 15 individual rooms.
Check out is at 12 o' clock. We allow guests to stay for longer periods than any other ryokan at Bessho Onsen.
Choose from four kinds of room

Our comfortably designed guest rooms are separated in two, with a main room and a side room.
You can choose from four types of room.
The baths in all of the rooms are supplied with natural water from the onsen using the traditional circulation method.
You can choose a room with an open air bath, an indoor onsen bath, or a shower room.
Additionally, 5 of the rooms have Western-style beds, and all have WiFi.
We hope that all of our guests can experience the sense of mindfulness and positive mood of a traditional Japanese space.
In a calm environment of tatami and sliding doors, you can enjoy the special views associated with each season.
A traditional Japanese banquet

Our five chefs use local seasonal ingredients to prepare traditional Japanese meals, with a menu that changes monthly.
You can choose from three levels of cuisine; the highest grade includes a large number of different dishes and uses superior ingredients in the starters and mains.
We strive to serve our food in the most delicious way, with the warm and cold dishes kept at the perfect temperature, and we hope that here too you will feel our commitment to excellent service.
You can enjoy your meals at a dining table in your own room.
Our pre-dinner local sake tastings are also popular. Please inform us of any food allergies when you order.
Four different baths.
Reserved baths let you enjoy some private time.

Bessho Onsen, one of the oldest in Nagano prefecture, gushes forth from beneath Kitamuki-Kannon.
As well as warming your body through to the bones, the onsen is known far and wide for its water's positive effects on the skin.
There are four bathing places at Kashiwaya Honten, and of these one can be reserved. You can reserve one 40 minute session there for free when you arrive.
You can also book in advance if you have a preferred time.
Of our 15 rooms, 10 have their own baths, so you can soak in the onsen as many times as you like, 24 hours a day.
Making your stay comfortable with thoughtful service

We offer various services:
● Bessho Onsen station pick up and drop off
Arrival: We offer a free shuttle bus to the ryokan between 2 and 5 pm, matching the arrival times of the train.
Departure: We will drop you off at Bessho Onsen station at whatever time you choose.
● Hand luggage delivery
If you hand over your luggage at Ueda station on the Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line, we can have it delivered to the ryokan.
We can also send it from the ryokan to Ueda station when you leave.
● We accept credit card payments