Welcome to Matsushiroya. This is a very cozy Minshuku and it first opened for business in 1804. With 8 Japanese-style rooms, Matsushiroya can accommodate up to 25 guests. All washroom and bathing facilities are shared among the guests. Traditional Japanese cuisine such as carp sashimi, grilled river fish, Japanese koya-dofu, (freeze-dried tofu), and Japanese tora soba (soba noodles with yam topping) are served. Attention: Matsushiroya is closed for business on Wednesdays.

Facilities

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Ryokan Reviews:

• Authentic and atmospheric

  Thomas

  Date of Review: March, 2020

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia/USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  This was a real highlight of our two week trip, half of which was spent trekking along various sections of the Nakasendo Trail. Our first day was the walk from Magome to Tsumago, which was very beautiful and fun, even in the rain (I recommend stopping at the Tateba Tea House for a cosy cup of tea!). Our host, the ninth generation in his family to run the traditional ryokan, was very friendly and attentive, always helping with our backpacks and providing umbrellas and lanterns for a night-time walk around the cute town of Tsumago. Both dinner and breakfast are traditional in nature, but also very tasty. Staying at this ryokan gives you a discounted ticket to the museums in town, and I highly recommend visiting them. Much bigger and cooler than we expected. In our opinion, the kerosene heaters only smell when first turned on and we did not notice any scent on our clothes or during the night.

• Back in time

  Kevin

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 2

  Unfortunately they use kerosene heaters in your room so you end up smelling, kerosene heater would not stay on all night, very cold

• Pleasant and relaxed stay

  Jeannette

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Very nice and attentive host. We were given a spacious room with a nice view. Authentic atmosphere. Small but pleasant bathing facilities (wooden bath). Delicious food. Long and warm overcoats to have a walk during chilly evenin. Our host was very helpful. He even walked us to the busstop the next day.

• Delightful ryokan with a very welcoming host.

  Peter

  Date of Review: September, 2019

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  It was a pleasure to stay in this well-maintained, comfortable, and traditional ryokan. We received a warm and generous welcome after our walk from Magome, and quickly relaxed into Matsushiroya's beautiful setting. The meals were beautifully presented, and delicious. We highly recommend Matsushiroya to those going to Tsumago.

• Authentic stay with delicious food

  Tina

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Germany

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We had a relaxing stay at Matsushiroya. The host was really nice and welcoming. It was a perfect experience to stay overnight in such an authentic atmosphere. In particular, the food was delicious.

• One of the highlights of our trip

  David

  Date of Review: July, 2019

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: Austria

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night (3 persons) and had the hotel for us alone. The facilities are great, the garden is wonderful, the rooms are clean and beautiful. The food was more than delicious, absolutely incredible. After dinner we walked a little through town with lanterns which was a nice experience. Breakfast was great again and the host was very friendly and accommodating. His English was also good enough for a little conversation, explanations about the food and to give us directions in the morning. Would absolutely recommend this stay to everyone!

• Fantastic Stay

  Julie

  Date of Review: July, 2019

  Month of Visit: July

  Country Of Reviewer: United Kingdom

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We had a fantastic night at the ryokan having walked a section of the Nakasendo Trail and the welcome that we received couldn't have been warmer. Dinner and breakfast were fantastic and the owner even offered to make our breakfast a little early as we were on the 0744 bus to Nagiso and then walked us to the bus stop. A truly fantastic night in a lovely, traditional ryokan, we would recommend this guesthouse to everyone. Thank you for making us so welcome.

• Relaxing Minshuku After Nakasendo

  Cheryl

  Date of Review: June, 2019

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Canada

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We had an absolutely fantastic one night stay at Matsushiroya after walking part of the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Tsumago. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities in the fabulously restored Edo-era post towns of the Kiso Valley. Matsushiroya was the best experience we had in Japan, followed closely with a ryokan we stayed at later in our trip for a wedding in the Kirishima area. Everything else was a distant third. Shirota-san was a very gracious and welcoming host. His family has been operating the Minshuku for nine generations. Needless to say we were VERY well taken care of! The food was very fresh and tasted amazing! We were stuffed after both dinner and breakfast! The rooms are spacious and the futons are thick and comfortable. The bath was perfect to relax in after a day of walking before dinner. Do not pass up walking around Tsumago after dinner with traditional lanterns. Absolutely magical!

• Attention to detail

  Eloise

  Date of Review: May, 2019

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: New Zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  If you only have one minshuku experience, make it Matsushiroya. The property is around 200 years old and every detail is beautiful. Traditional, stylish and immaculate - even down to the cedar bath tub. A wonderful base from which to explore the lovely town of Tsumago.

• The perfect choice

  Andrea

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Undoubtedly, in our personal perception Tsumago is better than Magome as choice for a night stay. Less crowded, more authentic. After dinner I had a walk outside completely alone in the village street. This ryokan was an amazing experience respecting the traditional japanese hospitality. Our room was spacious, the structure very beautiful and authentic. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, served in a private room. Moreover the owner was super kind in every detail and able to speak a decent english. We arrived at the ryokan around dinner time and we walked to Magome the day after, along the awesome old road thru the woods. Wonderful experience, wonderful stay.

• Claire

  Claire

  Date of Review: April, 2019

  Month of Visit: April

  Country Of Reviewer: French polynesia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Very nice Ryokan in a beautiful traditionnal village Our host speaks a reasonable english ( better than in some international hotel) and he is so friendly and helpful The dinner and breakfast are 100% japanese..very good and tasty The bathroom with a small but charming onsen in wood The japanese room is with heater if necessary. Don t miss the hiking Tsumago to Magome And I think that it is better in this direction ( to Magome) than the opposite( Magome to Tsumago) The tsumago village is more beautiful and more charming thanMagome witch is larger and crowded of tourists Access by train from Matsumoto or Nagano, stop at Nagiso then bys or taxi or walk (1h) It was a delicious step in this japanese trip

• A great experience

  Renato

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: Brazil

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night in this beautiful ryokan after hiking from Magome. The ryokan in itself is amazing. Great location, delicious food, comfortable futons. Being the only guests for that night made the experience even more special. We wish we stayed an additional night!

• Our favourite night in Japan

  Laura

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: United Kingdom

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Staying at Matsushiroya was amazing! It was our favourite night in Japan. The place itself is beautiful with a walkway to our room and a little garden and carp pond. The room was large and very clean and well kept. The best part about our stay was the hospitality. The owner was so attentive from the first moment we arrived - taking our bags into our room for us, asking what time we would like him to ready the bath for us. It was our first experience of a Japanese bath and we loved it. The dinner was one of the best we had in Japan - so many tasty dishes to try and they just kept on coming. Our favourite was the carp in a sticky sauce which was delicious! Our futons were laid our for us during dinner and put away during breakfast. The futons were really comfortable. We were given a lantern to carry for our short walk around Tsumago after dinner in our yukatas. Breakfast was also delicious and we were able to leave our bags there for a couple of hours after checking out. The owner even walked us to the bus stop when we were leaving. Can't recommend this place enough!

• Great food & service

  Ellen

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: California

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Really great ryokan. We thought the food was terrific. Quite light, fish-based. Lots of veg. Rooms were very nicely decorated. Charming garden. I was skeptical of the Japaneseguesthouses booking site, but we had no issue — our reservation was as expected when we arrived.

• Lovely Memories

  Lisa

  Month of Visit: March

  Country Of Reviewer: New Zealand

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We found Matsushiroya to be the most memorable place we stayed in our two weeks spent in Japan. And in all the best ways! We stayed on a Monday night after the hike from Magome, and were lucky enough to be the only guests. Our host was so attentive, and the room was comfortable and warm (the temperature outside had dropped to zero). The futon bedding there was the cosiest we found, and the meals were great. And of course, when you're there, you feel part of history! Highly recommend.

• Nakasendo adventure

  Robert

  Date of Review: February, 2018

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 4

  We were en route to Myoko for a skiing holiday and decided to add a night at Matsushiroya and the walk to Magome as a side trip to our holiday. We traveled up from Tokyo to arrive in plenty of time for our ban gohan (evening meal). This was an absolute treat, although our western joints struggled a little with the squat (our problem). A wide selection of courses including local specialties. The walk over the ridge to Magome was the other highlight. Some walking through snow but the weather was fine. Make sure you take tea in the rest house near the top of the range. And of course, ring the bells to keep the bears at bay. The only downside was that it was very cold as it was the middle of winter. The futons were fine but the run to the amenities had to be quick! The room heating was effective but cut out after 3 hours, necessitating a quick switch on during the night. No problem. Just an addition to the whole experience. All in all, a great experience. Many thanks to our host who was at all times extremely helpful. Other members of our ski trip plan to do this again next year!

• Stunning

  Bryan

  Date of Review: January, 2018

  Month of Visit: December

  Country Of Reviewer: Scotland and Singapore

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night in Tsumago (after one night in Narai at Minshuku Shimada which I also reviewed and can thoroughly recommend). Again, it was very cold at night outside when we were there but that only added to the atmosphere and did not stop me venturing out after dark in my yukata and lantern. No one else about, mind you. Hard to beat Tsumago in terms of beauty and atmosphere, although Mgome does well in the competition. As a result both places more geared towards tourists but still retain much authentic character and most definitely worth visiting. We took bus to Mgome and walked back along the Nakasendo Trail to Tsumago, about 9 km. A beautiful straightforward and not challenging walk through forest and over a few small inclines, despite us both separately slipping on the little ice there was! We were armed with little bells to alert the bears but as the wise man at the tea house on the Trail indicated - it was winter and they would be sleeping! We laughed, but continued to ring the bells just in case... Back to the ryokan. Once again a stunning traditional building and authentic experience of a traditional ryokan. Warm, professional hospitality and great food, both at dinner and breakfast. Another key highlight of our Christmas and New Year 2017/8 visit. We will definitely visit Kiso again, so much more still to see and experience.

• Authentic Experience

  Kelly

  Date of Review: September, 2017

  Month of Visit: August

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  I have visited this Ryokan 2 times and very much enjoyed myself both times. The museum in town is excellent. It is a merchant's home that frequently hosted visitors and travelers. After visiting the museum, it struck me that the Ryokan offered that same experience. It is not a luxurious place. Rather it is authentic. The food is delicious, the host is kind and warm, and it is a very old wooden building. The town is historic and charming. My first visit was in October and the second in August. There was a heater/ac in the room that was a helpful addition. Strongly recommend if you want a very unique and authentic experience. The host has wooden sandals and lanterns available at the front door. Both times I stayed we walked around the town in the dark after dinner in our Yukatas, super fun.

• Our best stay in Japan!!

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer: Italy

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  If you love Japanise culture, this is the place for you. I loved this ryokan, the place was very suggestive. Unfortunately, we had very bad weather and we walked from Tsumago to Magome under the rain but it's worth it anyway. The owner is very very kind and speaks english very well. He's very helpful for any need you may have. The food is excellent, both dinner (in private room) and breakfast were fantastic. The attention to details is unbelievable. Since I also received my engagement ring there, it will surely be a place I will never forget.

• Matsushiroya

  Month of Visit: June

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We were the only guests staying and were made to feel very welcome by our host. Matsushiroya had a lovely atmosphere and we felt cosy while the rain pelted down outside. Dinner and breakfast were superb meals though sitting on the floor was a challenge for two oldies!! The back rest helped. We were intrigued by the carp pond.

• Our favorite place in Japan

  Month of Visit: September

  Country Of Reviewer: The Netherlands

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We stayed one night at Matsushiroya in Tsumago, but it was the best night. What a wonderful place! The owner speaks English very well and he is very kind. The guesthouse is beautiful and gives you a unique atmosphere. Dinner and breakfast were great. I can really advice Matsushiroya to others. If you're there, be sure to walk from Tsumago to Magome. It's a beautiful 8km trip.

• Matsushiroya

  Month of Visit: October

  Country Of Reviewer:

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We love Tsumago and are pleased to have stayed at this ryokan. Wonderful experience, the owner is very helpful. Dinner and breakfast were very good.

• Old Japan in the best way

  Month of Visit: November

  Country Of Reviewer: USA

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  Even if the Matsushiroya hadn't been spotless, serene, and featured superb food, I would have loved staying here because of the owner. He is friendly & helpful, and speaks some English. He went out of his way to help me with taxi & train logisitics, and let me spend a lot of a rainy day inside. The ofuro was the best of all I had in Japan. I swooned over the wide plank floors and old door pulls, nooks & crannies, while enjoying the tasteful modernities. The town is like time travel to a samurai movie, and the countryside lovely. I hope to return soon!

• A wonderful stay in a magical town

  Month of Visit: February

  Country Of Reviewer: Australia

  Atmosphere Rating - 5

  Food Rating - 5

  Staff Rating - 5

  Location Rating - 5

  Room Rating - 5

  We spent the third night of our Japan trip here and wished we had stayed another night. Our host spoke a reasonable amount of English, and what he couldn't say he tried desperately to work out. He told us he was ninth generation Tsumago. His cooking was fantastic, and what he prepared for my wife and I could have fed a family of four! While we ate, he prepared our beds and onsen for us, and left tea prepared for us in our room. The building was beautifully worn, creaky and full of character. The town itself is charming, magical and old-world forgotten. The locals and shop owners are all up for a chat. Highly recommended!