What kind of luxury onsen ryokan is Mozumo?
In October, when the autumn leaves were beautiful, I was in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on a business trip and decided to spend the weekend alone at Mozumo in Hirayu Onsen. I am going straight to the point, the ryokan was perfect for a solo traveler like me. The beautiful forests and trees seen from a private outdoor onsen attached to my room are still burned in my mind. Next time I would like to see a snowy landscape.
I arrived at Matsumoto station around 11:30PM on Saturday and had tempura soba at an izakaya restaurant called Kuranomukou, a 5-minute walk from the station. After lunch, I headed to Matsumoto bus terminal, from where I took the 13:05 express bus for Takayama Nohi bus center.
About an hour after leaving the bus terminal, I suddenly woke up and looked around from inside the bus and saw the mountains with wonderful autumn leaves spread out in front of me. Since it was mid-October when I boarded the bus, I was able to admire a beautiful scenery of autumn leaves. I felt that I could enjoy the scenery throughout the four seasons, with beautiful fresh greenery and lush vegetation from early summer to summer, and snowy landscapes in winter. After passing through a number of mountain tunnels, I arrived at Hirayu Onsen Bus Terminal at 14:45, almost on time. The trip takes about 90 minutes. The bus terminal was surprisingly very crowded with climbers heading to Kamikochi, Mt. Norikura, Mt. Nishihotakadake, etc. At the bus terminal there was a souvenir shop, bakery, local restaurant, and convenience store where I bought local sake, local wine, cheesecake, curry bread, and snacks. There are no stores around the ryokan, so it is best to buy here If you need anything.
The ryokan where I planned to stay tonight was a six-minute walk from the bus terminal. I walked for a while along a street lined with some ryokans, then entered a path lined with beautiful trees. Then the entrance to the ryokan came into view on the left. Although I could not see the ryokan building from the entrance, there was a wooden sign that said “Mozumo” in Japanese at the entrance. I proceeded through the stone-paved pathway, looking at the autumn leaves, and then the building came into view. It was as if I was walking in a forest.
After taking temperature and sanitizing my hands in front of the entrance, I went inside, where I took off my shoes and changed into slippers. The large windows in the lobby overlooked a wonderful forest. I was directed to a sofa in the lobby, where I completed check-in procedures. With such a nice lobby, I wished I could have had free coffee, tea, and snacks, etc. during my stay, but there was no such service.
After checking in, the staff immediately showed me to a room called Yamamomiji. On the way to the room, the large windows in the hallway overlooked a beautiful forest with autumn leaves, just like the lobby. Walking down the long hallway, with its pure white walls and beautifully grained wood, I felt as if I were taking a walk in a mystical forest. After a short walk, I arrived at the entrance to the room where I would be staying for the night. Pulling open the dark brown lattice door that harmonized with the pure white walls, I entered the room and found a mini-bar on the left, and down the hallway on the right, a sophisticated Japanese-style room with a sunken hearth called irori and Ryukyu tatami mats. Next to the Japanese-style room was a bedroom with twin beds separated by lattice doors made of bamboo. The irori was decorative and could not be lit. The sliding shoji door on the window side opened onto a wooden terrace with a deck chair from which one could view the beautiful autumn leaves of the forest. Also, behind the terrace was a wonderful private hot spring bath.
I sat on the deck chair on the terrace for a while, sipping unrefined sake called doburoku that I had just bought at the souvenir shop at Hirayu Onsen bus stop, and gazing at the red and yellow colors of the virgin forest. The faint scent of hot spring water and the scent of grass and soil swaying in the gentle breeze wafted through the air. In my hectic daily life in Tokyo, with work, housework, and child-rearing, I had completely forgotten how beautiful the Japanese wilderness can be.
Then I’ve finished my doburoku, so I changed into a navy blue cotton yukata and decided to go to small communal outdoor hot spring baths. To get to the communal outdoor baths, I went down the hallway in front of my room, changed into outdoor shoes at the end of the hall, and went outside. There were cobblestone stairs and a covered walkway. After going up the stone steps, there were the communal outdoor baths with red and blue noren curtains. Once inside, I found a round outdoor hot spring bath with an open atmosphere surrounded by trees. The sound of swaying fir trees, chirping birds, and flowing hot springs all sounded like pleasant music. This ryokan has a total of 10 rooms, all with private onsens, so few guests seemed to use the communal baths. The communal baths are closed during the winter. Hirayu Onsen is a heavy snowfall area. The reason for this is that the temperature in the outdoor baths without roof drops.
Then I returned to my room from the communal bath and was thirsty, so I drank a bottle of beer from the mini-bar in my room and took my PC out of my bag to get some unfinished work done. By the way the minibar has pay-as-you-go beer for JPY800, water for JPY300, and oolong tea for JPY300. Room service for drinks was available until 21:00 pm.
Then now it was time to get hungry. I went to a dining area around 6:00PM and the staff showed me to a private room. When I made a booking, I had a choice of a private room in the dining area or a meal served in my room. The latter costs an extra JPY2,000, so I chose the private room. Also, I ordered “Hida Beef Course” in advance to fully enjoy Hida beef. Overall, the hida beef kaiseki food was satisfying in taste, appearance, and quantity. The Hida beef sushi, Hida beef shabu shabu, and Hida beef steak were excellent more than I expected.
After dinner, I went back to the communal outdoor bath. It was a clear day, so the wide night sky was full of stars and a beautiful moon was floating in the sky. It was very moving to soak in the moist hot spring water and watch the star-filled sky while listening to the chirping of insects.
Then, back in my room, I was a little thirsty again, so I decided to relax on the deck chair on the terrace with a bottle of wine from Nagano Prefecture I had bought at the souvenir shop. Then I unconsciously looked outside and saw a family of Japanese monkeys hanging from a nearby tree. Perhaps they were out for an evening stroll. They looked at me as if they were greeting me, saying, Welcome to Hirayu Onsen. I saw wild monkeys around this area from time to time.
The next morning, I woke up before 7:00 a.m. and decided to enjoy the private outdoor hot spring bath on the terrace. I was truly happy to spend time relaxing in the high quality hot spring with such a beautiful forest in front of me. The red, orange and yellow trees bathed in the gentle morning sun looked like a silk brocade.
Then, around 8:00, I had a Japanese breakfast in the same private room where I had dinner yesterday. It was all delicious and filling, but compared to yesterday’s dinner, which was more than I expected and wonderful, it was average.
After breakfast, I enjoyed the private bath on the terrace again, checked out before 10:00, returned from Hirayu Onsen bus terminal to Matsumoto bus terminal, took an express train from Matsumoto Station, got off at Nagano Station, transferred to the Shinkansen, and headed for Tokyo Station. If I had more time, I would have liked to hike around Mt. Norikura and Kamikochi while admiring the beautiful autumn leaves, but since I was just stopping by on a business trip, I will leave it for another time.
If I had to pick a flaw, I would say that it would have been nice to have a library or lounge where one could relax with coffee, as the environment is so quiet and wonderful. Also, this ryokan is not suitable for families with children, as it only allows guests over 20 years of age.
All in all, it was a lovely place for solo travelers or couples who wanted to spend some quiet time while enjoying the high quality onsens. I think this ryokan is reasonably priced compared to other ryokans with private onsens. Also, considering the Hida beef course for dinner, I thought the cost performance was even better.
Check Availability and Pricing for Mozumo on Agoda
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Is the location easy to access?
Take the Nohi Bus from Matsumoto bus terminal near Matsumoto Station. Then get off at Hirayu Onsen Bus Stop. Alternatively, take the Nohi Bus from Takayama Nohi bus center in front of Takayama Station. Then get off at Hirayu Onsen Bus Stop. Free shuttle service is available from Hirayu Onsen Bus Stop. You need to book it in advance. Alternatively, it is a 6-minute walk.
If you are going to Hirayu Onsen for the first time, you may not know where to get off, so you may want to show a bus driver the Japanese text below when you get on a bus.
Kindly let me know when you reach “Hirayu Onsen Bus Stop.”
Rooms I would recommend?
There are 2 types of rooms, one is called Shinra, and the other is called Rokuju. The former is more spacious than the latter. Basically, if you stay in Ryokuji, your meals will be served in a private dining room, and if you stay in Shinra, you will be served in your room.
How about toiletries & in-room amenities?
All of the amenities are taken care of including enough toiletries, yukatas, pajamas, and a Japanese tea set, etc. Free Wifi reception was good in the property. Room service for drinks only is available until 21:00. There are no lounges, bars, libraries, stores, or vending machines on the grounds. On top of that, there is no convenience store nearby. You may want to buy your necessities before coming here.
How about In-house Facilities?
There are small communal outdoor hot spring baths. They are open from 15:00-9:00 the following morning. *If you have tattoos, you may not be permitted to use the communal bathing areas.
Then Mozumo is not a universal design and there are some steps. If you bring people with weak legs, you might want to inform the staff in advance as they can arrange a room near the entrance. Once you enter your room, you wouldn’t need to move around.
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How about meals?
Dinner starts at 18:00, 18:15 or 18:30. You need to check in by 18:00 if you have dinner on the property. If not, you need to check in by 20:00. Breakfast starts from 7:45, 8:00, or 8:15.
If you have any food allergies, please write them in a comment box when you book a room with meals. They probably wouldn’t be able to prepare alternative food if you request on that day.
Then there is no restaurant around the property. You may want to book a room including meals.
Info about Mozumo
| Style | Modern Onsen Ryokan |
|---|---|
| Check-in and out times |
15:00/10:00 |
| Estimated Price | 50,000 JPY for 2 adults per room |
| Contact | Call at 0578-89-2020 from domestic Call at +81 578-89-2020 from overseas Open time 9:00 – 21:00 JST |
| Internet Connection | Free Wifi in the property |
| Facility Information | Wheelchairs are not available Pets are not allowed The free parking lot is available |
| Location | Mozumo’s MAP |
| Access | Free pick-up service from Hirayu Onsen Bus Stop *Need to book in advance |
| Address and TEL | 506-1433 Gifu Takayama Okuhida Onsengo Hirayu 579-1 Gifu 506-1433 Tel +81 578-89-2020 |
| Official Homepage | Mozumo’s HP |
**All information above is as of the date that I posted on my blog.
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