It felt like a more compact mountain lodge than I had imagined from the website. I’d like to go back if they had private rooms. It was great that I could change my reservation date without any additional fees. This isn’t the lodge’s fault, but there were so many foreign visitors that I started missing the Japanese language.

Having free water and hot water available during the hike was truly a blessing. The quality of the food and the bento boxes exceeded my expectations. And above all, I was utterly moved by the beautiful setting of the lodge, perched in the midst of such breathtaking scenery. I’d love to bring my family here again.

It's a comfortable place, and the Taiwanese staff are so kind—I'm truly grateful.

The mountain cabin on the shores of Hakuba Oike was a typical, somewhat old-fashioned cabin. Maybe because it was a weekday? The three of us women were able to use a slightly cramped room meant for six people. It gets dark when you close the curtains, so you can’t read a book. The restroom at the end of the hallway was clean and well-maintained, but since it wasn’t flushable, the smell was a bit bothersome. The area in front of it served as a washroom that also doubled as a drying room. Hanging clothes there felt a bit… off. As for customer service, I didn’t have any interaction with the staff at all, so I can’t offer a rating.

Although the weather wasn’t ideal, you took great care of us starting the day before our climb to Mt. Hakuba. Even though the lodge was fully booked, my wife and I were able to relax comfortably. Hakuba-Oike was absolutely beautiful, and this is a mountain lodge I’d love to visit again.

I stayed here on September 18, 2026! The staff were very helpful, and the food was delicious 😊 In the morning, following the staff’s suggestion, I went to watch the sunrise. Since breakfast had to be served and cleared away early, I had to finish eating quickly—even though it was a busy morning, they took the time to reheat my rice and miso soup for me, which I really appreciated 😊 I’d love to stay here again 😊

I checked the weather forecast on about four different sites before coming on this hike. They all predicted sunny weather, gave the hike an “A” rating, and the rain cloud radar showed not a single cloud. However, once I got near Mt. Hakuba Norikura, I found myself in the clouds—or rather, it went beyond a drizzle and turned into full-blown rain… So I ended up hiking in full Gore-Tex gear: rain pants and jacket, a backpack cover, and gaiters. This was my first hike where it rained hard enough to need an umbrella even though there were no rain clouds—I wonder if that’s normal for Mt. Hakuba Norikura? (^_^;) On the way to Tenguhara, the trail was either mud or like a river—it was a total mess. From Mt. Hakuba-Norikura, I was treated to many wonderful views—I was thrilled to see the sea of clouds at sunset and the beautiful mountain peaks! I also saw clouds rolling in over the pond several times. I managed to take some great photos of the Japanese giant salamanders, too. The rocks were incredibly rugged—it’s hard to convey that in photos—but the terrain was steeper than I’d expected, and it was an uphill climb the whole way (^_^;) I managed to make it down to Tsugaike Mountain Lodge without getting caught in the rain for the most part, but the wind was strong, so I put on my rain gear. I was surprised at how unreliable the weather forecast turned out to be. Since I couldn’t predict when it would stop, it was difficult to adjust the timing for starting the ascent and descent. I’d love to come back if I still have the stamina to make the climb (*^^*)

We encountered bad weather during this hike, but the staff took the initiative to let us know about the conditions along the rest of the trail—that was very thoughtful!

To all the staff at the mountain lodge, especially Riao, thank you very much for your cooperation and for sharing this information with us.