I’m Kotaro Kato from Tokyo, who stayed there on August 13. The meals—both dinner and breakfast—at Yari Onsen Cabin were wonderful, and the hot springs, which I was especially looking forward to, exceeded my expectations. I bathed twice—once after checking in on the 13th and once that evening—and once early in the morning on the 14th. I firmly believe that the Yari Onsen Cabin is the perfect finale to any Hakuba hiking route, and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. On August 12, I took the first Shinkansen from Omiya and arrived in Nagano. I took the first limited-express bus from Nagano to the Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal, then arrived at Sarukura at 10:00 a.m. via a pre-booked taxi. I reached Hakubajiri around 10:55 a.m., put on my crampons, and began climbing the Great Snowfield. It started raining around 1:30 p.m., just after I finished crossing the Great Snowfield, I reached the emergency shelter at 3:30 p.m. Immediately after passing the shelter, I lost sight of the Green Line to the right. I briefly took a wrong turn behind the shelter but quickly realized my mistake, returned to the shelter, and rejoined the correct route around 3:45 p.m., arriving at the summit lodge at 4:55 p.m. We spent the night there on the first day. 　On the 13th, we were blessed with clear skies from the morning. After a round trip to Mt. Hakuba with only a light daypack, we left the lodge around 8:30 a.m., enjoyed the spectacular views of the Northern Alps, and arrived at Yari Onsen at 3:30 p.m. via the Mt. Shakushi and Mt. Yari routes. After spending the night and soaking in the hot springs, on the 14th, following a brief morning shower, we left the Yarigatake Onsen Hut at 6:30 a.m. We gazed up at the majestic Yarigatake along the way and, after a long descent, arrived at Sarukura at 10:05 a.m. We split into taxis and took the limited-express bus departing Hakuba Happo at 11:10 a.m., arriving in Nagano at 12:30 p.m. After touring the city a bit and having lunch, we returned home safely via the Shinkansen. 　The main attraction of Yari Onsen is, without a doubt, the baths; given that the location requires the facility to be dismantled and rebuilt every year, I imagine the site is quite challenging. Mt. Hakuba can be described as a “golden course” for general hikers in the Northern Alps, featuring snowfields, flower meadows, and a summit climb on the main peak that isn’t particularly dangerous. Yari Onsen can be described as a mountain-top oasis that serves as the grand finale to this journey.

Although the rooms and restrooms have the feel of a traditional mountain cabin, the bath and the hospitality are outstanding. This was my first visit, and I really liked it.

Thank you very much. I just wanted to say how grateful I am that it was such a wonderful trip. I was thrilled to visit the hot springs I’d always wanted to see, and to experience the extraordinary feeling of greeting the sunrise.

I came here after touring the Hakuba Three Peaks with the goal of watching the sunrise while soaking in a hot spring. I arrived as early as possible so I could choose my breakfast time, but I was told that seating is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be changed—the only available time was 5:00 a.m., right at sunrise, and I couldn’t change it. I’ve stayed at various mountain huts in the Northern Alps, but this was the first time I’d encountered a situation where I couldn’t choose my breakfast time even though I arrived early, so I was taken aback. I explained the reason and asked—on the off chance—if I could switch to a packed lunch instead (though I was aware from the notes at the time of booking that changes weren’t allowed). They seemed annoyed by the request, so I asked if they could just cancel the breakfast while keeping the price the same. They then agreed to switch it to a packed lunch (for which I am grateful). I apologize for causing any inconvenience given the various constraints of running a mountain hut, but if meal times cannot be changed based on arrival order, I wish that had been clearly stated in the notes. Had I known, I would have either opted for a breakfast bento from the start or planned a more leisurely itinerary. The hot springs were wonderful, so I feel this mountain hut would be even better if it provided information and systems to help people visiting specifically for that purpose plan their itineraries more easily. I’ve now learned that some mountain huts have rules like this, so I’ll be more careful in the future.

The reservation system was easy to use, even when making changes. I think it’s a good system because it will likely reduce the number of people who just make a reservation on a whim. The staff at the front desk were very polite, cheerful, and made me feel welcome. Since we arrived early, we were shown to a section divided into two separate areas. It was nice to have our privacy maintained. The women-only hot spring was more spacious than I expected; I think about four people could comfortably fit inside. It takes some courage for a woman to enter the mixed-gender bath alone, but I think it’s manageable if you go with a group. The mixed-gender bath becomes women-only for one hour starting at 8:00 PM, but the wait until then felt long. Since it gets dark around that time, I suppose it can’t be helped. It would have been nice if the restrooms had been separated by gender. I enjoyed evening, nighttime, and morning soaks in the sulfur-scented hot springs in the mountains—it was a very satisfying mountain trip spent doing nothing but soaking in the hot springs.

On the day of my visit, a typhoon was approaching, so I was debating whether to cancel and head back down that same day, but the staff at the clinic gave me some advice, so I decided to stay the night. As it turned out, a warm bath completely revived me, and I was so glad I decided to stay here! I spilled the drink I’d ordered at the front desk and made quite a mess. They gave me some paper towels, but it wasn’t nearly enough. When I asked for a dishcloth, the staff member told me to ask someone in the dining hall instead, so I thought it would have been nice if they’d coordinated a little better. The staff in the dining hall kindly wiped down the table for me, which was a big help. For dinner, I was actually in the mood for something curry-based, so I was delighted when they served hash beef. Thank you very much for everything.

I was worried whether I’d be able to make it given my physical condition, but my wish came true and I was able to visit. The hot spring at the mountain lodge was truly exceptional, and I had a wonderful time. Thank you very much.

What I Liked The food was delicious. I was also able to have lunch there, which I enjoyed. It would be nice if they put a little more effort into the coffee. It was helpful that a ranger was there to answer our questions. Negative Points The posted mountain weather information was a bit lacking. The restrooms smelled bad, and the smell even reached the baths. I’d like to see a trash strainer or filter installed in the indoor bath where the water is drawn. The morning bath water wasn’t hot—it was just warm. Suggestions It’s worth coming here even without climbing the mountain above, so I’d like to see more benches and decks where visitors can relax. Since check-in time is early, I thought it might be a good idea to have separate time slots for women and men.

I was able to wash away my fatigue in the hot springs. It was the best.

It was such a treat to be able to take a bath at the mountain lodge. It really soothed the fatigue from the hike. I’d love to come back.