Yamanouchi
山ノ内町36°45′ N 138°25′ ETownPop. 11,106Nagano
Yamanouchi is the town of the snow monkeys, and its hot-spring villages of Yudanaka and Shibu make the gentlest base for Jigokudani and the Shiga Kogen ski areas above. The trade-off is distance from the snow: Shiga Kogen's lifts sit 30 to 40 minutes up the mountain by bus.
Photo Alexkom000 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Yamanouchi if you want an old onsen street, a ryokan dinner and an easy morning at the snow monkeys. Skiers who want to be first on the lifts every day should sleep up in Shiga Kogen.
Eat in Yamanouchi
Drink in Yamanouchi
Things to do in Yamanouchi
Yamanouchi runs from the apple orchards around Yudanaka Station up to the plateau of Shiga Kogen. At the bottom, Yudanaka and Shibu sit side by side as the two old onsen villages most visitors mean when they say Yudanaka Shibu Onsen. Shibu's narrow street of wooden inns keeps nine public bathhouses, which guests of the Shibu inns can visit with their room key.
The Nagaden line from Nagano reaches Yudanaka Station in about 45 minutes on the few limited expresses and about 70 minutes on locals, which usually need a change at Shinshu-Nakano. The Japan Rail Pass does not cover it. Express buses from Nagano Station skip Yudanaka and Shibu and stop instead at the Snow Monkey Park bus stop on the way to Shiga Kogen, about 40 minutes out.
Base down here if your group mixes skiers with people who would rather soak and walk to Jigokudani. The forest path to the monkey park gets icy, so wear proper boots. In winter Route 292 over Shibu Pass to Kusatsu closes, so the road east ends at the top of Shiga Kogen until spring.
Worth knowing
- Ask your Shibu inn for the key that opens the nine soto-yu, and bring your own towel.
- Check the Nagaden timetable for the limited express, because most trains from Nagano are slower locals.
Quick answers about Yamanouchiよくある質問
How do you get from Nagano to Yudanaka?
Take the Nagaden line from the underground Nagaden Nagano Station to Yudanaka Station. Limited expresses take about 45 minutes and locals about 70 minutes, according to japan-guide.com.
Is the Nagaden line to Yudanaka covered by the Japan Rail Pass?
No. The Nagano Electric Railway is a private line, so the Japan Rail Pass does not cover it.
Is Yamanouchi a good place to stay?
Stay in Yamanouchi if you want an old onsen street, a ryokan dinner and an easy morning at the snow monkeys. Skiers who want to be first on the lifts every day should sleep up in Shiga Kogen.
Within 12 km
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In the journal
Read more about Yamanouchi特集
Feature · 9 min read
When can you ride Norikura, Shibu Pass and the Japan Alps Cycling Road?
Norikura's car-free road opens to bikes from 1 July to 31 October. Shibu Pass runs from late April to mid November, and the 800 km loop round Nagano breaks into station-to-station days.
Comparison · 10 min read
Which ski-hill onsen towns are best for a soak after the last lift?
Nozawa puts thirteen free public baths a short walk from the lifts. Kusatsu is the clearest answer for tattooed riders, and Shibu and Ginzan give their best baths to the people who stay the night.