Sleep high.
Soak deep.
Stay a while.
A small guesthouse at 1,500 m in Norikura Kogen. Seven tatami rooms, no meals, a private milky-white onsen and a wood stove in the common room.
Two people,
one old building,
a lot of firewood.
A guesthouse two of us rebuilt by hand.
Worn out by office life in Tokyo, we moved to Matsumoto at 25 to work on a rural revitalisation programme. The mountains, the stars and the people of Norikura pulled us back to life, so we started fixing up an old building together. Eureka is Greek for “I found it!” We hope you find something here too.
Mt. Norikura summit · 3,026 m
Private onsen
Milky sulphur water,
all to yourself.
Book the bath, close the door, soak.
Simple sulphur spring water, piped in by locals about fifty years ago, now in new hiba-cypress tubs. Both baths are private; we sort out time slots at check-in. Perfect after a hike or a day on the slopes.
Rooms & Onsen →Seven tatami rooms.
Futon, forest, quiet.
All seven rooms are Japanese-style.
Roll out a futon and sprawl on the tatami. Good for solo travellers, couples and groups of friends. Wi-Fi in every room, free parking, and a shared kitchen with fridge and microwave.
See the rooms →
Tatami room
Common room
Wood stove, shared kitchen,
your call on company.
Pull up a chair by the fire, or don’t.
The stove was built by Eightknot, a craftsman in Matsumoto. Evenings here are for reading, or for talking with whoever else is staying. How close you get to other people is entirely up to you.
Common space →1,500 m up.
3,026 m to go.
The best part of the house is outside it.
The foot of Mt. Norikura, the meadows of Ichinose, some of the earliest autumn colours in Japan, and powder snow in winter. We don’t serve meals, so eat out at the places nearby — ask us for recommendations.
Norikura guide →Snow still on the peaks, fresh green below. Skunk cabbage blooming in Ichinose.
Climb Mt. Norikura, ride the road up, and watch the stars from our front step.
Some of the earliest autumn colour in Japan — birches and the great maples.
Skiing and snowshoeing at Mt. Norikura Snow Resort. Wood stove at night.
90 minutes from Matsumoto.
Train, then bus.
Take the Alpico Kamikochi Line from Matsumoto Station to Shin-Shimashima, then the local bus to Bandokoro-mae. The house is a 30-second walk from the bus stop. By car, about an hour from the Matsumoto IC via Routes 158 and 84. Parking is free.
3937-4 Azumi, Matsumoto, Nagano (Norikura Kogen)
Room only — no meals
contact@eureka-norikura.com
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