Nestled in Matsukawa Village at the foot of the Northern Alps in Nagano Prefecture,
Suzumushiso is a small, serene inn where the seasons speak clearly.
We offer two natural hot springs — a public bath open for day-trippers
and a private onsen reserved exclusively for overnight guests —
alongside a Japanese-Western fusion dinner course crafted from local Shinshu ingredients.
Throughout the inn hang works by Iwasaki Chihiro,
the beloved illustrator who made Matsukawa Village her home.
Come, breathe slowly, and let time find its own pace.
A public bath open to day visitors and a private onsen reserved for overnight guests. The natural radon spring water, drawn from 1,800 metres below Matsukawa Village, gently warms body and mind.
About the Hot Springs
Vegetables from local Matsukawa and Azumino farms, Shinshu Alps beef, and freshwater fish from mountain streams — arranged as a refined course with both Japanese and Western techniques.
Choose from Japanese-style tatami rooms, spacious Western-style rooms, and a Japanese suite with a sofa lounge. All 11 rooms look out over the pastoral landscape of Azumino.
About the Rooms
Works by Iwasaki Chihiro — Japan's beloved watercolour illustrator — hang throughout the inn. Matsukawa Village was the land Chihiro cherished; her gentle world quietly fills every corridor and room.
Matsukawa Village sits midway between Azumino and Hakuba — ideal for hiking, museum visits, cycling, or skiing. Step outside for the sweeping Northern Alps panorama, then return to the inn's quiet embrace.
Suzumushiso was designed by Tadanaga Miyamoto, a celebrated Nagano architect, under the theme "Creating architecture that breathes new Japanese scenery." Just 11 rooms. A small inn that merges with the village landscape.
Women's Open-Air Bath
Men's Large Bath
Private Onsen (Guests Only)
Natural hot spring water drawn from beneath Matsukawa Village. Open to day visitors as well as overnight guests. A beloved bath that locals have cherished for years.
A special hot spring reserved exclusively for overnight guests. Sink into the silence and the warmth — this bath alone makes the journey worthwhile.
The water rises from 1,800 metres below the slopes of Mt. Marao in Matsukawa Village — a gentle, skin-friendly radon spring that soothes both body and spirit.
The public bath is open to walk-in visitors. Hours and closed days may change — please contact us in advance.
| Hours | 10:00–21:00 (Last entry 20:30) |
|---|---|
| Closed | Irregular ※ Please call ahead to confirm |
| Admission | Adult ¥600 / Child ¥250 (tax incl.) |
| Parking | Free parking available |
Vegetables sourced directly from Matsukawa and Azumino farms, Shinshu Alps beef, mountain river fish — each course is a portrait of the season, expressed through the meeting of Japanese and Western culinary traditions.
Flavours you can taste only here,
in this land, in this moment.
APPETIZER
MAIN
RIVER FISH
DESSERT
A casual Italian restaurant within the inn, serving pasta courses that draw out the natural flavours of Shinshu ingredients. Choose between the standard A Course or the B Course with an added main dish.
※ On Wednesdays, only à la carte pasta is served (no course menu).
11 rooms total — three types, each with its own character
2F / 10 tatami mats / Non-smoking / 5 rooms
A bright, traditional tatami room with a separate anteroom. Sleeps 1–4 guests.
From ¥17,000 /person (2 meals incl.)
2F / approx. 14 tatami / Non-smoking / 5 rooms
Spacious with large panoramic windows overlooking the Azumino valley. Sleeps 1–3 guests.
From ¥17,000 /person (2 meals incl.)
1F / Tatami room + sofa lounge / Non-smoking / 1 room
Windows on two sides frame the Azumino countryside. Sleeps 1–3 guests.
From ¥17,000 /person (2 meals incl.)
On autumn nights in the foothills of the Northern Alps,
the clear song of the suzumushi — the bell cricket — drifts through the air.
"Suzumushiso" carries the wish
that each guest may carry away something quiet and lasting,
just like that pure, ringing note.
Come here to leave the rush behind.
To be warmed by the water, nourished by the food,
and simply — to rest.
Matsukawa Village is a quiet agricultural community spread across
the piedmont of the Northern Alps — farmland, mountain views, and clear air.
Here you will find a richness that no city can offer: the richness of doing nothing at all.
The dramatic peaks visible from the inn change face with every season — a view you never tire of.
Built in the village Iwasaki Chihiro loved, the museum and its sweeping park are a gentle world to wander.
Golden paddies backed by the Northern Alps — a classic Shinshu landscape that invites a slow walk.
Stroll the farm lanes of Matsukawa — roadside flowers, murmuring streams, time at a gentler pace.