"Shibu Onsen" is a quaint little town very close to the snow monkey park in Yamanouchi (Nagano). As onsen lovers, it was the perfect gateway for our family. We stayed at the Kokuya because of the history of the place, the number of onsen available (inside the ryokan, but also in the village) and location. What makes the Kokuya unique is its design - the place is an amazing maze of stairs, guest rooms and baths. The staff is also very kind and caring and made us feel like we were part of the family. They are used to foreigners so English was not a problem. However, our review wouldn't be complete without a little bit of feedback. Having visited several luxury ryokans throughout Japan, we felt that the Kokuya is in need of serious TLC and would benefit from some repairs and a fresh coat of paint (among other things). We also noticed some onsen baths to be slimy, including our own private bath. The quality of food we were served during our stay was not the same; the Friday dinner being much superior to the Thursday one. Guests were allowed to smoke in the hallway, right by the dinning room, which was not pleasant. Overall, we are satisfied with our stay and would recommend for visitors wishing to experience a different type of ryokan experience.