Hello! I’m Joe (@chiropiyo0331).
This time I stayed at Hotel Epinard Nasu, a large family-friendly hotel built on a vast site amid the great nature of the Nasu Highlands in Tochigi.
In this article, I’ll share my impressions and review of staying at Hotel Epinard Nasu.
“If you want to stay at Hotel Epinard Nasu but are curious what it’s like” and “you’re looking for a hotel around the Nasu Highlands”: this article is perfect for you, so please read to the end!
Who Should Stay at Hotel Epinard Nasu
There are about 70 ryokan and hotels around the Nasu Highlands, where Hotel Epinard Nasu is located.
The Nasu Highlands are a plateau area in Tochigi Prefecture, famous for beautiful natural scenery, the landscapes of the four seasons, and hot springs, and are a popular destination for many tourists and nature lovers.
The Nasu Highlands are especially famous for their beauty in the cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons, and they’re a place where families can enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, skiing, and snowboarding.
With so many ryokan and hotels around the Nasu Highlands, it’s hard not to hesitate over choosing just one place to stay, right?
I chose this hotel for my trip to the Nasu Highlands, and after actually staying here, the people I think Hotel Epinard Nasu suits best are as follows.
・You want to enjoy outdoor activities in nature and fully enjoy facilities such as hot springs and a pool
・You’re looking for a hotel you can reach without a car by train plus a free shuttle bus
First, people who want to enjoy outdoor activities in nature and fully enjoy facilities such as hot springs and a pool.
Hotel Epinard Nasu offers a forest-bathing walking path among oak trees, a full-scale 18-hole woodland putting golf course, tree trekking, tennis courts, and other activity facilities, plus a large open-air bath and an indoor heated pool you can enjoy year-round, so it’s a hotel that three generations, including kids and grandparents, can enjoy in many ways.
Second, people who are looking for a hotel they can reach without a car by train plus a free shuttle bus.
From the Tokyo area, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Nasu-Shiobara Station, and from there you can easily reach the hotel by free shuttle bus, so staying without a car is no problem!
・The shuttle bus between the hotel and Nasu-Shiobara Station is free and by reservation.
・Departures from Nasu-Shiobara Station: 10:40, 11:35, 12:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35
・Departures from the hotel: 9:20, 10:10, 11:10, 12:10, 13:10, 14:10
*This is the schedule at the time of my stay. Please check with the hotel for the latest.
Access to Hotel Epinard Nasu
Hotel Epinard Nasu is a resort hotel in the Nasu Highlands of Tochigi, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
In addition to facilities such as comfortable guest rooms, restaurants, hot springs, and a pool, it offers sports facilities such as running bikes, tree trekking, and tennis courts on a site of about 50,000 tsubo (roughly 165,000 square meters), making it a popular place for travelers who want to enjoy sports in clean-aired nature as well as sightseeing.
It’s 10 minutes by car from Nasu IC on the Tohoku Expressway, and even without a car you can take the train to Nasu-Shiobara Station and reach the hotel in 30 minutes by free shuttle bus.
| Hotel name | Hotel Epinard Nasu |
| Address | Takaku-hei 1, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi 325-0302 |
| Phone | 0287-78-6000 |
| Check-in | 3:00 PM (last check-in: midnight) |
| Check-out | 11:00 AM |
| Rooms | 202 rooms |
| Access | 10 minutes by car from Nasu IC on the Tohoku Expressway 30 minutes by free shuttle bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station (Tohoku Shinkansen / Tohoku Main Line) |
| Shuttle | Yes *Free shuttle bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station (reservation required; Reservation Center: 0287-78-6000) |
| Parking | Standard cars: 400 spaces; large vehicles: 6 spaces (free) |
| Wi-Fi | Free |
| Smoking | Allowed (2 places inside the hotel, 1 place in the Terrace Building (pet hotel building)) |
| Vending machines | Yes |
| Coin laundry | Yes (at the back of the elevator hall on the 1st floor of the Annex Tower) *4 washers and 4 dryers |
| Credit cards | VISA, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, Mastercard, JTB, debit cards |
| Luggage storage | Available before check-in and after check-out |
| Other | Karaoke room, banquet hall, wedding hall, sauna, game corner, pool (year-round), pottery class and wellness salon, putting golf course and rooftop observation deck, tennis courts, table tennis |
Hotel Epinard Nasu
Takaku-hei 1, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi [Map]
*Prices shown are the lowest weekday rate per person for two guests with breakfast and dinner, before coupons and discounts. Please check the linked site for the latest information.
Hotel Epinard Nasu: Hotel Overview
Now let me introduce the details of Hotel Epinard Nasu, where I stayed this time.
There are two doors, making for a luxurious entrance! Blue umbrellas are available to borrow for going out.
Hotel Epinard Nasu consists of the 13-story Main Tower and the 14-story Annex Tower. The 1st floor has the front desk, shopping plaza, pool, and hot spring public bath, the 2nd floor has the restaurant, and guest rooms are on the 3rd floor and above.
Looking at the brochure, you can tell how vast it is.
With restaurants, spa and massage, shopping, and even outdoor activities, it’s enjoyable from kids to adults.
Check-in
Right after you enter the building, the front desk is immediately on your right. Displayed above the front desk is calligraphy by Inazo Nitobe.
Check-in service was polite and very kind.
On the 1st floor of the Main Tower is the Shopping Plaza.
You can buy souvenirs such as Nasu specialties, dairy products, and local sake. The selection is wide and rich, so you’re sure to find some souvenir!
| Name | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping Plaza | 8:00 AM–9:30 PM | Main Tower, 1st floor |
Look up and you’ll see Japanese umbrellas and wind chimes hanging as decoration. The colorful Japanese umbrellas are beautiful!
Guest Room
The guest-room corridor is designed in white with gold accents for a luxurious feel.
You can unlock the door easily by holding the room key near the doorknob.
Inserting the room key into the tag holder slot beside the entrance turns on the lights.
There are adult and child room slippers, more than enough for the number of guests.
The Simmons beds in the twin room are fluffy and great to sleep on. The indirect lighting near the pillow is modern and stylish.
There’s one outlet and USB port per person, so you won’t fight over charging your smartphone ♪
Next to the bed are a one-person chair where you can stretch out your legs and a sofa and cushions that can double as a bed, so you can be comfortable!!
On the table is the hotel’s original Epinard Chocolat.
Strawberry chocolate, bitter chocolate, and white chocolate are soaked deep into the fibers of crispy French bread through a patented process.
The TV is 32 inches, so it’s reasonably large and easy to see.
There’s a round mirror to the left of the TV, so you can do your makeup, and it can serve as a simple work space.
On the shelf combining the safe and refrigerator are a T-fal electric kettle, a cold-keeping bottle, teacups, and glasses.
You can drink hojicha and green tea ♪
The hanger rack has plenty of space, and you can use 2 to 3 hangers per person.
Washbasin, Bathroom & Toilet
Next to the washbasin is loungewear in every size.
Put on the loungewear and head to the hot spring.
The washbasin is small, but the mirror is big and easy to use.
As part of its SDGs efforts, some amenity goods (shower caps, hairbrushes) are delivered to your room on request (call guest-room staff at extension 79).
The toilet with a bidet seat is clean and spacious.
Having two rolls of toilet paper is quietly appreciated.
Hot Springs at Hotel Epinard Nasu
To enjoy the Nasu-Shiobara hot spring at Hotel Epinard Nasu, you need to go from the lobby to the Annex Tower.
On the way there are a 25 m indoor heated pool as well as pools that are 60 cm and 30 cm deep.
Next to the men’s bath is a water server.
Next to the entrance of the women’s bath is a massage corner.
The Nasu-Shiobara hot spring is a simple hot spring, said to be effective for arthritis and muscle pain.
Besides the main public bath, there’s a lie-down bath, a hinoki cypress bath, and a jacuzzi, so there’s a wide variety.
The open-air bath lets you enjoy fresh greenery and autumn leaves, and you can relax and soak while listening to the babbling of a river.
The sauna is a Showa-era-style strong sauna, with a temperature of 98°C that really steams you. It’s one of the largest face-to-face saunas in Nasu-Shiobara, seating about 20 people, and it has a TV.
The cold plunge, with water running from a faucet, is about 18°C, a perfect setup for sauna fans to reach “totonou,” the sauna high.
Observation Deck (Sky Walk) at Hotel Epinard Nasu
Facing the front desk, go up to the 14th floor of the Annex Tower on the right side and you’ll find the observation deck.
Open the door and climb the outdoor stairs, and you can see a magnificent view of Nasu-Shiobara.
You can see the lush green Nasu Highlands in every direction!
The weather was great and it felt so good.
Dinner at Hotel Epinard Nasu
Dinner is at “NASU Buffet Elbage” on the 1st floor of the Main Tower.
It’s a Japanese-Western-Chinese buffet with more than 90 dishes, including a “Vegetable Garden” corner for fresh vegetables, a “Live Kitchen” corner where steak and tempura are made in front of you, and about 30 kinds of sweets selected by the pâtissier. It’s popular with a wide range of generations, from small children to adults.
The buffet ranges from classic steak and sashimi to sushi made right in front of you.
The asparagus grown by the contract farm “Josephine Farm” is superb!
Hotel Epinard Nasu
Takaku-hei 1, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi [Map]
*Prices shown are the lowest weekday rate per person for two guests with breakfast and dinner, before coupons and discounts. Please check the linked site for the latest information.
Breakfast at Hotel Epinard Nasu
Breakfast is also at “NASU Buffet Elbage,” the same venue as dinner.
So that both Japanese-food and Western-food lovers can enjoy it, it’s a Japanese-Western buffet with French toast made at the live kitchen, fried eggs made with Nasu Goyoran eggs, yogurt, and an assortment of desserts.
It’s fun to choose a base from three types, milk bread, campagne, and English muffin, and stuff your favorite fillings into a sandwich.
The kids’ corner is also well stocked, with everything from baby food to cotton candy, so kids are sure to be thrilled.
There’s also a drink corner with nutritious drinks such as milk from the Nasu mountain range and milk coffee and milk from Senbonmatsu Farm.
Centered on Japanese food, with Western items like bacon and omelets too, I was full from the morning.
| Breakfast venue | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Elbage | 7:00 AM–10:30 AM | Main Tower, 1st floor |
Hotel Epinard Nasu
Takaku-hei 1, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi [Map]
*Prices shown are the lowest weekday rate per person for two guests with breakfast and dinner, before coupons and discounts. Please check the linked site for the latest information.
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That’s my stay report on Hotel Epinard Nasu! With its hot springs, pool, outdoor activities, and a buffet the whole family can enjoy, it was a resort hotel that kept us busy the entire stay. If you’re heading to the Nasu Highlands, definitely consider it. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next article!
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About the author
Joe
I love hotels, hot springs, and saunas across the whole country!!
I’ve made it to 40 prefectures so far.
Around 100 hotel stays and 50+ saunas visited, and the count keeps climbing.
My hobbies are travel, golf, snowboarding, saunas, and the gym.
Getting good information is essential to living a rich life.
I’ll keep sharing useful info for wherever your next trip takes you! For work inquiries (venue PR, advertising, hotel article requests), please reach out through this blog’s contact form.
Happy to work flexibly with your needs.
Certified Sauna & Spa Health Advisor
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