I’ve Stayed at Every One! 10 Hotels Around Lake Suwa Perfect for Travel or Business

In this article, I share my personal recommendations for hotels around Lake Suwa — places I’ve actually stayed at myself, every single one.

Lake Suwa is a lake spanning roughly 15.9km in circumference across the cities of Suwa and Okaya and the town of Shimosuwa in Nagano Prefecture, drawing plenty of tourists who come to enjoy canoeing, smelt fishing, and other activities on the water.

At night, it’s also famous as a night-view spot, where you can take in the whole of Lake Suwa from Tateishi Park.

This very lake is actually the model for the “lake in Itomori Town” where the heroine lives in the beloved film “Your Name.”!

“I want to stay at a popular hotel on Lake Suwa in Nagano!” “Since I’m making the trip for travel or business anyway, I want to pick a well-reviewed, popular hotel!” — if that’s you, this article is exactly what you need, so please read on!

The Hotel Scene Around Lake Suwa

The Main Places to Stay Around Lake Suwa

The Chuo Line runs through the Lake Suwa area, and the neighborhoods around the three stations — Kamisuwa, Shimosuwa, and Okaya — are where you’ll find accommodations.

With so many popular sightseeing spots scattered around Lake Suwa, there are plenty of hotels aimed at tourists as well as business hotels, but the area around Kamisuwa in particular is packed with hotels offering sweeping lake views, family-friendly comforts, and a warm welcome for overseas visitors.

In summer, a fireworks festival is held over Lake Suwa — and the hotels around Suwa are exactly where you can watch it from your own room.

You’ll find everything here, from luxury properties that let you unwind after a day of sightseeing, to affordable, easy-to-book hotels, to business hotels that are perfect for a work trip.

Getting to Lake Suwa

Coming from the Tokyo Area

If you’re driving, here’s the route.

Route	Cost	Time
Tokyo IC → Ebina JCT → Hachioji JCT → Suwa IC → Lake Suwa	Regular fare: ¥5,370 Late-night discount (12am-4am / 30% off): ¥3,760 Holiday discount: ¥4,330	About 2 hr 40 min

If you’re taking the train, here’s the route.

Route	Cost	Time
Tokyo Station → Shinjuku Station → (Limited Express Azusa bound for Matsumoto) → Kamisuwa Station	¥5,980	About 2 hr 30 min

If you’re taking a highway bus, here’s the route.

Route	Cost	Time
Basuta Shinjuku → Kamisuwa Station	From ¥3,000	About 3 hours

Check the cheapest highway bus fares departing from Tokyo

Coming from the Nagoya / Osaka Area

By car, it’s about 2 hours from Nagoya to either the “Suwa IC” on the Chuo Expressway or the “Okaya IC” on the Nagano Expressway.

From “Suwa IC” on the Chuo Expressway, it’s about 15 minutes; from “Okaya IC” on the Nagano Expressway, about 20 minutes.

By train, it’s about 2 hours from Nagoya via the Chuo West Line to Shiojiri Station, then transfer to the Chuo East Line for about 15 minutes and get off at “Kamisuwa Station.”

By highway bus, board at “Shin-Osaka” and get off at “Kamisuwa.” About 5 hours.

Check the cheapest highway bus fares departing from Nagoya

Sightseeing Spots Around Lake Suwa

The most famous sightseeing spot around Lake Suwa is the head shrine of every Suwa Shrine across Japan, Suwa Taisha.

It’s considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan, with four shrine sites arranged to the north and south of Lake Suwa. It’s a venerable shrine that even appears in the Kojiki, said to date back some 1,500 to 2,000 years.

It was historically worshipped as the guardian deity of water and wind and a god of martial valor, and today, thanks to that same strength, it’s regarded as a deity protecting the very source of life and livelihood. They say if you visit all four shrines while soaking in that energy, you’ll receive plenty of blessings!

There’s also Tateishi Park, made famous by a scene in the film “Your Name.” From there you can take in the whole of Lake Suwa along with the distant mountains — it’s a wonderful spot for sunset views and night scenery too.

Food Around Lake Suwa

When it comes to food around Lake Suwa, you can’t skip the wakasagi (pond smelt) caught in the lake during winter, and the eel that Okaya is famous for!

Those two are absolute must-tries.

You might wonder why a lake would have eel — but the Tenryu River, which has its source at Lake Suwa, actually connects all the way to Hamamatsu. Eel born and raised near Hamamatsu swim up the Tenryu River and grow up in Lake Suwa, which is apparently why you can catch eel here too!

If you have the time, the long-established eel restaurant “Onuna Komatsuya” is well worth a visit.

Dried persimmons and Chino-produced kanten (agar) are also well known specialties here.

Souvenirs from Lake Suwa

When it comes to souvenirs from Lake Suwa, the popular Japanese sweet “shio yokan (salt yokan)” is the one to get.

The shio yokan sold by “Shinzuru,” a long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in 1873, is especially famous.

Nagano isn’t on the coast, so the story goes that this yokan was invented using salt, which was quite precious at the time. It looks a bit like kanten, but the saltiness cuts through the sweetness, so if regular yokan is usually too sweet for you, this might be just right.

It comes in all sorts of sizes, so if you get a bit peckish while out sightseeing, grabbing a small one to eat on the spot might be a great idea.

Recommended Hotels Around Lake Suwa

Kamisuwa Onsen Onyado Koizumi

With Lake Suwa spreading out just across the street, “Onyado Koizumi” has a location that’s hard to beat.

The parking lot is spacious, making it a great choice if you’re arriving by car. If you’re not driving, the nearest bus stop is a 4-5 minute walk away. There’s no late-night bus service, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to move around at night.

Also worth noting: every year from mid-July through August, the inn is booked out by student club training camps, so reservations aren’t possible during that window.

When I stayed, the guests were mostly repeat visitors, construction workers, tourists, and anglers, with very few white-collar businesspeople.

Smoking is allowed in the entrance lobby, so you’ll notice a faint smell of cigarettes there, but it’s completely gone once you’re in your room.

The exterior looks a little dated, but the interior is spotlessly cleaned — a genuinely tidy, pleasant tatami room. The bathroom is spotless too.

The onsen has a cozy indoor bath and a separate outdoor bath. It’s a gentle, alkaline simple hot spring with a smooth, silky feel on the skin.

Dinner is sukiyaki, and as you can see in the photo, the portions are seriously generous! Some women might not be able to finish it all. Two meals included runs ¥7,000 — relatively cheap compared to other hotels and inns around Lake Suwa.

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-58-7633
Address	長野県諏訪市渋崎１７９２−３４４
Access	5km / about 15 min by car from Kamisuwa Station or Suwa IC
Check-in	3:00 PM (last check-in: 9:30 PM)
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

Loopia Inn Nanko

“Loopia Inn Nanko” is about a 5-6 minute walk from the nearest Kamisuwa Station.

Here’s the hotel’s breakfast hall and its buffet-style breakfast. Being able to get a well-balanced meal first thing in the morning is a real plus.

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-52-0401
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り3-3-4
Access	5-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM
Check-out	11:00 AM
Map

Hama no Yu

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Hotel Name	Hama no Yu
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-58-8000
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り3-3-10
Access	5-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM (last check-in: 9:00 PM)
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

RAKO Kanoi Hotel

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Hotel Name	RAKO Kanoi Hotel
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-52-0401
Address	長野県諏訪市高島2-1200-3
Access	Shuttle available from JR Kamisuwa Station (scheduled service, reservation required, 2:30-5:00 PM); about 8 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM (last check-in: 5:00 AM)
Check-out	11:00 AM
Map

Aburaya Ryokan

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-52-2222
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り3-4-16
Access	5-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM
Check-out	11:00 AM
Map

Kamisuwa Station Hotel

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-57-0001
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り４－１０－１５
Access	3-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM
Check-out	11:00 AM
Map	<

Hotel Route Inn Kamisuwa

Overall Rating	4.0
Location / Access	4.0
Service	3.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.0
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.0

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	050-5576-8011
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り4-9-25
Access	5-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

Suwa Lakeside Hotel

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-53-5353
Address	長野県諏訪市高島2-1201-48
Access	About 10 min from “Suwa IC” on the Chuo Expressway / about 5 min by car from JR Kamisuwa Station
Check-in	3:00 PM (last check-in: 12:00 AM)
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

Suwa-koen

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Basic Information
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	050-5576-8011
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り4-9-25
Access	5-min walk from JR Kamisuwa Station; about 15 min from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

Hotel Beniya

Overall Rating	4.5
Location / Access	4.5
Service	4.5
Room	4.5
Hot Spring	4.5
Food / Taste	4.5
Value for Money	4.5

Hotel Name	Hotel Beniya
Area	Nagano / Kamisuwa
Phone	0266-52-5050
Address	長野県諏訪市湖岸通り1-12-7
Access	15-min walk from JR Chuo Line Kamisuwa Station. About 15 min by car from the Chuo Expressway’s Suwa IC.
Check-in	3:00 PM (last check-in: 10:00 PM)
Check-out	10:00 AM
Map

Wrap-Up

I’ve introduced 10 hotels that are perfect for travel or business — how did they look to you? Every one of them has a great location for getting around Lake Suwa, and each makes for a relaxing stay in its own right!

Free from the daily grind of work and life, you can enjoy sightseeing and great food, or simply unwind and recover.

Lake Suwa is about 2 hours away whether you’re coming from the Tokyo or Osaka area, so use a little time off to head out there and recharge!