Kadowaki-kan is a family-run inn in the Nakao area of Nozawa Onsen, Nagano, that calls itself a Japanese-style guest house. It has 16 tatami rooms, its own hot-spring baths and a dining hall serving home cooking with rice and pickles it grows itself. Before you book, three things matter: online plans are suspended, so you book by phone or email; rooms have no private toilet or bath; and the Japanese price list is before tax.
Kadowaki-kan in Nozawa Onsen at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 6481 Toyosato, Nozawa Onsen, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano |
| Rooms | 16 Japanese-style rooms, up to 50 guests, elevator |
| Bathroom | Shared toilets on each floor; shared hot-spring baths |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 10:00 |
| Hot spring | Source: Taki-no-yu; one bath each for men and women |
| Adult rate (Japanese site) | 10,000 yen with dinner and breakfast, before tax |
| Booking | Phone or email (online plans suspended) |
| Parking | Free, next to the inn, 20 cars, one per room |
From the official Japanese and English pages, read October 14, 2026.
How to book Kadowaki-kan
Why can’t I book online?
The inn’s online booking engine shows every plan as suspended, in Japanese and in English. The Japanese top page explains that winter bookings from abroad fill early and its website updates lag behind, and asks guests to book by phone. The English page asks for a fax or an email. The practical route is a call to 0269-85-2400 (+81 269 85 2400 from abroad) or an email to the address listed on the official site.
Is the English page up to date?
Use it for the basics only. Its price table is blank and some sections still refer to 2016 and 2019. Where it disagrees with the Japanese pages, on payment, bath hours, meal times and the door-closing time, ask the inn which applies to your stay. The room type is assigned by the inn.
Rooms and facilities at Kadowaki-kan
All 16 rooms are tatami rooms with heating, air conditioning and a TV, in sizes from 6 to 10 mats plus a 20-mat hall for groups. There is no toilet or bath in the rooms; each floor has shared toilets with bidet seats, separated by gender. Wi-Fi works in every room, coin lockers in the basement are free, and the building is non-smoking, with an ashtray outside the entrance. Towels, a bath towel, a toothbrush and a yukata are provided, and on longer stays the linens are changed after 3 nights.
The baths at Kadowaki-kan
What is the inn’s own bath like?
There is one indoor bath each for men and women, fed by the Taki-no-yu source. The inn states that the water is recirculated and filtered, heated and has water added. A hair dryer, soap and shampoo are provided. The Japanese and English pages give different opening hours, so check them at check-in.
Can I use the village’s public baths?
Yes. Nozawa Onsen has 13 free public baths with free-flowing hot spring water, and the nearest, Nakao-no-yu, is about 2 minutes on foot. They cannot be used late at night, from 23:00 to 6:00, for security reasons.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos or a private bath. Ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Kadowaki-kan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Meals are served in the dining hall. The inn names seasonal hot pots, grilled beef short rib and sashimi among its popular dishes. It grows its own Koshihikari rice, nozawana greens and vegetables such as daikon and leeks, and serves its own nozawana pickles. The dining times appear only on the English page, so confirm them with the inn.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The official pages do not say. Ask by phone or email when you book.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment at Kadowaki-kan
How much does a stay cost?
The Japanese site lists these per-person rates for one night, before tax:
| Guest | Room | Dinner | Breakfast | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (junior high and up) | 6,500 yen | 2,500 yen | 1,000 yen | 10,000 yen |
| Elementary school child | 5,900 yen | 2,500 yen | 1,000 yen | 9,400 yen |
| Child aged 3–6 | 4,000 yen | 2,500 yen | 800 yen | 7,300 yen |
From the official Japanese site, read October 14, 2026.
On top come 10 percent consumption tax, the village’s 3.5 percent accommodation tax on the room charge and a 150-yen bathing tax per adult. For an adult, the site shows a total of 11,378 yen. The village does not charge accommodation tax when the room-only rate is under 6,000 yen, and children under 12 are exempt from bathing tax; see our onsen bathing tax guide. A stay without meals costs 1,500 to 2,000 yen more per night, one guest in a room is priced separately, and New Year, Saturdays, nights before holidays and holiday weekends may cost more.
What about children under 3?
The price list covers elementary school children and children aged 3 to 6. Younger children are not listed, so ask the inn.
What is the cancellation policy?
20 percent from 14 to 7 days before, 50 percent from 6 to 3 days, 70 percent 2 days before and 100 percent the day before or on the day. Over New Year and holiday weekends, 50 percent applies from 20 days before. Fees are paid by bank transfer or registered cash mail. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Both language versions mention cash. They list different cards and payment apps, so confirm with the inn which ones it takes. The Japanese page adds that a card payment is made per room, not per person.
Getting to Kadowaki-kan in Nozawa Onsen
From JR Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus takes about 25 minutes to Nozawa Onsen; get off at the Nakao stop and walk about 5 minutes. An express bus also runs from Nagano Station. In summer, the inn offers a minibus pickup from Iiyama or Togari-Nozawaonsen Station for groups of 10 or more; arrange it by phone. Drivers park free next to the inn, one car per room, and may be directed to a paid lot when it is full.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Kadowaki-kan
- Book by phone or email; the online plans are suspended.
- In winter, the front desk opens at 7:00 for early arrivals, but after a snowfall drivers should come after 8:00 so the parking lot can be cleared.
- On winter Sundays, you can leave luggage and change after checkout, except over New Year and holiday weekends.
- Keep cash for the bathing tax and confirm the payment method before you arrive.
- Pack for shared bathrooms: toilets and baths are down the hall.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book Kadowaki-kan online?
Do the rooms at Kadowaki-kan have a private bathroom?
What time is check-in at Kadowaki-kan?
What is the cancellation policy at Kadowaki-kan?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Kadowaki-kan?
Bottom line (2026): Kadowaki-kan is a simple, family-run tatami inn in Nozawa Onsen with its own hot-spring baths, home-grown rice and a 2-minute walk to a free public bath. Book by phone or email, budget for tax on top of the listed rates, and confirm anything the English page states with the inn.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Kadowaki-kan’s official pages: home (Japanese), guide, facilities, plans and rules, public baths, access and the English page, and from the Nozawa Onsen village office pages on accommodation tax and bathing tax. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check with the inn before you book.
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