Kamesei Ryokan - A Tattoo-Friendly Hot Spring in Chikuma, Nagano

The garden catches you first. Koi drift through a stone-edged pond, azaleas line the path, and beyond the sliding doors the lobby opens to an irori hearth — a sunken fireplace ringed by rocking chairs where guests gather in the evenings. Kamesei Ryokan sits in Togura-Kamiyamada, a quiet onsen town along the Chikuma River in central Nagano.

Four generations have run this inn. The current owner, Tyler, is American — he manages the 12-room ryokan with his wife Mari and built one of the outdoor baths himself, hauling river stones into the garden to create what he calls the 100-Year Bath. He greets guests in English, explains the bath rotation, and walks you through each course of a kaiseki dinner sourced from Nagano farms. A dedicated vegan menu draws guests on its own.

If you want a traditional ryokan soak where tattoos are accepted in every bath and you can ask anything in English, Kamesei is the simplest answer in Nagano.

• English-Speaking Innkeeper: Tyler, the American owner, runs the ryokan with his wife Mari — fluent English from check-in through kaiseki dinner to bath etiquette.
• Tattoos Accepted in All Baths: Recent guests confirm tattooed bathers use the communal indoor baths, outdoor rotenburo, and private baths without covers or questions from staff.
• Owner-Built Outdoor Bath: The 100-Year Bath is a river-stone tub Tyler built by hand in the garden — the kind of detail that only exists at a family-run place.
• Kaiseki with a Vegan Option: Multi-course dinners feature seasonal Nagano ingredients, with a dedicated vegan menu that guests specifically seek out.

The 100-Year Bath is where most guests stay longest — a river-stone tub set among garden trees, open to the sky, warm enough to hold you through a Nagano winter night. Inside, the communal baths are tile-lined and spacious, running 24 hours on source-flowing water. Men's and women's sides swap at nine in the evening, so overnight guests get both layouts. The Shinano-Buro, a private outdoor bath bordered by hinoki cypress in its own garden section, can be reserved at the front desk. Select rooms come with private open-air tubs for bathers who want to soak on their own schedule. The pace here is unhurried — fill the tub, step in, look up at the trees.

✈️ Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airport → 🚅 Shinkansen to Nagano Station (approximately 80-100 minutes) → 🚆 Shinano Railway to Togura Station (25 minutes) → 🚙 Free shuttle from Togura Station (reservation required)

🚅 Nagano Station → 🚙 30-minute drive by taxi or rental car

🚆 Togura Station → 🚶‍♂️ 15-minute walk or 🚙 3-minute shuttle ride

Booking at Kamesei Ryokan is straightforward with their English-language website, though we recommend mentioning tattoos when making your reservation to ensure the smoothest experience. The owners personally respond to inquiries, often within 24 hours.

🌐 Website: https://kamesei.jp/en/

📞 Phone: +81 26-275-1032

📍 Address: 2-15-1 Kamiyamada Onsen, Chikuma, Nagano 389-0821, Japan

📧 Email: info@kamesei.jp