A hillside home in Matsunoyama, Tokamachi (Niigata) — deep-snow country, surrounded by rice terraces. A farmhouse where one party at a time stays, with three tatami rooms and a ten-mat living room — up to 11 guests. Extended stays and pets welcome. Two minutes by car to the nearest hot spring (Ikoi-no-yu); four minutes to the Matsunoyama Onsen town (Taka-no-yu), one of Japan’s three great medicinal hot springs.
A three-storey house of timber and reinforced concrete, 286m² in total. The second floor — including the entrance and all bathing and cooking rooms — is yours alone, one party at a time. Tatami rooms, futons, a wide living room. Left as-is, in the old way — perfect for family and friends to gather.
Around us, one of the snowiest regions in Japan (over 4m of snowfall). Two minutes by car to the nearest hot spring (Ikoi-no-yu), four minutes to the Matsunoyama Onsen town, three minutes to the local ski field. Licence No. M150062846.
Only the second floor is used (119.24m²). Three rooms, a living room, the wet areas, entrance and corridor — all yours, one party at a time.
* Kitchen, bath, basin, toilet, hall and corridor are also on the second floor. The first floor is available as garage and garden.
Open filed floor plan (PDF) ↗Kitchen, bath, washroom, garden, garage and more — tap to enlarge.
On the first floor we have a barbecue area for guests only. It is a covered space, so a little rain is no problem. Gather around the charcoal with family and friends for a lively evening. Available until 21:00 (out of consideration for the neighbours).
Flat rate regardless of party size. Split among eleven, that’s about ¥3,600 per person per night.
For gatherings without overnight: up to 25 people. The ~12-tatami kitchen/dining, the 10-tatami living room, and the 8-tatami Guest Room 2 can be opened up into one continuous space by sliding back the fusuma — over 40 mats of room for funerals, reunions, retreats, photo shoots.
Things to know before you book. An old farmhouse operates a bit differently from a regular hotel.
Matsunoyama Onsen stands with Arima (Hyōgo) and Kusatsu (Gunma) as one of Japan’s three great medicinal hot springs. Its source is not volcanic but “geopressure” — fossil seawater trapped in rock layers for some 12 million years, erupting back up at around 90°C. So salty you can taste it, with mineral concentrations over fifteen times the minimum for a therapeutic spring. Known for healing cuts, burns, skin conditions and poor circulation, and for a warmth that stays with you long after you leave the bath.
The closest onsen to the house — 2 min by car, 10 min on foot. Attached to Matsujusou, a Tokamachi senior welfare facility, but you don’t need to be elderly or a local resident: anyone can walk in and bathe. Almost always empty. Hours are short — check before you go.
* Times shown per bath. Use the house’s indoor bath for quick washes, and mix in the public onsen the rest of the time.
Amamizushima Hills welcomes dogs. Because this is an old wooden farmhouse — and out of consideration for other guests, our village neighbours, and most of all your dog’s own comfort — we ask a few things of you. Please read before booking.
We cannot accept responsibility for illness, injury, or trouble with other animals during your stay. Please look after your dog’s health and check the nearest veterinary clinic before travelling.
Ask us firstCats, large breeds, or 3+ dogs — use the contact formFew supermarkets up here, but the food is serious. The places your host goes to.
A ramen shop good enough that chefs from 3-star Tokyo restaurants come to eat here. Their signature dish is hand-pulled noodles made with rice flour and Matsunoyama onsen spring water — served as char-siu ramen, summer hiyashi-chuka, and a yakiniku-don over pork. Your first bowl in Matsunoyama.
A soba shop with its own tempura chef. Delivery to Amamizushima Hills is possible (please arrange in advance).
Near Nasté-View. If you ask in advance they’ll drive you back to the house afterwards. A crossroads of local regulars.
The [SUMMER VENUE] of two restaurants run by the same chef who switches venue with the season. Inside Daigonji Highland Campsite, open late April – early November. Signature dishes: niku-miso-men (meat-miso noodles), sasa-onigiri set, sanmaa-men. In winter (December – March) the same chef moves to Resthouse Yukitsubaki inside Matsunoyama Onsen Snow Park, serving the same menu.
The [WINTER VENUE] of two restaurants run by the same chef who switches venue with the season. Inside Matsunoyama Onsen Snow Park, open while the ski resort runs (roughly December – March), 9:00–17:00 (L.O. 16:00). In summer (late April – early November) the same chef runs Restaurant Kibo-kan at Daigonji Highland — the same signature niku-miso-men, sasa-onigiri set and sanmaa-men are served at both venues.
Over 4m of snowfall a year. One window, four different worlds. Open year-round.
Matsunoyama’s calendar of rituals and rice work. Time your stay right and you can join in.
The Matsunoyama land around the house — terraces, hamlet, snow.
In November 2022, on my first visit to Matsunoyama, I was captured by the beauty of the rice terraces and satoyama hills. With no prior ties to this land, I decided "I want a place of my own here," and bought a small villa in the Nakatsubo hamlet (about a 10-minute walk from Amamizushima Hills).
Normally I work in Tokyo, and travel back to Matsunoyama 2–3 times a month. The eaves that bend under the snow, the steam rising from the onsen, the early-morning light on the rice terraces — these are things only someone who keeps walking this land through every season can really know.
I will happily plan your itinerary from the perspective of "a host who keeps coming back to Matsunoyama" — neither a local resident nor a tour operator. Skiing, onsen-hopping, terrace walks, local food — we will build it freely around your wishes.
Feel free to reach out below.
Practical tips for a mountain-village stay.
Within about fifteen minutes by car, you have most of what Matsunoyama offers.
Feel free to ask about plans and custom arrangements. Writing to us directly is the most reliable (Japanese & English). Booking.com is also available.
2026-03-24 certificate of compliance issued (No. 475).