Shirakaba Resort Ike No Taira Hotel  

On the shore of Shirakaba Lake in Tateshinamachi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano Prefecture — a lakefront Shirakaba Highlands resort about 26 km from Saku city center. Winter-friendly location with an on-site ski area and direct bus packages from Shinjuku and Nagoya for easy arrival.

A longtime Shirakaba Highland dormitory reborn in spring 2023, this hotel blends decades of history with a fresh redesign. The property features a lakeside hot-spring facility with beautiful views of Shirakaba Lake. Guest rooms are straightforward and comfortable, typically offering a TV and slippers; the hotel is elevator-accessible. Open-air mixed onsen requires swimsuits, and both mixed and gender-separated baths are available so families and couples can choose how they soak.

Standout on-site features include the lakeside onsen (open-air mixed and separated), a sauna and spa center, a gym, bar and restaurant, plus laundry and elevator access. In winter the resort runs a ski area with a ski equipment rental center. Multilingual staff (English, Chinese, Cantonese) make international stays smoother — and you can actually wake up to fresh Shirakaba-lake mornings.

A FOODHALL-style restaurant serves a generous buffet dinner with about 70 worldwide options — crab, sushi, sashimi and steak all served buffet-style without additional charge. On-site bar rounds out evening drinks; seafood and classic Japanese choices feature prominently.