Nojiriko Hotel El Bosco

El Bosco Nojiriko Hotel is probably one of our favorite hotels in Japan. We've only been there twice, but since living here for a dozen years, we've tended to travel to lots of different places in Japan rather than keep returning to the same places, so twice is a compliment to this hotel. As others have stated, the cost is a bit expensive, but considering its location on its own peninsula along a mountain lake, the high quality of the food, and the overall attentiveness of the staff, it's nice to splurge once in a while. As some reviewers have mentioned, it is in a remote location, and I personally would suggest coming by car; there really is so much to see within the surrounding mountains that would be missed without your own transportation. I heartily recommend driving through nearby Togakushi; especially the walk to the upper-shrine lined with tall 400-year old cedars is magical. The hotel is furnished in a casual but modern and understated but I think elegant fashion, with attention to natural woods and large windows that immerse you in the surrounding forest. Both times that we have visited, we were so happy with the presentation and taste of the dinner. This last time, we splurged and came for one of the hotel's combined wine tasting events with St. Cousair Winery. They shuttled us over to the winery, where we had a little break before going for an extra shuttle ride to the outer old-vine vineyards for a personal tour by the winemaker. There, the winery has a small two-story log building where we overlooked the vineyards and surrounding valley while tasting five or six white wines along with aged cheese and smoked deer. Because corking fees were waived for wines purchased during the event, we brought back a bottle of Nagano Chardonnay to have with dinner. I'm surprised to say that I think the winery's Chardonnay compares quite favorably with those in a similar price range (~$30) from my home-state of California. Overall, we had a very pleasant stay at the El Bosco Nojiriko Hotel.