Your host's favourites near soaH

あすなろワイン食堂

The place I go when I want genuinely good food within walking distance. I start with a beer or a glass of Lambrusco, a rare red sparkling wine here. The counter is lined with seasonal big-plate dishes (about ten in winter) and I always order the three-dish platter first, then pick what's next by browsing the menu and peeking at what other tables ordered.

What to orderThree-dish platter from the counter + Lambrusco

Good forCouples and groups up to 4 (small restaurant). Book ahead.

Approx. hoursDinner only. Closed Mon. Booking recommended

居酒屋 こいこい

A casual izakaya in Echoland with genuinely good food, and an easy walk from the house. When there are five or six of you, this is the one I'd pick: it's not huge, but it has more seats than Asunaro, including tables, so a group can sit together.

Good forGroups of 5–6. Book ahead.

Approx. hoursDinner only. Closed Mon. Booking recommended

クレープリー ガレージ

There aren't many places open early, and I'd rather not send you to Starbucks on holiday, so for breakfast this is my pick. It's delicious and open from the morning. On a sunny day it's a nice distance for a morning walk (a bit far in winter). Have a coffee there, or pick one up at satoru coffee on the way back.

What to orderA crêpe or galette with coffee

Good forBreakfast and a morning walk on a sunny day.

Approx. hoursMorning to noon. Irregular holidays

八方の湯

The same Happo Onsen water as Mimizuku no Yu (silky, strongly alkaline, straight from the source), right by the Happo bus terminal. The building is newer, cleaner and a bit bigger.

PriceAdults ¥850 (as of Oct 2026)

Good forEasy to combine with skiing at Happo or the bus.

Approx. hoursDaytime to evening

A hugely popular café, open weekdays only. Great for lunch or a coffee break: the burgers are good, and the cakes, especially the cheesecakes, are really good.

What to orderA burger, or cheesecake with coffee

Approx. hoursMorning to afternoon. Closed Sat & Sun

蕎麦酒房 膳（ZEN）

At night it's an izakaya where you drink, eat well and finish with a bowl of soba, and the food is genuinely good. It's also one of Hakuba's most popular soba places at lunchtime, with long queues at weekends.

What to orderDrinks and small plates, then soba to finish

Good forGroups too. Book ahead for dinner; expect a queue at weekend lunch.

Approx. hoursLunch & dinner. Closed Tue & Wed. Booking recommended

呑者屋（のんじゃえ）

Gather around the jingisukan pot and grill lamb and vegetables together: a lively, fun dinner. The menu is big, so there's something for everyone. Save room to finish with soba; you're in Nagano, after all.

What to orderJingisukan to share, then soba to finish

Good forGroups and families. Book ahead.

Approx. hoursLunch & dinner

みみずくの湯

Natural hot-spring water straight from the source, never recirculated. Great mountain views and an old-school bathhouse feel. It's Happo Onsen water: strongly alkaline (around pH 11), silky and a little slippery, the kind locals call a 'beauty bath' because your skin comes out smooth.

PriceAdults ¥650 (as of Oct 2026)

Good forAnyone who wants mountain views and an old-school onsen.

Approx. hoursDaytime to evening

倉下の湯

Not clear water here: it's iron-rich and reddish-brown, also straight from the source. There's just one big outdoor bath, and it has real atmosphere. One of the places I take friends when they visit.

PriceAdults ¥800 (as of Oct 2026)

Good forAnyone who wants something different from the clear Happo water.

Approx. hoursAfternoon to evening (from morning on weekends)

白馬ジャンプ競技場

An easy walk from the house, partly on a footpath cars can't use. If you're lucky there's a practice session on, and seeing the jumpers up close is genuinely thrilling. The neatly kept lawn sits a little above the village, so it's a lovely spot to sit and gaze at the mountains or the town, and the Olympic monument is there too. Take the lift up: the start tower has an exhibition from the Nagano Olympics, a café with a view for coffee or lunch, and standing at the jumpers' start gate is an experience you won't get many places.

What to orderRide the lift up to the start tower (Olympic gallery inside, SKY CAFE on the 4th floor)

PriceLift: adults ¥460, children (6–15) ¥280 (as of Oct 2026)

Approx. hoursLift 8:30–16:30 (Dec–Mar 9:00–15:30). May close on competition days

HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR（白馬岩岳）

If you've never been, go at least once, with or without children.

Approx. hoursOpen in the green season and winter. Check the official site for dates and prices

八方尾根（名木山ゲレンデ）

For Happo-one, my recommendation is to park at Parking No. 6 and ride up from the Nakiyama slope.