This article answers that question.
I used ADDress for six months and stayed at several of its houses in Nagano. Here is my candid account of what those houses are actually like.
Let's get into it.
Every ADDress house in Nagano Prefecture
At the time of writing, ADDress members can use these nine houses in Nagano.
- Matsumoto A: share house (Sasaga, Matsumoto City)
- Shinano-Omachi A: share house (Omachi, Omachi City)
- Iizuna A: hotel/ryokan (Mure, Iizuna Town, Kamiminochi District)
- Nagano B: share house (Minami-Ishido-cho, Nagano City)
- Shiojiri A: share house (Niekawa, Shiojiri City)
- Karuizawa A: detached house (Nagakura, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District)
- Hakuba A: guest house (Hokujo, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District)
- Hakuba B: guest house (Chikuni, Otari Village, Kitaazumi District)
- Ina A: guest house (Nishimachi, Ina City)
Nagano is a large prefecture, so the count is high. Seeing all of its sights takes two to four weeks — worth knowing before you plan.
Here is each house in turn.
Iizuna A — kitchen / 1 private parking space (free)
What it was like
Cleanliness: ★★★★☆ Security: ★★★★☆
Everything with plumbing — the shared bath and washbasin on the first floor, the toilet on the second — was kept clean. The kitchen is on the small side, but you can tell everyone uses it carefully. Rooms are private and lock. The caretaker's family appears to live on the first floor, so the building as a whole feels secure.
About the house
It operates in partnership with a small ryokan, Marutame. The nearest station is about a minute on foot, and a supermarket and convenience store are both walkable. The shopping street around the house also has vintage clothing shops and share houses, so you meet people from all over. The café attached to the house is small and calm.
☆About the caretakers☆
A four-person team: the resident proprietress, a woman from Iizuna, a man from Kagoshima and a man from Osaka.
Nagano B — no kitchen (microwave, fridge and kettle) / no private parking
What it was like
Men and women are on separate floors, which helps. But this is a guest house, so the sleeping areas are built like a capsule hotel and divided only by curtains. On security it rates below ADDress houses that offer private rooms.
Showers and toilets are shared within each floor. Perhaps because it was busy while I was there, the women's facilities were not especially clean. The men's toilet and shower room, by contrast, were reportedly spotless.
This is true of every house: a lot depends on who stayed the night before. The common area is very clean and calm, so I would recommend it if you want to work or sightsee around the station.
About the house
Three minutes on foot from Nagano Station, in partnership with Mash Café & Bed NAGANO. The café bar on the first floor doubles as a coworking space open until 21:00. The drink bar is free for your whole stay — coffee, cola, whenever you want. The cups disappear at night, so claiming one for yourself early is the trick to this house.
Events are sometimes held on the road out front; during my stay a retro car event had the street buzzing.
I know nothing about cars, but it was fun to watch.
☆About the caretaker☆
A woman who also works as staff at the café.
Hakuba A — kitchen / 2 private parking spaces (500 yen per day)
What it was like
Cleanliness: ★★☆☆☆ Security: ★★★☆☆
A team of four runs this house. The resident caretaker is a student managing the place alongside their studies. The entrance is a little hard to find, so confirm the way in when you book.
It is not a spotless inn, but it was comfortable and easy to settle into. Rooms are private and lock. The bathtub is out of service and evidently not cleaned, so go in knowing that.
About the house
Hakuba is a resort you can enjoy year-round — skiing in winter, hiking in summer. Hakuba A is two minutes from Hakuba Station with a supermarket nearby, which makes daily life easy. One of the four caretakers manages New Fujiya, a local tavern that has become a gathering spot for members — it even keeps bottles set aside for ADDress members.
Apparently ADDress's president drops by New Fujiya often, and left those bottles behind on one such visit. If you want to meet other members, go.
☆About the caretakers☆
Four men. I met the resident student and two of the older men; the fourth is apparently a rare sighting. The one who works at New Fujiya was great company — plenty of ADDress news, plus local gossip.
Hakuba B — kitchen / 6 private parking spaces (free; paid December–March)
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
It opened recently and I have not made it there. If you are a member who has, I would be glad to hear your review.
About the house
Registered with ADDress only in July, in partnership with the hostel UNPLAN Village Hakuba. It sits at the foot of the Tsugaike Kogen ski resort. Every seat in the first-floor lounge has power, making it a comfortable coworking space. As at Hakuba A, there is something to do year-round: skiing and snowboarding in winter, canoeing and trekking in the green season.
☆About the caretaker☆
A woman from Aichi who says she wants to share both the encounters and the natural beauty of Hakuba.
Matsumoto A — kitchen / 10 private parking spaces (free)
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
I have not been yet. If you can help with a review, please do.
About the house
Located in the Liba-tei Matsumoto share house, with a wide, open common area. It gets good light and is a relaxed place to work. Each private room has its own shower and toilet. The share house's concept is "less loneliness, less hunger," which means all the rice and eggs you can eat — a good pick for a long stay.
☆About the caretaker☆
A man who manages both the share house and a Kleingarten-style stay-over allotment garden.
Shinano-Omachi A — kitchen / no private parking
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
I have not been yet. If you can help with a review, please do.
About the house
A ryokan converted into a share house. On clear days you can look out at the Northern Alps. Shinano-Omachi Station, the nearest stop, is also a departure point for sightseeing buses, so the Kurobe Dam and the ski resorts around Hakuba are easy to reach — a good base if you want to sightsee and be active.
☆About the caretaker☆
A man from Yamanashi who goes by the cheerful motto "let's flutter and grin."
Shiojiri A — kitchen / no private parking
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
I have not been yet. If you can help with a review, please do.
About the house
Partnered with Shukuba noir Sakakin, an old-house share house and guest house. You are joining a household of more than ten people, so it is always lively — shared meals, shared workouts, plenty of contact. Recommended if you want to meet a lot of people.
☆About the caretaker☆
A man who moved from Yamanashi. He works broadly across secondhand collection and resale, vintage clothing and more.
Karuizawa A — kitchen / 5 private parking spaces (free)
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
I have not been yet. If you can help with a review, please do.
About the house
Originally lodging for staff of a nearby ryokan. Harunire Terrace is within walking distance for easy sightseeing, and every private room looks out on the kind of scenery you come to a resort town for. A good choice if you want to leave the noise behind and slow down.
☆About the caretaker☆
A man from Fukui who loves to talk.
Ina A — kitchen / 1 private parking space (500 yen per day)
What it was like
Cleanliness: not yet Security: not yet
I have not been yet. If you can help with a review, please do.
About the house
Two minutes from JR Ina-shi Station, in a district of long-standing shops with a Showa-era feel. The building holds a Japanese kappo restaurant on the first floor, a machiyado inn on the second and the ADDress rooms on the third. The coworking space in the machiyado is where people mix. The neighbourhood mixes shops run by second and third generations with newcomers and returnees, and every generation seems busy.
☆About the caretaker☆
A man who works widely as a startup consultant for companies and individuals and as a mental coach.
In summary: choose your Nagano house by what you want to see
We have only visited Nagano once, so I have stayed at just three of the houses. Three is not many, but here they are in the order I would recommend them.
Note: If you would be willing to contribute a review, I would be delighted to hear from you.
To meet people: Hakuba A
The kitchen and living room see a lot of member traffic, and the tavern run by one of the sub-caretakers, New Fujiya, always has a manager who is warm and good company.
It is apparently well known as a drinking spot for ADDress members. Time it right and you will spend the evening with members who move from house to house across the country.
The nearby Starbucks, a collaboration with Snow Peak, is also worth a stop. Snow Peak tables and chairs fill the interior and a tent is pitched outside. Coffee under a Snow Peak tent with the mountains in front of you is not a bad way to spend an hour.
For Zenkoji Temple: Nagano B
Nagano Station is walkable and Zenkoji is about fifteen minutes on foot. The road there is lined with restaurants and general stores, so take your time. If sightseeing around the station is your priority, Nagano B is the clear pick — though you probably won't meet many members here.
For a quiet stay in the countryside: Iizuna A
If you want a quiet place to rest and a local shopping street to wander, Iizuna A is the one. There are supposedly four caretakers, but I only met the resident proprietress. She was calm and kind, and the house was genuinely comfortable. One morning she brought me juice pressed from freshly picked apples. Free parking is a nice touch too.
✓ A request for reviews
Reviews posted on the ADDress site show your name, which tends to mean only positive reviews get written. So if you would rather review anonymously — or you want to help grow the membership — I would be grateful for your take on any of these houses.
That is every ADDress house in Nagano. Did any of them catch your eye? I am on Instagram if you have impressions or questions.
See you next time.
Frequently asked questions
How many ADDress houses are there in Nagano Prefecture?
Nine at the time of writing: Matsumoto A, Shinano-Omachi A, Iizuna A, Nagano B, Shiojiri A, Karuizawa A, Hakuba A, Hakuba B and Ina A. They range from share houses and guest houses to properties run in partnership with a ryokan.
Which ADDress houses in Nagano have free parking?
Iizuna A (1 space), Matsumoto A (10) and Karuizawa A (5) are free. Hakuba B (6) is free too, but charges from December to March. Hakuba A and Ina A cost 500 yen per day for one space.
How long does it take to see all of Nagano?
It is a large prefecture, so covering all of its sights takes two to four weeks. Worth knowing as a rough guide.
