Reference price as of August 8, 2026 (stay 2026-08-29). US$ is an approximate conversion from yen. Check the booking site for actual rates.
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forumWhat families say
Rakuten Travel rating 4.50 out of 5 (29 reviews). Guests praise the star-filled sky at 1,500 m, the 22-tatami-mat playroom where children never get bored, the course meals featuring gibier (wild game) and seasonal ingredients, and the warm hospitality of the owner family. It is a small hideaway pension popular both with families who return with their children and with training-camp groups and skiers.
Kids Facilities
Playroom
Playroom
A 22-tatami-mat playroom below the dining room, with Plarail train sets, a trampoline, an Anpanman slide and an indoor slackline for beginners. Children can play here while the adults eat.
- •Guests are asked to put the toys away after playing
Bed-wetting sheets, kids' ski wear and other items to borrow
Bed-wetting sheets, kids' ski wear and other items to borrow
- paymentsPrice:Free for guests
Bed-wetting sheets are free to borrow, and if you ask in advance they will be put on when the bed is made up. Kids' ski wear (sizes 80-160), boots for young children and sleds can also be borrowed free of charge.
- •The free ski wear is limited in number
- •If the ski wear you want is not available, it can be arranged as a paid rental
- •Goggles and sunglasses are not available in sizes for young children, so bringing your own is the surest option
Baby food and meals for preschool-age children
Baby food and meals for preschool-age children
Baby food is made to suit your child's age in months, costs 880 yen for two meals and requires a reservation. Preschool-age children are, as a rule, served portions shared from the adults' dishes, with rice and breakfast bread provided as a courtesy. Side dishes such as curry and spaghetti can also be ordered on the spot.
- •Tell the pension your child's age in months and any allergies when booking
- •Freeze-dried or microwavable baby food may be brought
- •To prevent food poisoning, guests are asked not to bring homemade baby food
- •You can discuss which ingredients to remove for allergies, but last-minute requests may not be possible to accommodate
Guided wild mountain vegetable and mushroom foraging
Guided wild mountain vegetable and mushroom foraging
- calendar_monthSeason:Seasonal
Guided plans run for wild mountain vegetable foraging from May to June and for mushroom foraging from July to early November. The rate for one night with two meals is 9,900 yen for elementary school children and 16,500 yen for adults, for 2 or more guests. Outings depart at 1 p.m. and last about 2 hours, and what you gather is served at dinner.
- •Mushroom foraging may involve driving to the site, so it is limited to guests arriving in their own car
- •Mushroom foraging in July and August is held on an irregular schedule
- •Mushrooms cannot be taken home
Categories
Overview
Pension Kiraboshi stands at an elevation of 1,500 m on Mine-no-Hara Kogen in the Sugadaira highlands. Its services for families include a 22-tatami-mat playroom, bed-wetting sheets to borrow free of charge, baby food (reservation required, 880 yen for two meals) and consultation on allergy-friendly meals. The slopes are just a short walk away, and kids' ski wear can be borrowed free of charge, in limited numbers. Families can use the bath privately, though it is not large.
Rooms
The rooms are Western-style, and as a rule each has 3 beds. There are 2 family rooms for 4 guests, and these can also be joined as connecting rooms. Two of the Western-style rooms are 3-bed rooms with a combined bath-and-toilet unit. If you have small children, pushing all 3 beds together means you need not worry about anyone falling out. Room size, the maximum age for co-sleeping, the number of people per bed and cribs are not stated, so please confirm when booking. The basic rate for preschool-age children is without a bed and without meals; adding a bed costs an extra 1,430 yen. Bed-wetting sheets are free to borrow, and if you ask in advance they will be put on when the bed is made up. The pension asks for stays of 2 or more guests, and an additional charge applies if a room has fewer than 2 adults.
Dining
Dinner is a Western-style course built around seasonal vegetables. From April to June it is a wild mountain vegetable course, in autumn a hot pot of mountain mushrooms, and in winter either a Western-style course or a hot pot. Meals for preschool-age children are, as a rule, portions shared from the adults' dishes, and even then rice and breakfast bread are provided as a courtesy. If you add meals for a preschool-age child, they get the same menu as the adults in smaller portions, and the two meals cost an extra 3,300 yen. Side dishes such as curry and spaghetti can be ordered on the spot. Elementary school children eat the same menu as adults. Baby food is made to suit your child's age in months, costs 880 yen for two meals and requires a reservation; tell the pension your child's age in months and any allergies when you book. You may bring freeze-dried or microwavable baby food, but to prevent food poisoning, guests are asked not to bring homemade baby food. The pension does not store guests' food or drinks in its refrigerator or freezer. For allergies, you can discuss which ingredients to remove, and past requests have included egg, wheat, dairy, soy, buckwheat, chicken and beef. Last-minute requests may not be possible to accommodate, so be sure to mention allergies when booking. According to the pension's allergy information, the guest rooms and other areas are carpeted, and the pillows vary: some contain a small amount of buckwheat husk, and others are down or polyester-fill.
Bath
Families can use the bath privately, though it is an ordinary bath and not a large one. Shampoo, conditioner and body soap are provided. The pension recommends nearby day-trip onsen, such as Yukkurando, 20 minutes by car and open until 10 p.m. Whether children in diapers may get into the tub is not stated, so please confirm with the pension.
Family-Friendly Features
A 22-tatami-mat playroom sits below the dining room, so children can play while the adults eat. It has Plarail train sets, a trampoline and an Anpanman slide, plus an indoor slackline for beginners. Hot water for formula is available on request. Spare disposable diapers are sold at the pension, and a toilet-training seat is also available. In winter, kids' ski wear (sizes 80-160), boots for young children and sleds can be borrowed free of charge, though the free ski wear is limited in number. Goggles are not available in sizes for young children, so bringing your own is the surest option. The slopes are just a short walk away, and at Mine-no-Hara Kogen Ski Area, elementary and junior high school students ride the lifts free of charge. The ski area also has a childcare facility, but on the Mine-no-Hara side it is open only over the New Year holidays and on weekends, and you must apply by the day before. Mine-no-Hara Kogen Ski School offers kids' lessons for children in the middle and final years of kindergarten, and the pension can make the reservation for staying guests. Komorebi Hiroba, about a 2-minute walk away, also has play equipment. Sugadaira Kogen Clinic, 5 minutes by car, is open every day in summer and winter and on an irregular schedule at other times. The night and holiday medical centers in Ueda and Suzaka are about 30 minutes away by car. Because of the high elevation, temperatures are about 7°C lower than in the lowlands, so please pack an extra layer, such as a long-sleeved jacket. In winter (December to March), the windows cannot be left open, and a heating charge of 1,100 yen per room per night applies. The building is non-smoking.
Access
The pension is 30 minutes from the Ueda-Sugadaira IC or the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway. By train, it is about 50 minutes by taxi or rental car from Ueda Station or Nagano Station; there is no pickup from bus stops or the slopes. Parking is free for up to 10 cars. Check-in is from 3 p.m. (last check-in at 1 a.m. the next morning), and checkout is at 10 a.m. Late checkout costs 1,100 yen per room until 12 p.m., or 2,200 yen until 3 p.m. Room charges are paid in cash; credit cards and QR-code payments are not accepted. An English introduction to the pension is also available. The pension operates at its current location until November 9 and plans to move to a newly built property 300 m further up in late December. Room and facility details are based on information from before the move, so if you are staying after the move, please confirm the details and the address in advance.
Access & Information
| location_onAddress | 3153-726 Nirei Mine-no-Hara Kogen, Suzaka, Nagano 386-2211 |
|---|---|
| directions_carAccess | About 30 minutes by car from the Ueda-Sugadaira IC or the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway. By train, it is about 50 minutes by taxi or rental car from Ueda Station or Nagano Station (there is no shuttle service from bus stops). |
| trainNearest station | Ueda Station (Nagano) |
| local_parkingParking | Free parking for about 10 vehicles, and medium-sized buses can park as well. If the lot is full, just let the staff know and they will direct you. |
| callPhone | +81-268-74-3644 |
| languageOfficial site | https://www.p-kirabosi.jp/open_in_new |
Map
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Reference price as of August 8, 2026 (stay 2026-08-29). US$ is an approximate conversion from yen. Check the booking site for actual rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ages is Pension Kiraboshi best suited to?
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It has facilities that work especially well for babies and toddlers (ages 0 to 2) and children aged 3 and over. There is no age limit, and families with children of any age can stay.
Is there parking at Pension Kiraboshi?
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Parking: Free parking for about 10 vehicles, and medium-sized buses can park as well. If the lot is full, just let the staff know and they will direct you.
How do you get to Pension Kiraboshi?
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About 30 minutes by car from the Ueda-Sugadaira IC or the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway. By train, it is about 50 minutes by taxi or rental car from Ueda Station or Nagano Station (there is no shuttle service from bus stops).
Can we bring baby food, and can it be warmed?
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You may bring freeze-dried or microwavable baby food. To prevent food poisoning, however, guests are asked not to bring baby food they have made themselves.
Can we order baby food?
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Yes. With a reservation, baby food can be prepared for 880 yen for two meals. It is made to suit your child's age in months, so you need to tell the pension the age in months when booking.
Can we borrow ski wear for our children?
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A few sets of ski wear for young children and kids in sizes 80-160 are available to borrow free of charge. Boots for young children are also provided.
Can we rent goggles or sunglasses for a young child?
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Goggles or sunglasses are recommended to prevent snow blindness, but they are not available to rent in sizes for young children, so bringing your own is the surest option. Paid rentals are available for adults and elementary school children.
What are meals like for preschool-age children?
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As a rule, preschool-age children are served portions shared from the adults' dishes. If you add meals for them, they get the same menu as the adults in smaller portions.
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Information on this page was compiled by directly consulting Official website, Rakuten Travel (last verified: October 2026). Prices, availability and seasonal operations change. Please check each booking site for the latest information.
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