How Enzansō Booking Works (In Simple Terms)
Enzansō sits on the Yari-Hotaka Circuit in Nagano Prefecture. It operates roughly from late April through mid-November, closing completely in winter. The hut doesn't have an English website. Booking happens through their Japanese site only.
They accept reservations up to about two months in advance, though the exact window shifts depending on staffing and mountain conditions. Prices are around ¥9,500–¥10,000 per person per night, including dinner and breakfast. Unlike some huts, Enzansō does not require a deposit in advance. You pay in full when you arrive, in cash.
English availability is limited. Some staff members might speak conversational English, but don't count on it. Japanese is the default. Phone and email are available, but responses are slow and in Japanese.
Weekend slots fill faster. October is shoulder season, which means fewer crowds but also changing weather windows.
Step-by-Step: How I Actually Booked My Stay
Step 1: Found the booking form (Late August)
I searched "Enzanso hut booking" and found their website: enzanso.jp. There's a booking link. I clicked it expecting an English option. There wasn't one. The entire form was in Japanese.
Step 2: Tried Google Translate (August 24, failed)
I loaded the form in my browser and ran Google Translate. It translated the page, but the form fields themselves didn't translate. The input boxes stayed Japanese. I could guess some of it—dates, number of people—but there were fields I couldn't decipher. Dropdown menus. Special characters. A note at the bottom in small text that could've meant anything.
I realized I wasn't completing this alone.
Step 3: Asked a Japanese friend
I messaged a friend in Tokyo who speaks English and had hiked in Japan before. I sent her a screenshot of the form. She replied within an hour: "OK, I can help. Call me."
We did a 15-minute video call. She walked me through each field. Dates here. Number of people there. Room preference. Any dietary restrictions. She corrected me on date format (Japan uses YYYY/MM/DD).
Step 4: Filled out the form (with help)
With her on the call, I filled in the fields in real time. One person, one night, October 9. At the end was a button that said something like "予約を確認" (confirm reservation). I hesitated. She said, "Just click it."
Step 5: Hit submit
The page reloaded. A message in Japanese appeared. My friend read it: "Your reservation is received. You will receive an email shortly with details."
Step 6: Received confirmation email in Japanese
The email arrived the next afternoon. Entirely in Japanese. No English version. I copied it into Google Translate and got the key details: reservation confirmed for October 9 (1 night), ¥9,500, dinner and breakfast included.
Step 7: Needed to change the date
Weather forecast looked bad for October 9. I wanted to move to October 10. I tried emailing the hut directly. No response after two days. So I canceled the reservation through the portal and submitted a new form for October 10. Another confirmation email came in, also entirely in Japanese. Same ¥9,500 price.
Step 8: Showed up on October 10
No advance payment required. No deposit. Nothing. I just showed up at the hut around 2 PM on October 10 with cash and a screenshot of the confirmation email on my phone.
Step 9: Check-in
The staff member at the desk didn't speak English. I showed him my phone with the screenshot of the confirmation email. He read it, nodded, and quoted me the price in Japanese: "Kyuu sen gohyaku en." (¥9,500). I handed him the cash. He counted it, gave me a handwritten receipt, and showed me to my room.
What Surprised Me Once I Arrived
Check-in was straightforward. I showed up at 2 PM with cash. I showed the staff my phone with the confirmation email screenshot. They didn't ask for clarification on the rest.
Staff didn't speak English at all. Communication happened through screenshots, pointing, and observing what other guests did.
Meals were at fixed times. Dinner was at 5:30 PM, breakfast at 6:30 AM. You didn't negotiate timing. You showed up or you missed it. The food was good—rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles, vegetables.
The morning routine was efficient and early. By 4:30 AM, staff were moving around preparing breakfast. The breakfast tray appeared outside your room by 6:30 AM. By 8 AM, the hut had shifted focus to preparing for the next group of guests.
Tips for First-Time Foreign Hikers
The entire booking system is Japanese-only. The form, the emails—all Japanese. Google Translate helps with emails but not with interactive forms. Plan on needing a Japanese-speaking friend for the form.
You don't need to pay in advance. There's no deposit required. No bank transfer. No payment portal. You pay cash when you arrive.
Don't expect email responses. I emailed the hut to change my date. No response. Instead, I just canceled the old booking and submitted a new form for the new date. This worked fine. Don't waste time waiting for email replies.
You can change your booking by canceling and rebooking. If you need to move your date, cancel the old reservation through the portal and submit a new form for the new date. It's easier than trying to modify an existing booking.
Know your dates before you start. Have your intended check-in date locked in. The form requires it in YYYY/MM/DD format. Have a backup date ready in case your first choice is full.
Book earlier than you think. October fills up fast. July bookings for September/October start disappearing. If you want specific dates, submit the form as soon as the booking window opens (usually two months in advance).
Bring enough cash for the full stay. Everything at the hut is cash only. Budget ¥9,500–10,000 per night, plus bus fares, food at the trailhead, and emergencies. ATMs don't exist on the mountain.
Don't expect English from the staff. The staff members I encountered didn't speak English at all. Communication was done through pointing, showing your phone confirmation email, and observing what other guests did. Learn these key phrases: "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you), "sumimasen" (excuse me), and "kore desu" (this one).
Screenshot your confirmation email. You don't need a printed copy. A screenshot on your phone is enough. Show it to the staff at check-in.
Have a backup plan if your dates are full. Being flexible by even one day often opens up availability. Use the cancel-and-rebook method to try different dates.
The Real Lesson
After dealing with all the friction on my trip—Japanese-only forms, translation issues, email delays, language barriers at check-in—I realized this friction existed for hundreds of other hikers every season. So I ended up building japanhuts.com to help people see hut dates, availability, and seasonal closures in one place. It's a small tool, but it exists because booking Enzansō taught me where the gaps were.
If I Were Booking Again, I'd Do This
Submit the form 8–10 weeks before my target date.
Don't wait. Popular dates fill up fast.
Have my Japanese friend on a video call when filling out the form.
Takes 15 minutes with help, hours without.
Pick my final date carefully.
Don't expect to email and get a response. If I need to change, I'll just cancel and rebook.
Forget about the payment portal.
The hut doesn't need your money in advance. Just show up with cash and pay at check-in.
Withdraw cash before heading to the mountains.
Don't rely on ATMs near the trailhead. Bring exact change if possible.
Have a screenshot of my confirmation email ready.
That's all I needed to show the staff.
Accept that there will be no English.
Prepare mentally for this. It's not a problem, just reality. Learn these key phrases: "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you), "sumimasen" (excuse me), and "kore desu" (this one).
Enzansō is worth the friction. The hut is clean, the staff is kind, the meals are honest, and the location is excellent for the Yari-Hotaka Circuit. The booking process isn't complicated once you know what to expect. It's just different from what most Western hikers are used to.
Your job is just to submit the form, lock your date, and show up with cash. The hut does the rest.