After initial disappointment with places looking full I managed to get the Youth Hostel owner to speak to a place just outside Nagano which luckily had a room for me. Nagano held the 1998 winter olympics but I’m off a bit further outside the city in the hope of finding snow monkeys to share my onsen with at Yudanaka. I’ve booked into a traditional ryokan called Uotoshoi Ryokan in Yudanaka. At £18.50 UKP a night it’s not that bad for Japan 🙂
Have a look at the Jogokudani Yaen-koen Wild Monkey Park – there’s also a webcam!