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My 5-year-old son and I stayed one night in the Chuggington Room at Hotel Epinard Nasu, just the two of us. Our plan included an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet with around 100 Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes. The room shows its age a little, but it’s full of family-friendly touches like a kids’ washbasin, low beds and plenty of kids’ amenities. Here’s my honest review from a parent’s point of view, including the things to watch out for.

* I paid for this stay myself. Prices and facilities are as of my stay (September 2026). Please check the official website for the latest information.

* This post contains affiliate links. I paid for every stay myself, and my reviews are written the same way whether or not a link is included.

Kid-friendly features at a glance

Item	Rating	Comment
Room size	Excellent	Very spacious for 1 adult + 1 child. We barely used the tatami side
Toy train set	Good	Instant excitement on arrival. But my 5-year-old was a bit bored by day one
Beds	Excellent	Low and against the wall for kids. Plenty of room for 1 adult + 1 child
Washbasin	Excellent	Two heights: one for adults, one for kids
Bath & amenities	Excellent	Lots of kids’ toiletries and a kids’ bath chair
Shower	Watch out	The hot-water tap gets hot — careful with toddlers
Kids’ buffet	Excellent	My son kept going back to the chocolate fountain
Pool	Good	Has a jacuzzi, but you can’t see how crowded it is
Walks nearby	Watch out	No one around, so my son got scared. Not stroller-friendly

Is it a good fit for your child’s age?

Babies and toddlers

There are kids’ bath chairs and kids’ toiletries, and the floor isn’t carpeted, which is reassuring. However, the shower’s hot-water tap gets hot, so keep little hands away from it. The forest area around the hotel isn’t really for strolling with a stroller.

Preschoolers

The toy train set, Chuggington DVDs and the chocolate fountain at the kids’ buffet — there’s so much for kids to love. Children who like Chuggington or trains will have a great time.

Basic information

Hotel	Hotel Epinard Nasu (Nasu, Tochigi)
Stay	September 2026, 1 night
Travelers	Me and my 5-year-old son (mom-and-son trip)
Room	Annex Tower Chuggington Room (non-smoking, Japanese-Western style)
Plan	Chuggington Room plan with an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet of about 100 Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes (dinner and breakfast)
Price	JPY 42,210 (1 adult + 1 child)
Booked via	Ikyu.com (Japanese booking site)
Access	Shuttle bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station

The room (Chuggington Room)

The first thing you see when you walk in is the toy train set, so kids get excited right away. That said, my 5-year-old had pretty much had enough of it after playing on the first day, so it may depend on your child.

There’s a motion sensor at the entrance that plays Chuggington voice clips. But it also goes off whenever you walk to the washroom or toilet, so we switched the unit off during our stay (if you can’t reach it, you could probably ask the hotel staff).

The beds are set quite low for kids and placed against the wall — a true family room. There was plenty of space for one adult and one child. The floor isn’t carpeted either, which I appreciated for hygiene. Besides the lace curtains, there are proper blackout curtains, which was a relief.

The loungewear and hangers are inside a white cabinet on the side of the room, but the door was so stiff at first that I thought it was a staff storage cupboard. Be careful when opening it.

With just one adult and one child, the room felt very spacious, and we hardly used the tatami side. There were Chuggington DVDs on the tatami side, which fans will love. The TV can’t connect to the internet, so no YouTube.

We received a puzzle as a Chuggington Room gift, which was fun to play with before bed. It’s light but bulky, though, so it would be nice to have a choice of gifts.

Overall the room feels a little dated, but it was clean enough. Judging by the room alone, I’m not sure I’d come back, but the easy-to-use washbasin and beds and the generous amenities earn it extra points.

Washbasin, toilet and bath

There are washbasins at adult and child height — very thoughtful. The toilet is like one you’d have at home and may feel a little cramped for adults.

The bath was wonderful, with plenty of kids’ toiletries and a kids’ bath chair. The adult shampoo was really nice too.

The shower has separate hot and cold taps that you adjust yourself. The hot-water tap gets hot, so keep toddlers from touching it.

Dinner and kids’ buffet

The Chuggington plate, a Chuggington Room perk, is quite a big serving and even comes with dessert. If you bring back too much from the buffet for your child before the plate arrives, they probably won’t be able to finish it all.

At the kids’ buffet, my sweet-toothed son kept going back to the chocolate fountain.

Pool, public bath and hotel facilities

The public bath and the pool face each other, so getting around was easy. There’s a jacuzzi inside the pool, so you can warm up when you get cold. The downside is that it’s not a big jacuzzi, and you can’t see from the pool how crowded it is.

As for the public bath, it’s perfectly fine if you just want to warm up.

There’s also a game center, with an old-school feel. It’s worth stopping by if you just want to enjoy playing games, try them out or kill some time.

Unusually these days, the gift shop offered free samples on check-out day, which is handy if you can’t decide what to buy. The staff were friendly overall. The bakery has an eat-in space, and we were glad to have a drink there while waiting for the shuttle bus.

Walking around the hotel

When we went for a walk around the hotel, there was no one else around at all, so my son got scared and we headed back early. It’s not the kind of place for a walk with a stroller.

There were horizontal bars and other equipment, but they seemed more like decorations and too worn to play on. There were animals that weren’t there on a previous stay, which were fun to watch. It’s next to a large parking lot, though, so take care when walking.

Summary

• Kids who love Chuggington or trains will be thrilled the moment they walk in
• Low beds against the wall, washbasins at two heights and plenty of kids’ amenities make it very family-friendly
• The room feels dated but is clean enough. Watch out for the hot shower tap and the stiff cabinet door
• At the kids’ buffet, don’t overfill your child’s plate — the perk plate is a big serving

The room is a little old, but with so many thoughtful touches for families, it was a very satisfying hotel for a stay with a Chuggington-loving child.

Last checked: October 17, 2026