Destination Dining
Ryokan whose cuisine Japanese guests consistently single out as a reason to go.
40 ryokan
Dinner is half the point of a ryokan stay: a multi-course kaiseki built on local, seasonal ingredients, usually included in the price along with breakfast. The inns in this category are the ones Japanese guests consistently single out for the food itself — not just for generous portions.
Styles vary. Some serve dinner in your room, others in private dining rooms or at a counter, and many build the meal around a regional speciality such as winter crab, local wagyu or river fish. Our reports also say where reviewers found the food uneven, over-portioned or not worth the price, and whether vegetarian or allergy requests can be met.
Dinner usually starts at a fixed time in the early evening, so a late arrival can mean a rushed or shortened meal — plan to check in early.
Compare at a glance
| Ryokan | Area | Price | Overall Score | Cuisine | Onsen Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiiragiya | Kyoto | Luxury | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Dogo Funaya | Dogo Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| Nishimuraya Honkan | Kinosaki Onsen | Luxury | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.6 |
| Sumiyoshiya | Nozawa Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.8 |
| Yagyu no Sho | Izu | Premium | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Arima Onsen Kinzan | Arima Onsen | Premium | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Dogo Onsen Dogokan | Dogo Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Ito Onsen Toshinan Komeya | Ito | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Oyado Eitaro (Hirayu Onsen) | Okuhida Onsen | Value | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Shibu Onsen Shunran no Yado Sakaeya | Shibu Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| Tobira Onsen Myojinkan | Matsumoto | Luxury | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Tsukioka Onsen Hirosekan Hiten no Ne | Tsukioka | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Tsukioka Onsen Mashu | Tsukioka | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| Ryotei Hanzuiryo | Unzen Onsen | Luxury | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Yufuin Souan Kosumosu | Yufuin | Premium | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Kanazawa Yuwaku Onsen Kokarian | Yuwaku | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Akan Tsuruga Bessou Hinanoza | Lake Akan | Premium | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Asaba | Izu | Luxury | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Shukaen Yunohanazen | Atami | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Beppu Onsen Hotel Shiragiku | Beppu | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| Jozankei Onsen Nukumori no Yado Furukawa | Jozankei Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Kinosaki Onsen Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei | Kinosaki Onsen | Premium | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 |
| Kusatsu Onsen Kanemidori | Kusatsu Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Kanamean Nishitomiya | Kyoto | Luxury | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| Kinsuikan | Miyajima | Premium | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Noboribetsu Onsen Kashoutei Hanaya | Noboribetsu Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Shibu Onsen Tamakyu Ryokan | Shibu Onsen | Value | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 |
| Shiobara Onsen Yumori Tanakaya | Nasushiobara | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Kamisuwa Onsen Nunohan | Kamisuwa | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.3 |
| Unzen Fukudaya | Unzen Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Yudanaka Onsen Aburaya Tosen | Yudanaka Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Yumura Onsen Asanoya | Yumura Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Awara Onsen Grandia Housen | Awara Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Beniya Mukayu | Kaga Onsen | Premium | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Ibusuki Shusuien | Ibusuki | Classic | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Oyado Kiyomizuya | Noboribetsu Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Yuyado Unzen Shinyu | Unzen Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| Unzen Onsen Azumaen | Unzen Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Yumura Onsen Tomiya | Yumura Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.8 |
| Hirugami Onsen Nitchoan Keigetsu | Hirugami | Classic | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
KyotoLuxury
Fuyacho-Anekoji, Nakagyo, Kyoto — in the city centre, a short walk from Kyoto City Hall
9 sources
Hiiragiya
柊家
Kyoto's 1818 inn of writers and film stars — near-flawless service and kaiseki, koyamaki-wood baths, and no hot spring
- Historic Ryokan
- Destination Dining
Dogo OnsenClassic
Dogo Onsen, Matsuyama, Ehime — three minutes' walk from Dogo Onsen Station, near the Honkan bathhouse
13 sources
Dogo Funaya
道後温泉 ふなや
Dogo's oldest inn — Soseki and Shiki wrote haiku here — with a 1,500-tsubo firefly garden and some of Shikoku's best-rated breakfasts, in a big, modern-looking building
- Historic Ryokan
- Destination Dining
Kinosaki OnsenLuxury
Kinosaki Onsen, Toyooka, Hyogo
9 sources
Nishimuraya Honkan
西村屋本館
Kinosaki's grand old ryokan wins on service and crab — just know the private baths aren't onsen
- Historic Ryokan
- Destination Dining
Area photoNozawa OnsenClassic
Nozawa Onsen, Nagano — beside the Ogama hot-spring cauldrons, a couple of minutes' walk from the Yu-road to the ski slopes
12 sources
Sumiyoshiya
野沢温泉 村のホテル 住吉屋
An 1869 wooden inn beside Nozawa's boiling Ogama springs — stained-glass baths, near-perfect scores for its local cooking, and water so hot you'll need to go slowly
- Historic Ryokan
- Destination Dining
Area photoIzuPremium
Shuzenji Onsen, Izu, Shizuoka — in a bamboo grove about 10 minutes by taxi from Shuzenji Station
9 sources
Yagyu no Sho
柳生の庄
Fifteen sukiya rooms in a bamboo grove, Kyoto-style kaiseki in your room and empty garden baths — superb food and calm, but some rooms are showing their age
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoArima OnsenPremium
Arima Onsen, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo — up the hill from Taikō-bashi bridge, a little apart from the old town, about 3 minutes' walk from Arima Onsen Station (the inn recommends its free shuttle for the steep climb)
9 sources
Arima Onsen Kinzan
有馬温泉 欽山
Arima's adults-most-of-the-year 'ryotei ryokan': Kyoto-style kaiseki served in your room, brown kinsen in the shared baths and 14 renovated rooms with their own silver-spring bath — the other 17 have none, and a couple of 2025 diners felt the food had slipped
- Destination Dining
Area photoDogo OnsenClassic
Dogo Tako-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime — on a rise above the Dogo Onsen tram terminus, about six minutes' walk from Dogo Onsen Station and five from the Honkan bathhouse
11 sources
Dogo Onsen Dogokan
道後舘
Kisho Kurokawa's postmodern take on an Edo inn town, on the hill above Dogo: some of Shikoku's best-rated kaiseki and service, nine rooms with their own open-air onsen bath — but the shared baths are recirculated and the building shows its age
- Design-Led
- Destination Dining
Area photoItoClassic
Kamata, Itō, Shizuoka — tucked into a bamboo grove up a short slope, a 5-minute walk from Minami-Itō Station, or 7 minutes by the inn's free shuttle from JR Itō Station
10 sources
Ito Onsen Toshinan Komeya
伊東温泉 淘心庵 米屋
A 17-room 'ryotei ryokan' in an Itō bamboo grove where every room has its own free-flowing onsen bath and the monthly kaiseki is served in a private dining room — but there are no views to speak of, some cheaper rooms face walls, and the old building is full of steps
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoOkuhida OnsenValue
Hirayu Onsen, Okuhida Onsen-gō, Takayama, Gifu — a 1-minute walk from the Hirayu Onsen bus terminal, about 20 minutes by bus from Kamikōchi
9 sources
Oyado Eitaro (Hirayu Onsen)
平湯温泉 お宿 栄太郎
A small family-run Hirayu inn by the bus terminal where a Gifu master chef's Hida-beef kaiseki and three untouched hot springs — with two free 24-hour private baths — earn near-perfect scores; the rooms are plain and small, with no baths of their own
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoShibu OnsenClassic
Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — one lane off the stone-paved main street in the middle of Shibu Onsen; 7 minutes by taxi or 10 by bus from Yudanaka Station, with a free inn shuttle at set times
10 sources
Shibu Onsen Shunran no Yado Sakaeya
渋温泉 春蘭の宿 さかえや
A young, prize-winning team and a creative Shinshu kaiseki that Japanese guests rate near-perfect, in a modern, spotless 23-room house — but the shared baths are modest, private baths come only with the two suites or at extra cost, and the car park is reached up narrow one-way lanes
- Destination Dining
Area photoMatsumotoLuxury
Tobira Onsen, in the mountains above Matsumoto, Nagano
7 sources
Tobira Onsen Myojinkan
扉温泉 明神館
A valley hideaway with a famous standing bath, warm service and a new MICHELIN Key — the French dinner wins guests over, the Japanese course less so
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoTsukiokaClassic
Tsukioka Onsen, Shibata, Niigata — in the small hot-spring town, about 20 minutes by shuttle bus from JR Toyosaka Station or 25 minutes by car from the Toyosaka Niigata-Higashikō IC
9 sources
Tsukioka Onsen Hirosekan Hiten no Ne
月岡温泉 広瀬館 ひてんの音
A 12-room family inn in Tsukioka with emerald sulphur water, two free private baths and both meals served in your room — guests love the food and service, but some rooms are dated, winter heating can be a kerosene heater, and the water runs hot
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoTsukiokaClassic
Tsukioka Onsen, Shibata, Niigata — in the middle of the small hot-spring town, a short walk from the public footbath, about an hour by direct bus from Niigata Station
9 sources
Tsukioka Onsen Mashu
月岡温泉 摩周
An adults-only Niigata inn where emerald-green sulphur water fills four garden rotenburo and dinner is a Niigata kaiseki of A5 wagyu, nodoguro and Koshihikari — but only the outdoor tubs use spring water, and the private bath costs extra
- Destination Dining
Area photoUnzen OnsenLuxury
Unzen Onsen, Nagasaki — secluded villas in a wooded garden at the edge of the hot-spring village
12 sources
Ryotei Hanzuiryo
雲仙温泉 旅亭 半水盧
Fourteen private villas of 250㎡ each, kaiseki served in your own tatami room and a milky, tingling acidic spring — superb privacy, but a grand 1992 inn now showing its age
- Destination Dining
- Secluded Retreats
Area photoYufuinPremium
Kawakami, Yufuin, Oita — set back from the Yunotsubo shopping street, a couple of minutes' walk from Lake Kinrin and about 15 minutes on foot from JR Yufuin Station
9 sources
Yufuin Souan Kosumosu
由布院温泉 草庵秋桜
A 12-room 'cooking inn' remodelled by Seven Stars train designer Eiji Mitooka, steps from Lake Kinrin, with free-flowing spring water in every bath and open-air tubs in the cottages — but it sits on Yufuin's busiest strip, the shared baths are small and the cheapest rooms have only a shower
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoYuwakuClassic
Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa, Ishikawa — a small hot-spring village in the hills about 40 minutes by car or bus from Kanazawa Station, two minutes' walk from the Yuwaku Onsen bus stop
10 sources
Kanazawa Yuwaku Onsen Kokarian
金沢湯涌温泉 古香里庵
Four suites, each with its own onsen bath, in a quiet hot-spring village outside Kanazawa — known for its creative Hokuriku kaiseki, beef shabu-shabu breakfast, free drinks and 22:00 curry udon; the water is recirculated, the baths have little view, and there's no shared bath or lift
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoLake AkanPremium
Akankoonsen, Kushiro, Hokkaido — on the shore of Lake Akan in the onsen town, about an hour by car from Kushiro or Memanbetsu airport
10 sources
Akan Tsuruga Bessou Hinanoza
あかん鶴雅別荘 鄙の座
Lake Akan's adults-only flagship: 25 suites, each with an open-air onsen bath, nearly all drinks included and Hokkaido seafood kaiseki in private rooms — but lake views vary sharply by room, the room baths are recirculated, and the price is steep
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoIzuLuxury
Shuzenji, Izu City, Shizuoka
13 sources
Asaba
あさば
A 540-year-old ryokan with a working Noh stage, and service that isn't always as polished as the history
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoAtamiClassic
Wadahama-minami-chō, Atami, Shizuoka — facing Atami Port, where the Hatsushima and Ōshima ferries leave, about 10 minutes by the inn's free, reservation-only shuttle from JR Atami Station (or a Tōkai bus to the Atami-kō stop, a minute's walk away)
11 sources
Shukaen Yunohanazen
秀花園 湯の花膳
A 23-room harbour-front inn that won Japan's Ryokan Koshien in 2025, famous for in-room dinners of whole simmered kinmedai and a front-row view of Atami's fireworks — but the shared baths are recirculated, most rooms allow smoking, and it can't adjust meals for allergies
- Destination Dining
- Easy From Tokyo
Area photoBeppuClassic
Kamitanoyu-machi, central Beppu, Oita — beside Beppu Park, a 7-minute walk from the west exit of JR Beppu Station
9 sources
Beppu Onsen Hotel Shiragiku
別府温泉 ホテル白菊
A big, mostly tatami-room hotel-ryokan near Beppu Station, loved for its free welcome lounge, pâtissier-made breakfast sweets and a 265-tatami free-flowing bath — but it's a 1970s tower with busy shared baths, some thin walls and a 2026 data-breach notice
- Destination Dining
Area photoJozankei OnsenClassic
Jozankei Onsen, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido — in the middle of the hot-spring town, right by the Yunomachi bus stop, about 50 minutes by car from central Sapporo or one hour on the inn's free shuttle from Ōdōri
9 sources
Jozankei Onsen Nukumori no Yado Furukawa
定山渓温泉 ぬくもりの宿 ふる川
Jozankei's best-loved big inn: handmade kaiseki, a breakfast buffet people rave about, free drinks in three lounges and staff who make a fuss over birthdays — but only a few rooms have their own onsen, the bathhouse is a walk away, and 2026 brought some upkeep and privacy lapses
- Destination Dining
Area photoKinosaki OnsenPremium
Kinosaki Onsen, Toyooka, Hyogo — at the far end of the onsen town in a 50,000-tsubo (about 16 ha) forest garden, about 25 minutes' walk or 5–15 minutes by free bus from JR Kinosaki Onsen Station
10 sources
Kinosaki Onsen Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei
城崎温泉 西村屋ホテル招月庭
Nishimuraya's big modern sister hotel in a forest garden: warm, polished service, kaiseki or Italian-French dinners and three themed private onsen spas — but the in-room open-air baths are plain heated water, the shared baths are recirculated, and breakfast is an ordinary buffet
- Destination Dining
Area photoKusatsu OnsenClassic
Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma — on a back lane behind the Honke Chichiya manjū shop, about three minutes' walk (steeply uphill on the way back) from the Yubatake and five from Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal
9 sources
Kusatsu Onsen Kanemidori
昔心の宿 金みどり
A 30-room Kusatsu inn, founded in 1902 as a restaurant, that guests choose for its nine-course dinners and two free-flowing springs — but the rooms have no views, the private baths cost extra and the portions defeat many
- Destination Dining
Area photoKyotoLuxury
Nakagyō, central Kyoto — on Tominokōji street south of Rokkaku, about 10 minutes' walk from Shijō subway station and 12 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station
9 sources
Kanamean Nishitomiya
要庵西富家
An eight-room sukiya inn in the heart of Kyoto where dinner is the point — a Michelin-starred kaiseki kitchen you tour before eating, hinoki baths in every room, and two MICHELIN Keys since 2026 — but it isn't an onsen, the water runs very hot, and old floors carry sound
- Destination Dining
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoMiyajimaPremium
Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima — on the seafront road between the ferry pier (about 5 minutes' walk) and Itsukushima Shrine (about 3 minutes), backing onto the Omotesando shopping street
9 sources
Kinsuikan
錦水館
A 1902-founded, sixth-generation inn on Miyajima's seafront with a free-drinks rooftop terrace facing the great torii and much-praised oyster-and-anago dinners — but the baths are its weak spot: a heated cold spring in the shared baths, and artificial mineral water or plain hot water in the in-room and private baths
- Destination Dining
Area photoNoboribetsu OnsenClassic
Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido — at the entrance to the hot-spring town beside the Kusurisanbetsu river, by the Tsutsujibashi bus stop, about 10 minutes by bus from JR Noboribetsu Station
9 sources
Noboribetsu Onsen Kashoutei Hanaya
登別温泉 花鐘亭はなや
A 21-room inn in a town of big hotels: milky free-flowing sulphur water, both meals served in your room and free draft beer and sake all stay — but the baths are tiny, the walls thin and the building showing its age
- Destination Dining
Area photoShibu OnsenValue
Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — on a narrow lane right next to Take-no-yu, the fourth of Shibu's nine public baths; from Yudanaka Station take the bus to Shibu Wagōbashi, or drive 20 minutes from the Shinshu-Nakano exit of the Joshin-etsu Expressway
12 sources
Shibu Onsen Tamakyu Ryokan
渋温泉 玉久旅館
A family-run, eight-room Showa-era inn where the family's third generation cooks a playful Japanese-Western dinner that Japanese guests rate 5.0, with two small free-flowing cypress baths and Shibu's nine public baths on the doorstep — but rooms have no bath, the cheaper ones no toilet, and the old wooden building is steep and thin-walled
- Destination Dining
Area photoNasushiobaraClassic
Ōami, at the entrance to Shiobara Onsen, Nasushiobara, Tochigi — above the Hōki River gorge on the old Route 400, right by the Shiobara-Ōami bus stop (53 minutes by JR bus from Nasu-Shiobara Station) and about 15 minutes by car from Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC
10 sources
Shiobara Onsen Yumori Tanakaya
塩原温泉 湯守田中屋
A family-run gorge-side inn at the gateway to Shiobara, loved for charcoal irori dinners, warm service and free-flowing water in every bath — but the famous riverside baths sit about 300 steps below, are mostly mixed-bathing, and two of the four are closed until about 2028
- Destination Dining
- Easy From Tokyo
Area photoKamisuwaClassic
Kamisuwa Onsen, Suwa, Nagano — on the lakeshore road a minute's walk from Lake Suwa, 7 minutes on foot from Kami-Suwa Station, about 2½ hours from Shinjuku by limited express
9 sources
Kamisuwa Onsen Nunohan
上諏訪温泉 ぬのはん（布半）
The century-old inn where Suwa's first drilled hot spring was struck in 1920, known for award-winning kaiseki in private garden dining rooms and summer fireworks launched right in front — but the baths are recirculated, small outdoors and have no lake view, and low-floor 'lake view' rooms see the lake through trees
- Historic Ryokan
- Destination Dining
Area photoUnzen OnsenClassic
Unzen Onsen, Nagasaki — on the quieter edge of the hot-spring village, about five minutes' walk from the Unzen Jigoku vents and roughly 55 minutes by car from JR Isahaya Station
10 sources
Unzen Fukudaya
雲仙福田屋
Milky, free-flowing sulphur water in eight baths and a much-loved kaiseki with lava-grilled abalone and cheese fondue, at fair prices — but most main-building rooms have tap-water baths, and the old building is a maze of steps
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoYudanaka OnsenClassic
Yudanaka Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — on the Yomase River in the middle of the onsen town, an 8-minute walk (or 2-minute free shuttle) from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway
9 sources
Yudanaka Onsen Aburaya Tosen
湯田中温泉 あぶらや燈千
Yudanaka's modern alternative: top-floor mountain-view baths, a rooftop bar and sushi made at your private dining table — but only some rooms have been renovated, and the older ones show their age
- Destination Dining
Area photoYumura OnsenClassic
Yu, Shin'onsen-chō, Mikata District, northern Hyōgo — a castle-like building two minutes' walk from the Yumura Onsen bus stop and a few minutes from the steaming Arayu spring; about 25 minutes by town bus from JR Hamasaka Station, about 3 hours by express bus from Osaka-Umeda, and about 45 minutes by car from Yōka-Hyōnosen IC
10 sources
Yumura Onsen Asanoya
湯村温泉 朝野家
A big, old-school Yumura inn loved for handmade monthly kaiseki in private dining rooms, Tajima beef and Hamasaka crab, and 98°C spring water that runs even from the washbasin taps. The catch: the large baths are only partly free-flowing, chlorinated and two floors underground, and the building shows its age
- Destination Dining
Area photoAwara OnsenClassic
Funatsu, Awara Onsen, Awara, Fukui — among rice fields on the edge of the spa town, about 15 minutes by car (free pre-booked shuttle) from Awara-Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, a 7–8 minute walk from Awara-Yunomachi Station on the Echizen Railway, and about 15 minutes from Kanazu IC
10 sources
Awara Onsen Grandia Housen
あわら温泉 グランディア芳泉
A big, polished 111-room onsen ryokan famous for its live-cooking dinner buffet and all-inclusive lounge, with a quieter kaiseki annex — but every bath, including the in-room tubs, is heated, recirculated and chlorinated
- Destination Dining
Area photoKaga OnsenPremium
Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa
9 sources
Beniya Mukayu
べにや無何有
A calm, design-led ryokan with an onsen on every terrace and a kitchen that wins Japanese critics over — the layout is where it stumbles
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoIbusukiClassic
Yunohama, Ibusuki, Kagoshima — a few minutes' walk from the public sand baths, about 5 minutes by the inn's shuttle from JR Ibusuki Station
9 sources
Ibusuki Shusuien
いぶすき秀水園
The ryokan that topped Japan's professional cuisine ranking for 40 straight years — miso-grilled abalone, Kagoshima black pork and a devoted room attendant — though the streak ended in 2024, and the baths and building lag behind the food
- Destination Dining
Area photoNoboribetsu OnsenClassic
Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido — a small Japanese-style inn backing onto a stream at the quiet edge of the hot-spring town, about ten minutes' walk from the Noboribetsu Onsen bus terminal
11 sources
Oyado Kiyomizuya
登別温泉 御やど清水屋
A former kappo restaurant turned small Noboribetsu inn: 13-course kaiseki served in your room at both meals and milky, free-flowing sulphur water — in an old building with small baths, mould and insects in some rooms
- Destination Dining
Area photoUnzen OnsenClassic
Unzen Onsen, Nagasaki — in the middle of the hot-spring village, a few minutes' walk from the Unzen Jigoku vents and about 60 minutes by car from Isahaya IC
12 sources
Yuyado Unzen Shinyu
ゆやど 雲仙新湯
A 1908 inn with four hot springs of its own and a sea-bream shabu-shabu kaiseki from Shimabara produce, at fair prices — but only four rooms have their own onsen bath, one shared bath is recirculated, and the old building shows its age
- Destination Dining
Area photoUnzen OnsenClassic
Unzen Onsen, Unzen, Nagasaki — on the shore of Oshidori Pond at the quiet edge of the hot-spring town, about 80 minutes by bus from Isahaya Station, with free pickup from the Unzen bus stop
9 sources
Unzen Onsen Azumaen
雲仙温泉 東園
A big, older lakeside ryokan where every room looks over Oshidori Pond, the baths run on the inn's own free-flowing spring and dinner ends with sushi made at your table — but only 8 of 27 rooms have a private bath, the main baths are a long walk away, and the building shows its age
- Destination Dining
Area photoYumura OnsenClassic
Yu, Shin'onsen-chō, Mikata District, northern Hyōgo — on the hillside at the foot of Mt Tenjin above Yumura Onsen, a few minutes' walk from the steaming Arayu spring; about 20 minutes by bus from JR Hamasaka Station and about 45 minutes by car from Yōka-Hyōnosen IC
10 sources
Yumura Onsen Tomiya
湯村温泉 とみや
A seafood wholesaler's inn on the hill above Yumura, with its own free-flowing hot-spring source, a woodland open-air bath and fish-heavy dinners few people finish, at modest prices. The catch: a tired Shōwa-era building with smells, insects and almost no extras
- Destination Dining
Area photoHirugamiClassic
Hirugami Onsen, Achi Village, Shimoina, Nagano — about two minutes' walk from the Hirugami Onsen bus stop and ten minutes by car from the Iida-Yamamoto exit of the Chūō Expressway
10 sources
Hirugami Onsen Nitchoan Keigetsu
昼神温泉 日長庵 桂月
A 20-room inn in the 'starry village' of Achi with huge kōyamaki-wood baths of silky pH 9.7 water and the rare Murasawa beef — but the big baths are partly recirculated, 2026 guests say the outdoor tubs are gone, and the building shows its age
- Destination Dining
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Photo credits
- Hiiragiya — the frontage on Anekoji-dori, Kyoto · Mariemon / CC BY 3.0
- Dogo Funaya — the entrance, Dogo Onsen · CT-May / CC0
- Nishimuraya Honkan — the gate in snow, Kinosaki · Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oyu public bathhouse, Nozawa Onsen, Nagano · 小石川人晃 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shuzenji Onsen, Izu · 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Arima River through Arima Onsen, Kobe · Wpcpey / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dogo Onsen Honkan at dusk, Matsuyama · Japanexperterna.se / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ito Onsen along the Okawa River, Ito, Shizuoka · Sakaori / CC BY 3.0
- The Kamata River near Shinhotaka Onsen, Okuhida, Gifu · Tmv / CC BY 4.0
- Shibu Onsen at dusk, Yamanouchi, Nagano · Totti / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Utsukushigahara plateau, above Matsumoto · MitsunoriEgawa / CC BY 4.0
- Footbath in Tsukioka Onsen, Shibata, Niigata · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Unzen Onsen town from Mount Myoken, Nagasaki · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Mount Yufu from Yufuin Station · Kitayama / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa, Ishikawa · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Lake Akan, Kushiro, Hokkaido · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Ajiro, Atami, Shizuoka · Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beppu city and its hot-spring steam, Oita · Japanexperterna / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jozankei Onsen in winter, Sapporo · MIKI Yoshihito / CC BY 2.0
- Kinosaki Onsen · Davide Mauro / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yubatake at night, Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma · Σ64 / CC BY 4.0
- Arashiyama and the Hozu River, Kyoto · KimonBerlin / CC BY-SA 2.0
- The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine at low tide, Miyajima, Hiroshima · KQuhen / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido · Calistemon / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Autumn colours in Nasushiobara, Tochigi · Raita Futo / CC BY 2.0
- Kamisuwa Onsen, Suwa, Nagano · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Yudanaka Onsen town, Yamanouchi, Nagano · くろふね / CC BY 3.0
- The Arayu spring at Yumura Onsen, Hyogo · KishujiRapid / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The public Ashiyu foot bath at Awara Onsen, Fukui · 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sōyu public bath, Yamashiro Onsen · 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sand bathing on the beach at Ibusuki, Kagoshima · NY066 / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hirugami Onsen, Achi, Nagano · Opqr / CC BY-SA 3.0