Historic Ryokan
Long-established inns and heritage buildings with a documented history.
87 ryokan
Japan has inns run by the same family for centuries, and ryokan in buildings registered as cultural properties. This category gathers the ones with a documented history — founding dates, heritage registrations, famous guests — rather than marketing claims of 'tradition'.
History has trade-offs that Japanese reviewers are frank about: wooden buildings carry sound, corridors and stairs are rarely barrier-free, rooms can be cold in winter and old bathrooms small. Some heritage rooms don't accept children or close periodically for conservation.
Each report separates what is genuinely old from what was rebuilt, and tells you which rooms are in the historic wing — often the reason to book, and sometimes priced higher.
Compare at a glance
| Ryokan | Area | Price | Overall Score | Cuisine | Onsen Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiiragiya | Kyoto | Luxury | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Mukaitaki | Aizu-Wakamatsu | Classic | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Mikiya | Kinosaki Onsen | Classic | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Tawaraya Ryokan | Kyoto | Luxury | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Dogo Funaya | Dogo Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| Notoya Ryokan | Ginzan Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Nishimuraya Honkan | Kinosaki Onsen | Luxury | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.6 |
| Sumiyoshiya | Nozawa Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.8 |
| Takayu Onsen Adachiya | Takayu Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Onyado Chikurintei | Takeo Onsen | Premium | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Araya Totoan | Kaga Onsen | Premium | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Zao Onsen Uta no Yado Wakamatsuya | Zao Onsen | Classic | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Nakanobo Zuien | Arima Onsen | Premium | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| Atami Taikanso | Atami | Classic | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| Yunoshimakan | Gero Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Fukuzumiro | Hakone | Classic | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Chigira Jinsentei | Ikaho Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
| Kamenoi Bessou | Yufuin | Premium | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan | Nishiyama Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Tsurunoyu Onsen | Nyuto Onsen | Value | 4.5 | 4.3 | 2.8 |
| Okutsuso | Okutsu Onsen | Premium | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Yachi Onsen | Oirase & Towada | Classic | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Tsuta Onsen Ryokan | Oirase & Towada | Classic | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
| Miyamaso Takamiya | Zao Onsen | Classic | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Tosen Goshobo | Arima Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| Asaba | Izu | Luxury | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Atami Onsen Furuya Ryokan | Atami | Premium | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Okamotoya Ryokan | Beppu | Classic | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| Yado Hanaya Tokubei | Dorogawa Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| Rankeiso | Echigo-Nagano Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| Ikaho Onsen Nagomigokoro no Yado Omori | Ikaho Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya | Nasushiobara | Classic | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Ochiairo | Izu | Luxury | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Sanyoso | Izu | Premium | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| Kanamean Nishitomiya | Kyoto | Luxury | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| Misasa Onsen Kiya Ryokan | Misasa Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Ryokan Ohnuma | Naruko Onsen | Value | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Yamazato no Iori Soen | Okuhida Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Sekizenkan | Shima Onsen | Value | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Kanaguya | Shibu Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Yukairo Kikuya (Kyoritsu Resort) | Izu | Classic | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Kamisuwa Onsen Nunohan | Kamisuwa | Classic | 4.4 | 4.6 | 3.3 |
| Takayu Onsen Ryokan Tamagoyu | Takayu Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Ryokan Omuraya | Ureshino Onsen | Value | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Yamanaka Onsen Shirasagiyu Tawaraya | Kaga Onsen | Classic | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Yugawara Onsen Itoya | Yugawara | Classic | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Kutsurogijuku Shintaki | Aizu-Wakamatsu | Value | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten | Dogo Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
| Gora Kadan | Hakone | Premium | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Hoshi Onsen Chojukan | Minakami | Classic | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| Kinosaki Onsen Yamamotoya | Kinosaki Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Kusatsu Onsen Boun | Kusatsu Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
| Iwaso | Miyajima | Premium | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| Nasu Kogen no Yado Sansuikaku | Nasu-Yumoto Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.0 |
| Shibu Onsen Kokuya | Shibu Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| Arai Ryokan | Izu | Classic | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| Chorakuen | Tamatsukuri Onsen | Value | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Tateshina Shinyu Onsen | Tateshina | Classic | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Ureshino Onsen Taishoya | Ureshino Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| Yugawara Onsen Gensen Uenoya | Yugawara | Classic | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Yukiguni no Yado Takahan | Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen | Classic | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Kinokuniya Jinpachi | Dorogawa Onsen | Value | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Hakone Yumoto Onsen Yoshiike Ryokan | Hakone | Classic | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Ikaho Onsen Kishigon Ryokan | Ikaho Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| Ikaho Onsen Moriaki Ryokan | Ikaho Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Ito Onsen Yokikan | Ito | Classic | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Kotohira Kadan | Kotohira | Classic | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Ichii | Kusatsu Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
| Misasa Onsen Izanro Iwasaki | Misasa Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Ryokan Ohashi | Misasa Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Fujisan Ryokan | Hanamaki Onsen | Value | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| Nasu Onsen Sanraku | Nasu-Yumoto Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| Yumoto Choza | Okuhida Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Shima Tamura | Shima Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Yudanaka Onsen Yorozuya | Yudanaka Onsen | Classic | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Densho Sennen no Yado Sakan | Akiu Onsen | Classic | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| Gora Kansuiro | Hakone | Premium | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Hakone Kowakien Mikawaya Ryokan | Hakone | Classic | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Ikaho Onsen Tsukagoshiya Shichibee | Ikaho Onsen | Value | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| Kinugawa Onsen Asaya Hotel | Kinugawa Onsen | Classic | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Houshi | Kaga Onsen | Classic | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Gero Onsen Bosenkan | Gero Onsen | Classic | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Gero Onsen Suimeikan | Gero Onsen | Classic | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| Takeo Onsen Kyotoya | Takeo Onsen | Value | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Ikaho Onsen Fukuichi | Ikaho Onsen | Classic | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| Tonosawa Ichinoyu Honkan | Hakone | Classic | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
| Naruko Onsen Kanshichiyu | Naruko Onsen | Value | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.9 |
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
Aizu-WakamatsuClassic
Higashiyama Onsen, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima — a wooden inn beside the Yukawa river, a minute from the Higashiyama Onsen bus stop
12 sources
Mukaitaki
会津東山温泉 向瀧
Japan's first registered-heritage inn: a former Aizu clan bath retreat with scalding free-flowing water, free private baths and carp dinners in your room — and a lot of stairs
- Historic Ryokan
Kinosaki OnsenClassic
Yushima, Kinosaki, Toyooka, Hyogo — in the heart of the onsen town, two minutes from Goshonoyu
9 sources
Mikiya
城崎温泉 三木屋
Shiga Naoya's inn, rebuilt in wood in 1927 — some of Kinosaki's warmest service and two free private baths, though winter crab doesn't always live up to the price
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKyotoLuxury
Fuyacho-Aneyakoji, Nakagyo, Kyoto — facing Hiiragiya across Fuyacho-dori, a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station (Tozai Line) and 15 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station
10 sources
Tawaraya Ryokan
俵屋旅館
Kyoto's oldest standing inn, bookable online only since 2026: 18 one-of-a-kind sukiya rooms, nearly everything down to the soap designed in-house, and koyamaki-wood tubs instead of a hot spring — from about ¥164,000 a night for two
- Historic Ryokan
- Design-Led
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
Ginzan OnsenClassic
Ginzan Onsen, Obanazawa, Yamagata — the towered wooden inn at the heart of the riverside street
12 sources
Notoya Ryokan
銀山温泉 能登屋旅館
The towered Taisho-era inn everyone photographs in Ginzan — warm service, a cave bath and a waterfall-view bath, but book a river-side room and expect an audience
- Historic Ryokan
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 photoTakayu OnsenClassic
Takayu Onsen, Fukushima city — a wooden mountain inn about 30 minutes by car or 40 minutes by bus from Fukushima Station
9 sources
Takayu Onsen Adachiya
高湯温泉 安達屋
A 1607 inn with milky, acidic sulphur water flowing through every bath, irori-grilled dinners and free drinks in the lounge — its famous mixed open-air bath has now been split into men's and women's sides
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoTakeo OnsenPremium
Takeo Onsen, Saga — inside the 150,000-tsubo Mifuneyama Rakuen garden, about 5 minutes by car (free shuttle) from Takeo-Onsen Station
9 sources
Onyado Chikurintei
御宿 竹林亭
Eleven rooms, each with its own open-air bath, set inside the Mifuneyama Rakuen garden, with in-room kaiseki on old Imari and Arita ware and two MICHELIN Keys — but the onsen is heated and not free-flowing, and some rooms show their age
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKaga OnsenPremium
Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa — at the old source of the spa town, beside the Kosoyu public bath
13 sources
Araya Totoan
山代温泉 あらや滔々庵
The 18th-generation keepers of the lord's bath, Rosanjin's patrons, with Yamashiro's most generous spring flowing into most rooms — and winter crab that can cost over ¥200,000 for two
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoZao OnsenClassic
Zao Onsen, Yamagata — on the rise above the hot-spring village, a 3-minute walk (or free pick-up) from the Zao Onsen bus terminal, 45 minutes by bus from Yamagata Station
9 sources
Zao Onsen Uta no Yado Wakamatsuya
蔵王温泉 蔵王・和歌（うた）の宿 わかまつや
A 21-room inn tied to the poet Saitō Mokichi, with its own unwatered, unheated pH 1.8 sulphur spring, two free private baths and Yamagata-beef kaiseki in private dining rooms — the building itself is newer and some fittings are tired
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Arima OnsenPremium
Arima Onsen, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo — a 5-minute walk from Arima Onsen station, 2 minutes from the Hankyu bus stop
10 sources
Nakanobo Zuien
中の坊瑞苑
Arima's big classic inn: rust-red kinsen in the large baths, a shogi-title venue with a garden lobby — book a kinsen room by phone and you'll see why regulars keep coming back
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoAtamiClassic
Hayashigaoka-chō, Atami, Shizuoka — on a hill above central Atami, about 5 minutes by the inn's free shuttle from JR Atami Station (Tōkaidō Shinkansen, about 50 minutes from Tokyo by Kodama); the 10-minute walk up is very steep
9 sources
Atami Taikanso
熱海 大観荘
A 1940s steel magnate's villa named by the painter Yokoyama Taikan, with a big landscaped garden, a sea-view bathhouse and much-praised Kyoto-style kaiseki — but it's a rambling, older complex where people get lost, and only one of the three bathhouses is truly special
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Gero OnsenClassic
Gero Onsen, Gifu — on the wooded hillside above the town, with a free shuttle from JR Gero Station
13 sources
Yunoshimakan
下呂温泉 湯之島館
A 1931 wooden resort inn that hosted two emperors — red-carpeted corridors, a Showa-era bar and Hida beef at 4.9 — but also a maze of stairs and a persistent musty smell
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoHakoneClassic
Tonosawa, Hakone, Kanagawa — on the Hayakawa River, about 15 minutes' walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station
10 sources
Fukuzumiro
塔之沢温泉 福住楼
A Meiji-era wooden inn where Soseki and Kawabata stayed — in-room kaiseki, a giant round pine bath, no tattoo rules, and shared toilets down the corridor
- Historic Ryokan
- Tattoo-Friendly
Ikaho OnsenClassic
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — halfway up the Ishidan stone steps
9 sources
Chigira Jinsentei
伊香保温泉 千明仁泉亭
Ikaho's oldest inn on the stone steps, with free, unbookable private baths of rust-gold water — a bath-lover's favourite whose food divides opinion
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoYufuinPremium
Kawakami, Yufuin, Yufu, Oita — beside Lake Kinrin
9 sources
Kamenoi Bessou
亀の井別荘
Yufuin's century-old forest retreat: Japanese guests rave about the space and the baths, and are more measured about the food
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Nishiyama OnsenClassic
Nishiyama Onsen, Hayakawa, Yamanashi — at the head of the Hayakawa valley below the Southern Alps, about 50 minutes' mountain driving from the Shimobe-Onsen-Hayakawa IC or one daily shuttle from JR Minobu Station
11 sources
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan
西山温泉 慶雲館
Guinness's 'world's oldest hotel', freshly renovated: unheated, undiluted free-flowing water from every bath and tap, 24-hour baths and a seafood-free mountain kaiseki — at the end of a long road lined with dump trucks
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Nyuto OnsenValue
Nyuto Onsen, Semboku, Akita — at the end of a forest road in Towada-Hachimantai National Park
14 sources
Tsurunoyu Onsen
乳頭温泉郷 鶴の湯温泉
Japan's most photographed milky mixed bath, a thatched samurai-guard house with irori hearths, and rooms from about ¥11,700 — rustic, cold in places, and hard to book
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Okutsu OnsenPremium
Okutsu Onsen, Kagamino, Okayama — a 1927 inn on the Yoshii river in the hills of northern Okayama, about 100 minutes by car from Okayama Station
9 sources
Okutsuso
名泉鍵湯 奥津荘
The 'locked bath' where alkaline water bubbles up through the granite riverbed beneath you — a registered-heritage inn of just ten rooms, with a new modern kitchen and prices that have climbed fast
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoOirase & TowadaClassic
Hōryō Yachi, Towada, Aomori — a lone inn in the southern Hakkōda mountains beside the Yachi marshland, past Sukayu on the road to Lake Towada; five minutes on foot from the Yachi Onsen stop on the JR bus from Aomori
10 sources
Yachi Onsen
谷地温泉
A creaky 400-year-old Hakkōda hot-spring inn where a 38°C 'lower spring' bubbles up through the floor of a wooden tub — loved for the water, the stars and the cheerful staff, if you can live with shared toilets, no air conditioning and no phone signal
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Oirase & TowadaClassic
Okuse, Towada, Aomori — alone in beech forest on the Hakkoda–Towada road, about 20 minutes by car from the Oirase stream
9 sources
Tsuta Onsen Ryokan
蔦温泉旅館
Hot water that rises through the floorboards under a 1918 wooden inn in the beech forest — superb baths, small dinners, and thin walls in the old wing
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Area photoZao OnsenClassic
Zao Onsen, Yamagata — up a stone-stepped lane in the old hot-spring village, a few minutes' walk from the ski slopes
10 sources
Miyamaso Takamiya
蔵王温泉 深山荘 高見屋
A 300-year-old inn with its own fiercely acidic sulphur springs and some of Zao's best-loved cooking — in an old, maze-like building with no lift
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Arima OnsenClassic
Arima Onsen, Kobe — in the old town by the Arima River, a few minutes' walk from Arima Onsen Station
11 sources
Tosen Goshobo
有馬温泉 陶泉 御所坊
A shadowy, designer-restored wooden inn with centuries of history and a half-mixed bath of rust-red kinsen water — adored for its staff, divisive for its bath and its creaks
- Historic Ryokan
- Design-Led
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 photoAtamiPremium
Higashi-kaigan-chō, central Atami, Shizuoka — on a narrow lane between JR Atami Station (13 minutes' walk or 5 by taxi) and Atami Sun Beach, three minutes away on foot
9 sources
Atami Onsen Furuya Ryokan
熱海温泉 古屋旅館
Atami's oldest inn (1806), with its own Seizaemon spring piped untreated into the shared baths and most rooms, and every meal served in your room — but it's a modern building in a crowded town centre, with little view, and a few 2024–2026 guests found it overpriced
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoBeppuClassic
Myoban Onsen, Beppu, Oita — on the hillside of the Myoban hot-spring hamlet beside the arch of the Beppu Myoban Bridge, a minute's walk from the Myoban bus stop (about 30 minutes by bus or 15 by taxi from JR Beppu Station)
10 sources
Okamotoya Ryokan
岡本屋旅館
A 150-year-old wooden inn in Beppu's sulphur-steam hamlet of Myoban, with a free-flowing milky-blue spring, Oita kaiseki and the original jigoku-mushi pudding — but only three of its 15 rooms have their own bath, the stairs are steep, and a renovated room disappointed in 2026
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoDorogawa OnsenClassic
Dorogawa Onsen, Tenkawa village, Nara — on the lantern-lit main street of the pilgrims' town below Mount Ōmine, about 80 minutes by bus from Kintetsu Shimoichiguchi Station or 60 minutes by car from the Gose-Minami IC
9 sources
Yado Hanaya Tokubei
宿 花屋徳兵衛
Dorogawa's oldest inn, a 500-year-old pilgrims' lodge taking just six groups a night, with famous ayu, spring-water tofu and boar hotpot cooked by the okami — but the baths are small and recirculated, and the cheaper rooms share toilets
- Historic Ryokan
Echigo-Nagano OnsenClassic
Echigo-Nagano Onsen, Sanjō, Niigata — a lone inn on a mountain stream, about 45 minutes by car (or the inn's once-daily shuttle) from Tsubame-Sanjō Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen
9 sources
Rankeiso
妙湶和樂 嵐渓荘
A riverside secluded-onsen inn with a registered cultural-property wooden building, salty therapeutic water, free private baths and mountain-village kaiseki of carp and wild vegetables — but the spring is heated and recirculated, and the old wing carries sound
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Area photoIkaho OnsenClassic
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — high on the hill in front of the Ikaho Ropeway station and the Ikaho Onsen bus terminus, a 5-minute walk from the middle of the Ishidan stone steps
9 sources
Ikaho Onsen Nagomigokoro no Yado Omori
伊香保温泉 和心の宿 大森
A family-run, barefoot-on-tatami inn with two rooftop open-air baths 800 m up and Akagi-beef kaiseki, right by the bus terminus — but the water is the clear, recirculated Shirogane spring, you wash downstairs, and budget rooms have no bath
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoNasushiobaraClassic
Itamuro Onsen, Nasushiobara, Tochigi — a riverside inn in the hills above Nasu, about 17km from Kuroiso-Itamuro IC
9 sources
Itamuro Onsen Daikokuya
板室温泉 大黒屋
A hot-spring inn founded in 1551 that doubles as a contemporary-art museum, with silky alkaline water flowing through every bath — calm and unusual, but rooms are old and the baths small
- Historic Ryokan
- Design-Led
Area photoIzuLuxury
Yugashima Onsen, Izu, Shizuoka — where two rivers meet to form the Kano river in the Amagi foothills, about 20–25 minutes by the inn's shuttle from Shuzenji station
10 sources
Ochiairo
おちあいろう（旧 落合楼村上）
A registered-heritage Yugashima inn from 1874, now run as an all-inclusive luxury ryokan with celebrated saunas — but only three rooms have pure spring-water baths, and the 2025 switch to a swimsuit mixed bath splits guests
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoIzuPremium
Izu-Nagaoka Onsen, Izunokuni, Shizuoka — a 1929 Mitsubishi family villa set in a 3,000-tsubo garden, reached by the inn's free shuttle from Izu-Nagaoka Station
9 sources
Sanyoso
伊豆長岡温泉 三養荘
A Mitsubishi family villa with a garden by Ogawa Jihei and a wing by Togo Murano, where every room has its own onsen bath — superb for architecture and gardens, less so for anyone who minds long corridors or wants a showpiece dinner
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
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 photoMisasa OnsenClassic
Misasa Onsen, Tottori — near the middle of the hot-spring street, backing onto the Mitoku River, about 20 minutes by car from JR Kurayoshi Station (free pickup if you book it)
9 sources
Misasa Onsen Kiya Ryokan
三朝温泉 木屋旅館
A 14-room wooden inn listed as a cultural property, with its own very hot radium springs — a free private bath where the water bubbles up through the floor, a radon steam room and a warm-floor rest room — but expect stairs, stink bugs and simple, home-style food
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Naruko OnsenValue
Higashi-Naruko Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi — a century-old tōji inn five minutes' walk from JR Naruko-Gotenyu Station
9 sources
Ryokan Ohnuma
旅館大沼
Eight free-flowing baths of two baking-soda springs, four of them free private baths you just lock, a hillside garden bath and famous house natto — a modern tōji inn at old-fashioned prices, with stairs and shared toilets
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoOkuhida OnsenClassic
Fukuchi Onsen, Okuhida Onsen-gō, Takayama, Gifu — on a quiet lane off the main road at about 1,000 m, a 3-minute walk from the Fukuchi Yurimizaka bus stop (about 75–80 minutes by bus from JR Takayama Station)
9 sources
Yamazato no Iori Soen
山里のいおり 草円
An 1836 Hida farmhouse rebuilt in a quiet mountain hamlet, with charcoal-hearth dinners, wood-fired rice and free-flowing water from three springs — including free private baths open all night — but no room has its own bath, there are lots of stairs, and the hearth runs hot in summer
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Shima OnsenValue
Shima Onsen, Nakanojo, Gunma — beside the red bridge at the top of the old onsen village
18 sources
Sekizenkan
積善館
A 1691 bathhouse inn, a 1930 bathhall and a modern tower on one hillside — pick your building carefully, and stay the night for Genroku-no-yu without the day crowds
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Shibu OnsenClassic
Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — on the narrow main street, about 10 minutes by bus from Yudanaka Station
12 sources
Kanaguya
歴史の宿 金具屋
The four-storey 1936 wooden fantasy that crowds come to photograph at night — eight baths from four private springs, a nightly building tour, and a lot of stairs
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoIzuClassic
Shuzenji 874-1, Izu, Shizuoka — on the Katsura River at the entrance to Shuzenji Onsen, right opposite the Shuzenji Onsen bus terminus (about 8 minutes by bus from Shuzenji Station, which is about 30 minutes from Mishima on the Izu-Hakone Railway) and about 35 minutes by car from Numazu IC
10 sources
Yukairo Kikuya (Kyoritsu Resort)
湯回廊 菊屋（共立リゾート）
The 400-year-old Shuzenji inn where Natsume Sōseki convalesced, now a Kyoritsu Resort of long corridors, four free private baths and an almost all-inclusive drinks list — loved for its atmosphere and beef stew, but the main baths are recirculated, the private baths are often taken and the dinner gets mixed reviews
- Historic Ryokan
- 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 photoTakayu OnsenClassic
Takayu Onsen, Fukushima city — a 50-room mountain inn about 16 km (30 minutes by car or the inn's shuttle bus) from JR Fukushima Station
10 sources
Takayu Onsen Ryokan Tamagoyu
高湯温泉 旅館 玉子湯
Takayu's best-known inn: a thatched bath hut from 1868 and garden rock baths full of free-flowing, bluish-milky sulphur water — with dated rooms, thin walls and a paid private bath
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoUreshino OnsenValue
Ureshino Onsen, Saga — on the river in the old spa town, about 5 minutes by car from Ureshino-Onsen shinkansen station
9 sources
Ryokan Omuraya
旅館 大村屋
Ureshino's oldest inn, reinvented around records and books, with silky 'beauty' water and a breakfast of tofu melted in hot-spring water — great value in the renovated rooms, less so in the old washitsu
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKaga OnsenClassic
Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa — on the Kakusenkei gorge, five minutes' walk from Ayatori Bridge and the Kiku-no-Yu public bath, about 20 minutes by the inn's free shuttle from JR Kaga-Onsen Station
10 sources
Yamanaka Onsen Shirasagiyu Tawaraya
山中温泉 白鷺湯たわらや
The last of Yamanaka's twelve founding inns: a riverside open-air bath on the Kakusenkei gorge and inventive Kaga kaiseki for a fair price — but the building is old, the water is recirculated, staff don't show you to your room, and insects find the in-room baths in late summer
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoYugawaraClassic
Miyakami, Yugawara, Kanagawa — in the middle of the hot-spring town at the entrance to Man'yō Park, directly in front of the Kōen-iriguchi bus stop, about 13 minutes by bus from JR Yugawara Station
11 sources
Yugawara Onsen Itoya
湯河原温泉 島崎藤村ゆかりの宿 伊藤屋
A 13-room inn from 1888 where Shimazaki Tōson came to write, with Taishō-era rooms listed as cultural property, two free private baths and seafood dinners that reviewers love — but the spring water is recirculated, there's no lift, and the old wing runs cold in winter
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoAizu-WakamatsuValue
Higashiyama Onsen, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima — across a bridge on the Yukawa river, a 3-minute walk up the onsen street from the Higashiyama Onsen-eki bus stop
13 sources
Kutsurogijuku Shintaki
会津東山温泉 くつろぎ宿 新滝
A big, well-run riverside inn with four truly free-flowing baths — including the Aizu lords' rock bath fed from the bedrock beneath it — free sake in the lounge and Aizu-style dinners at a fair price; it's busy, dim and full of stairs, and private baths cost extra
- Historic Ryokan
Dogo OnsenClassic
Dogo Onsen, Matsuyama, Ehime — on the rise beside the Dogo Onsen Honkan bathhouse, five minutes' walk from Dogo Onsen tram station
9 sources
Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten
道後温泉 大和屋本店
A sukiya-style inn with its own hinoki noh stage, sea-bream rice with every dinner and a 100-dish Setouchi breakfast, steps from Dogo's famous bathhouse — the baths themselves are recirculated, and it's a big, busy house
- Historic Ryokan
HakonePremium
Gora, Hakone, Kanagawa
11 sources
Gora Kadan
強羅花壇
A former imperial villa, Michelin three-key rated, with spring-fed baths and famously attentive staff — superb in the top tiers, but 2026 reviews are more uneven in the standard rooms
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
MinakamiClassic
Hoshi Onsen, Minakami, Gunma — the only inn at the end of a mountain road
11 sources
Hoshi Onsen Chojukan
法師温泉 長寿館
A lone Meiji-era inn where the water bubbles up through the stones beneath you — one of Japan's great baths, if you can handle mixed bathing, no air conditioning and autumn stink bugs
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Area photoKinosaki OnsenClassic
Yushima, Kinosaki, Toyooka, Hyogo — on the willow-lined Ōtani river in the middle of the onsen town, about 40m from Yanagi-yu and 50m from Ichi-no-yu, a 7-minute walk from JR Kinosaki Onsen Station
10 sources
Kinosaki Onsen Yamamotoya
城崎温泉 山本屋
A 350-year-old, 15-room inn on Kinosaki's willow-lined canal with its own craft brewery, in-room kaiseki and two public baths on its doorstep — but its own baths are small and recirculated, and the 'semi-open-air' baths in the two special rooms aren't hot-spring water
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKusatsu OnsenClassic
Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma — on the hill above the Yubatake, a 3–5 minute walk (uphill on the way back) from the hot-spring field and about 7 minutes from the bus terminal
11 sources
Kusatsu Onsen Boun
草津温泉 望雲
A Kusatsu inn dating to 1598, with strong, free-flowing acidic water from two springs and a new wing of onsen-bath rooms — but uneven service and dinners that recent guests rate below the baths
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
MiyajimaPremium
Momijidani, Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima — in the maple valley a 3-minute walk from Itsukushima Shrine, 15 minutes on foot from the ferry pier
9 sources
Iwaso
みやじまの宿 岩惣
Miyajima's grand old inn since 1854 — the island after the day-trippers leave, historic villas and Hiroshima oysters, but a radon spring that is heated, and service that has thinned
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoNasu-Yumoto OnsenClassic
Nasu-Yumoto, Nasu, Tochigi — in protected forest beside the Nasu Imperial Villa, just off the Nasu Kaidō about 12 km from Nasu IC; by bus, about 40 minutes from Nasu-Shiobara Station to the Sansuikaku-iriguchi stop, then a 300 m walk
9 sources
Nasu Kogen no Yado Sansuikaku
那須高原の宿 山水閣
A 13-room early-Shōwa wooden inn in the forest by the Nasu Imperial Villa, loved for its vintage-chair lounges, wagyu soy-milk shabu-shabu and attentive staff — but every bath, including the five in-room ones, is recirculated, there's no lift and no outdoor public bath
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoShibu OnsenClassic
Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — in the middle of the stone-paved hot-spring street, across from Kanaguya and steps from the No. 9 Ōyu public bath; 8 minutes by the inn's shuttle from Yudanaka Station
10 sources
Shibu Onsen Kokuya
渋温泉 古久屋
A 400-year-old wooden inn sitting on its own springs, where all eight baths — including a room of six hinoki tubs, one per spring — are booked privately for free; expect stairs and no lift, a maze of corridors and scalding water
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
IzuClassic
Shuzenji Onsen, Izu, Shizuoka — in the centre of the old spa town, beside the Katsura River
9 sources
Arai Ryokan
修善寺温泉 新井旅館
Fifteen registered-heritage buildings around a carp pond and a 1934 hinoki bathhall designed by a painter — lovely, if you can manage the stairs and a cold winter corridor
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Tamatsukuri OnsenValue
Tamatsukuri Onsen, Matsue, Shimane — a large garden inn in the heart of the spa town
12 sources
Chorakuen
玉造温泉 湯之助の宿 長楽園
Japan's biggest mixed open-air bath in a 10,000-tsubo garden, made approachable with bathing wraps for everyone — at a big, dated, Showa-era inn with so-so food
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoTateshinaClassic
Kitayama, Chino, Nagano — a riverside inn at about 1,350 m on the Takinoyu River in the Tateshina highlands, around 30 minutes from Suwa IC via the Venus Line, with a free shuttle from JR Chino Station
9 sources
Tateshina Shinyu Onsen
蓼科 親湯温泉
A 1926 riverside inn steeped in Japanese literature — Dazai's honeymoon, Ozu's diaries, 30,000 books — with free private open-air baths and dinner in Taisho-style private rooms; but the shared baths are recirculated and chlorinated, and dinner divides opinion
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoUreshino OnsenClassic
Ureshino Onsen, Saga — in the middle of the spa town, two minutes' walk from the Ureshino Onsen bus stop and about 5 minutes by car from Ureshino-Onsen shinkansen station
12 sources
Ureshino Onsen Taishoya
嬉野温泉 大正屋
Ureshino's century-old town-centre inn: Junzo Yoshimura architecture around a cedar garden, spring water in every room's bath and the famous 'melting' onsen tofu at breakfast — but the shared baths are recirculated, the much-extended building is a maze of stairs, and the dining hall is big and busy
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoYugawaraClassic
Miyakami, Yugawara, Kanagawa — in the old hot-spring quarter, 50 m from the Onsenba-chūō bus stop, about 12 minutes by bus or 10 minutes by taxi from JR Yugawara Station
9 sources
Yugawara Onsen Gensen Uenoya
湯河原温泉 源泉 上野屋
Yugawara's oldest inn: three registered-heritage wooden buildings, its own 82°C spring poured unrecirculated into every bath and two free private open-air tubs — but no lift, steep stairs, thin walls and modest dinners
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoEchigo-Yuzawa OnsenClassic
Echigo-Yuzawa, Niigata — on the hillside above town, about 30 minutes' walk or a short free shuttle ride from Echigo-Yuzawa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen
9 sources
Yukiguni no Yado Takahan
雪国の宿 高半
The inn where Kawabata wrote 'Snow Country': silky, sulphurous 'egg water' that's genuinely free-flowing, the writer's preserved room, nightly screenings of the 1957 film and free local sake — in a plain concrete building with a simple breakfast
- Historic Ryokan
- Easy From Tokyo
Area photoDorogawa OnsenValue
Dorogawa Onsen, Tenkawa village, Nara — on the lantern-hung main street of the pilgrims' town below Mount Ōmine, three minutes' walk from Ryūsenji temple; about 80 minutes by bus from Kintetsu Shimoichiguchi Station plus a five-minute walk
9 sources
Kinokuniya Jinpachi
紀の国屋甚八
A 300-year-old pilgrims' inn of six retro tatami rooms where you check in and out at noon and lock either bath for yourself, free — but the spring is heated and recirculated, the tubs are small and most rooms share toilets
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoHakoneClassic
Hakone-Yumoto — across the Hayakawa river from Route 1, a 7-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station (about 85 minutes from Shinjuku by Odakyu Romancecar)
10 sources
Hakone Yumoto Onsen Yoshiike Ryokan
箱根湯本温泉 吉池旅館
A big 64-room inn wrapped around a 33,000㎡ garden that was once a Mitsubishi family villa, with six of its own free-flowing springs, seven minutes' walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station — but some rooms are dated, 'garden-side' doesn't always mean a view, and part of the Sansō wing is under renovation until January 2027
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoIkaho OnsenClassic
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — right beside step 212 of the 365 Ishidan stone steps, about 6–10 minutes' walk from the Ikaho bus stops (the inn picks up on request), around 25 minutes by car from the Shibukawa-Ikaho IC, or by express from Ueno to Shibukawa (about 140 minutes) and a 20–25-minute bus
10 sources
Ikaho Onsen Kishigon Ryokan
伊香保温泉 岸権旅館
A 450-year-old inn on Ikaho's stone steps with three free-flowing 'golden water' bath houses, free after-bath drinks and Akagi-beef kaiseki at mid-range prices — but the main bath is under renovation until January 2027, private baths cost extra, and older corners show their age
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoIkaho OnsenClassic
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — on the hillside beside the Ishidan stone steps, a 3-minute walk to the steps (its lane joins them around step 190) and to the Ikaho Ropeway, and about 3 minutes on foot from the Ikaho Onsen bus stop
9 sources
Ikaho Onsen Moriaki Ryokan
伊香保温泉 森秋旅館
A Meiji-era inn by Ikaho's stone steps where every bath — even the seven in-room tubs — runs free-flowing 'golden' water, with an okami at every dinner table and a breakfast hall full of mountains; but it's a big, busy 74-room house with banquet-hall dinners and view-less cheaper rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoItoClassic
Suehiro-chō, Itō, Shizuoka — on a hillside above the town centre, a 10–13-minute walk or 3-minute taxi ride from JR Itō Station
9 sources
Ito Onsen Yokikan
伊東温泉 陽気館
A 1910 hillside inn where a tiny in-house cable car climbs 45 degrees to a free-flowing open-air bath over Itō, with both meals in your room — but the building is old and full of stairs, it shuts every Tuesday and Wednesday, and the view only appears when you stand up
- Historic Ryokan
- Easy From Tokyo
KotohiraClassic
Kotohira, Kagawa — at the foot of Konpira-san, with a garden path that joins the shrine's main stairway; 15 minutes' walk (or a free shuttle) from JR and Kotoden Kotohira stations
9 sources
Kotohira Kadan
琴平花壇
A pilgrims' inn since 1627 where Mori Ōgai stayed, with three historic detached villas, newer rooms with private open-air baths and Olive-beef kaiseki at the foot of Konpira-san — a hilly, maze-like site, and service that's uneven
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKusatsu OnsenClassic
Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma — directly across the street from the Yubatake hot-spring field, about five minutes' walk from Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal
10 sources
Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Ichii
草津温泉 ホテル一井
The closest hotel to Kusatsu's Yubatake, with two free-flowing springs and a much-praised live-kitchen buffet — but only 23 rooms see the hot-spring field, most rooms are dated, and it's a big, busy house with long corridors
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoMisasa OnsenClassic
Misasa Onsen, Tottori — on the Mitoku river by Misasa Bridge in the middle of the hot-spring town, about 20 minutes by the inn's free shuttle (book by the day before) from JR Kurayoshi Station
10 sources
Misasa Onsen Izanro Iwasaki
三朝温泉 依山楼 岩崎
Misasa's century-old grand inn, host to emperors and writers: a 12-bath garden onsen with free-flowing cave and rock tubs and private-room kaiseki — but it's a big 74-room concrete house with fixed air conditioning, thinning service and towels you carry to the bath yourself
- Historic Ryokan
Misasa OnsenClassic
Misasa Onsen, Tottori — a 120-metre wooden inn along the Mitoku river, about 20 minutes by the inn's shuttle from JR Kurayoshi Station
9 sources
Ryokan Ohashi
旅館大橋
A 1932 riverside inn registered as a cultural property, with a half-underground cave bath where radium and thorium water rises through the rock — unforgettable baths, uneven service
- Historic Ryokan
Hanamaki OnsenValue
Namari Onsen, Hanamaki, Iwate — the only inn at Namari, on the Toyosawa river in the hills west of Hanamaki, about 35 minutes by car from Shin-Hanamaki shinkansen station
9 sources
Fujisan Ryokan
鉛温泉 藤三旅館
A zelkova-wood inn beloved of Miyazawa Kenji, with a hand-dug rock bath 1.25 metres deep where you stand in water rising straight from the floor — superb free-flowing water, rustic rooms, and a self-catering tōji wing that divides opinion
- Historic Ryokan
- Secluded Retreats
Area photoNasu-Yumoto OnsenClassic
Nasu-Yumoto, Nasu, Tochigi — on the Nasu slope below Mount Chausu, two minutes' walk from the Shin-Nasu bus stop; about 50 minutes by bus, or 30–40 minutes by taxi or the inn's reserved shuttle, from Nasu-Shiobara Station
10 sources
Nasu Onsen Sanraku
那須温泉 山楽
A 1923 inn whose own spring is piped 5.4 km from beside the Imperial Villa's source and never heated or recirculated, with a forest-ringed open-air bath of about 30 tatami and well-loved kaiseki — but 2026 reviews flag scalding in-room tubs, ageing fittings, empty lounge bottles and thin staffing
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoOkuhida OnsenClassic
Fukuchi Onsen, Okuhida Onsen-gō, Takayama, Gifu — about 15 minutes from Hirayu and 40 minutes by car from Takayama Station
9 sources
Yumoto Choza
湯元長座
Relocated farmhouses, irori dinners and up to eight free private baths in Okuhida — wonderful when the water and the hearth deliver, but the old buildings show their age
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoShima OnsenClassic
Shima Onsen, Nakanojō, Gunma — beside the Shinyu river at the heart of the onsen village, about 40 minutes by bus from JR Nakanojō Station or by direct bus from Tokyo Station
9 sources
Shima Tamura
四万たむら
A bath-keeper's inn since 1563 with seven free-flowing baths from its own riverbed sources — a mixed bath in the river, a waterfall-view open-air bath, a pebble-floored bath where the spring rises underfoot — in a big, ageing, maze-like building
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoYudanaka OnsenClassic
Yudanaka Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano — a 7-minute walk (or free pickup) from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway, about 20 minutes by car from the entrance to Jigokudani's snow monkeys
11 sources
Yudanaka Onsen Yorozuya
湯田中温泉 よろづや
A plain concrete inn wrapped around one of Japan's great bathhouses — the temple-like 1950s Momoyama-buro, a registered cultural property — with good beef and soba, but tired rooms and a busy dining floor
- Historic Ryokan
Akiu OnsenClassic
Akiu Onsen, Sendai, Miyagi — a large riverside ryokan on the Natori river, about 45 minutes by the inn's shuttle from Sendai Station
9 sources
Densho Sennen no Yado Sakan
伝承千年の宿 佐勘
A 34th-generation family inn that once kept the Date lords' bathhouse, with a thatched riverside bath and a free-flowing-drinks half-buffet — strong on food and history, tired in the older rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoHakonePremium
Gora, Hakone — a 3-minute walk from Gora Station, the terminus of the Hakone Tozan Railway, next door to Gora Kadan
11 sources
Gora Kansuiro
強羅環翠楼
A Mitsubishi family's Taishō-era villa where Emperor Shōwa slept, with two private springs, a 5,000-tsubo garden and nine of 14 rooms with their own spring-water bath — but it is genuinely old, and the cheaper rooms show it
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoHakoneClassic
Kowakudani, Hakone — on the slope above the Hōraien azalea garden, right by the Hōraien bus stop (about 20 minutes by bus from Hakone-Yumoto) and close to Hakone Kowakien Yunessun
10 sources
Hakone Kowakien Mikawaya Ryokan
箱根小涌園 三河屋旅館
The 1883 inn credited with starting Kowakudani Onsen: a cultural-property main building, a 16,000㎡ azalea garden and its own spring — book a room with a private open-air bath, because the bath-less twins, lukewarm water and slow service on busy nights are the recurring complaints
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoIkaho OnsenValue
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — on a steep lane below the town centre, 10–15 minutes on foot from the Ishidan stone steps (the inn drives guests there in 3–5 minutes on request) and about 20 minutes by car from the Shibukawa-Ikaho IC
9 sources
Ikaho Onsen Tsukagoshiya Shichibee
伊香保温泉 温泉宿 塚越屋七兵衛
An Edo-era Ikaho inn whose indoor bath pours the iron-brown 'golden' spring free-flowing, with warm, attentive service and table-grilled Gunma beef at modest prices — but the outdoor baths aren't hot-spring water, meals are mostly in halls, and 2026 reviews flag an ageing building
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoKinugawa OnsenClassic
Taki, on the Kinugawa gorge in Kinugawa Onsen, Nikkō, Tochigi — about 10 minutes on the shared Dial Bus (¥300) from Kinugawa-Onsen Station, which limited expresses reach from Asakusa or Shinjuku in about two hours
10 sources
Kinugawa Onsen Asaya Hotel
鬼怒川温泉 あさやホテル
Kinugawa's big showpiece inn, founded in 1888: a soaring lobby atrium with glass lifts and a pipe organ, a 13th-floor open-air bath and a 100-dish buffet, with an onsen tub in every room — but the spring is heated and recirculated, the buffet gets crowded, and valley-side rooms look out on derelict hotels
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
Kaga OnsenClassic
Awazu Onsen, Komatsu, Ishikawa — four buildings around a historic garden, about 20 minutes by the inn's shuttle from Kaga Onsen shinkansen station
9 sources
Houshi
粟津温泉 法師
A family inn said to date back 1,300 years, with a registered Meiji entrance hall and a moss garden laid out in the manner of Kobori Enshu — the history is real, but the buildings are tired and the big baths are recirculated
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoGero OnsenClassic
Yunoshima, Gero, Gifu — on the Hida River beside the JR Takayama Line bridge, about 15 minutes' walk from Gero Station (free shuttle) and about 10 minutes on foot from the centre of the onsen town
10 sources
Gero Onsen Bosenkan
下呂温泉 望川館
A friendly, family-minded Gero inn founded in 1818, with a 1,100-tsubo garden, a big riverside open-air bath, Hida beef hoba-miso dinners in private rooms and trains rumbling over the bridge outside — but the building is old, the baths are partly recirculated and down a steep flight of stairs
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoGero OnsenClassic
Gero Onsen, Gifu — a 264-room ryokan on the Hida river, three minutes' walk from JR Gero Station
9 sources
Gero Onsen Suimeikan
下呂温泉 水明館
Gero's grand ryokan since 1932: four wings, three big baths of silky alkaline water and Hida beef everywhere — choose the Rinsenkaku wing for onsen in your room, and expect crowds and tired rooms elsewhere
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoTakeo OnsenValue
Takeo Onsen, Saga — in the middle of the hot-spring town, about 5 minutes' walk from the vermilion Rōmon gate and 8 minutes from JR Takeo-Onsen Station
9 sources
Takeo Onsen Kyotoya
武雄温泉 大正浪漫の宿 京都屋
A 1910 inn in the middle of Takeo Onsen, kept as a Taishō-era time capsule of music boxes, gramophones and pick-your-own-cup coffee — now room-only with a free bread breakfast, and its own spring is heated and recirculated in an ageing building
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoIkaho OnsenClassic
Ikaho Onsen, Shibukawa, Gunma — at the very top of the Ishidan stone steps, with a back entrance on the Senjukan's 19th floor that opens straight onto the steps, a short climb below Ikaho Shrine
9 sources
Ikaho Onsen Fukuichi
伊香保温泉 福一
A big, friendly inn at the very top of Ikaho's stone steps, with its own door onto the steps and both of Ikaho's springs in the large baths — but the water is heated, partly recirculated and disinfected, the one free-flowing private bath has been shut since a June 2026 earthquake, and dinner divides opinion
- Historic Ryokan
Area photoHakoneClassic
Tonosawa, Hakone — on the Hayakawa river, a 5-minute bus ride from Hakone-Yumoto Station (1 minute's walk from the Kami-Tonosawa stop) or a 10-minute walk from Tonosawa Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway
10 sources
Tonosawa Ichinoyu Honkan
塔ノ沢 一の湯本館
A wooden inn founded in 1630 and now a registered cultural property, run by Hakone's budget Ichinoyu group: free-flowing baths in some rooms, simmered kinmedai and free drinks at low prices — but no lift, no showers in the shared baths, and many rooms share toilets
- Historic Ryokan
- Private Onsen Rooms
Area photoNaruko OnsenValue
Akayu, Higashi-Naruko Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi — on a residential lane three minutes' walk from JR Naruko-Gotenyu Station, with the Rikuu East Line running just behind
10 sources
Naruko Onsen Kanshichiyu
鳴子温泉郷 勘七湯
Higashi-Naruko's oldest inn (founded 1784): two free-flowing springs, including its own dark, oily-scented 'Furōsen' bath you can take privately for free, at self-catering prices — but the Shōwa-era building is cluttered and run largely by the owner alone
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Historic Ryokan
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Photo credits
- Hiiragiya — the frontage on Anekoji-dori, Kyoto · Mariemon / CC BY 3.0
- Mukaitaki in the snow, Higashiyama Onsen, Aizu-Wakamatsu · Fumihiko Ueno / CC BY 3.0
- Mikiya — the wooden main building, Kinosaki · Ippukucho / CC BY 3.0
- Arashiyama and the Hozu River, Kyoto · KimonBerlin / CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dogo Funaya — the entrance, Dogo Onsen · CT-May / CC0
- Notoya Ryokan in the snow, Ginzan Onsen · さかおり / CC BY-SA 4.0
- 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
- Takayu Onsen in winter, Fukushima · Purplepumpkins / Public domain
- Takeo Onsen Rōmon gate, Saga · Viy4092 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sōyu public bath, Yamashiro Onsen · 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zao Onsen, Yamagata · Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0
- Nakanobō Zuien — the entrance and main building, Arima Onsen · Abasaa / Public domain
- Ajiro, Atami, Shizuoka · Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yunoshimakan — the registered-heritage main building, Gero · 大野 一将 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gōra Park, Hakone · Daderot / CC0
- Chigira Jinsentei — the entrance, Ikaho Onsen · Qurren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mount Yufu from Yufuin Station · Kitayama / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan above the Hayakawa river, Yamanashi · Boltor / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tsurunoyu — the gate and thatched honjin, Nyuto Onsen · lumoplank / CC0
- Okutsuso — the Tōwarō building, Okutsu Onsen · Phronimoi / CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Oirase stream, Towada, Aomori · MaedaAkihiko / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The facade of Tsuta Onsen Ryokan, Towada · Yuichi Kosio / CC BY 2.0
- Tosen Goshobo — the entrance, Arima Onsen · iloverjoa / CC BY 3.0
- Shuzenji Onsen, Izu · 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beppu city and its hot-spring steam, Oita · Japanexperterna / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dorogawa, Tenkawa, Nara · Kansai explorer / CC BY 2.5
- Rankeiso, Echigo-Nagano Onsen · Bernie Ongewe / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Ishidan stone steps, Ikaho Onsen, Gunma · Abasaa / Public domain
- Autumn colours in Nasushiobara, Tochigi · Raita Futo / CC BY 2.0
- The onsen street of Misasa Onsen, Tottori · Miya.m / CC BY-SA 3.0
- An outdoor bath at Ryokan Onuma, Naruko Onsen · Jpatokal / CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Kamata River near Shinhotaka Onsen, Okuhida, Gifu · Tmv / CC BY 4.0
- Sekizenkan — the Honkan and the red Keiun Bridge, Shima Onsen · Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0
- Kanaguya — the Saigetsu-ro building at night, Shibu Onsen · Alexkom000 / CC BY 4.0
- Kamisuwa Onsen, Suwa, Nagano · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Siebold-no-yu public bath, Ureshino Onsen, Saga · STA3816 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Fujiki river through Yugawara Onsen, Kanagawa · Quercus acuta / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cherry blossom at Tsuruga Castle, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima · SQZ / CC BY 4.0
- Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen · CT-May / CC0
- Gora Kadan — the former Kan'in-no-miya imperial villa, Hakone · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Hoshi Onsen Chojukan — the entrance in snow · veroyama / CC BY 2.0
- Kinosaki Onsen · Davide Mauro / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yubatake at night, Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma · Σ64 / CC BY 4.0
- The entrance of Iwaso in Momijidani, Miyajima (2011) · Shiken Hung / CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shika-no-yu bathhouse, Nasu-Yumoto, Tochigi · Miyuki Meinaka / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shibu Onsen at dusk, Yamanouchi, Nagano · Totti / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Arai Ryokan — the entrance, Shuzenji · Batholith / Public domain
- Chorakuen — the garden, Tamatsukuri Onsen · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Forest near Tateshina Great Falls, Chino, Nagano · Tmv / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Entrance to Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen, Niigata · Abasaa / Public domain
- Ito Onsen along the Okawa River, Ito, Shizuoka · Sakaori / CC BY 3.0
- Kotohira Kadan, Kotohira · 663highland / CC BY 2.5
- Ryokan Ohashi's registered wooden wings on the Mitoku river, Misasa Onsen · Zai零細系統保護協会 / Public domain
- Fujisan Ryokan, Namari Onsen · 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Shima River at Shima Onsen, Gunma · Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0
- Yudanaka Onsen town, Yamanouchi, Nagano · くろふね / CC BY 3.0
- Sakan — the entrance, Akiu Onsen · JustinSendai / CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Kinugawa river at Kinugawa Onsen, Nikko, Tochigi · 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hōshi — the entrance and garden pines, Awazu Onsen · 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gero Onsen and the Hida River, Gifu · Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Naruko Onsen town, Miyagi · Zhaitengli / CC BY 4.0