JAPAN'S BEST-DESIGNED HOTELS9 hotels
Stay like a ryokan: hot springs, tatami and sukiya rooms
Hotels that let you try a Japanese inn without giving up the comforts of a hotel: ryokan-style hotels with hot spring baths in Tokyo and Sapporo, a hot spring ryokan and a ryokan's detached annex in the mountains of Iwate, sukiya rooms in Kyoto and Setoda, and tatami rooms in Kanazawa and Nara where you take off your shoes.
A sukiya gate and garden, and an outdoor hot spring bath on the 18th floor
Fittings from a thatched farmhouse, and an outdoor bath of Hakone spring water
A “northern inn” of oak and Sapporo soft stone
Custom furniture inspired by Nanbu chests and Nanbu ironware
A nostalgic space making use of a temple carpenter's coffered ceiling
A Yasaka hotel carrying on a 100-year-old ryotei's sukiya architecture
A sukiya inn in Setoda carrying on a 150-year-old merchant's residence
A lobby with a lattice ceiling, and Japanese-Western rooms with tatami and a mizuya
Japanese-Western rooms facing the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, and a terrace deer visit
Planning a stay
Check-in, large baths and tattoo rules for these 9 hotels
Nearest stations: Setagaya-Daita.
| Hotel | Area | Check-in / out | Large bath | Tattoos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SHINJUKU | Shinjuku | 15:00 / 11:00 | 15:00–2:00 and 6:00–10:00 (from 1 November 2026:… | — |
| Yuen Bettei Daita | Setagaya-Daita | 15:00 / 11:00 | Yes | Allowed if covered with tattoo cover stickers |
| ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SAPPORO | Sapporo | 15:00 / 11:00 | 15:00–1:00 and 6:00–10:00 | Allowed if small enough to cover with a sticker; tattoo… |
| Yamanokami Onsen Besso Seiryukan | Hanamaki | 15:00 / 11:00 | Yes, with an open-air bath | — |
| Yamanokami Onsen Yukaen | Hanamaki | 15:00 / 10:00 | — | — |
| SOWAKA | Gion | — | — | — |
| Azumi Setoda | Setoda | — | — | — |
| KUMU Kanazawa by THE SHARE HOTELS | Kanazawa | 15:00 / 10:00 | — | — |
| MIROKU Nara by THE SHARE HOTELS | Nara | 15:00 / 10:00 | — | — |
From each official website. “—” means the official information we checked does not say.
Questions visitors ask
Which hotels in Japan have a large shared bath?
ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SHINJUKU, Yuen Bettei Daita, ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SAPPORO, Yamanokami Onsen Besso Seiryukan have a large shared bath (daiyokujo), according to official information. Most are for hotel guests only.
Can I use the baths with tattoos at the hotels in Japan?
Yuen Bettei Daita: Allowed if covered with tattoo cover stickers; ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SAPPORO: Allowed if small enough to cover with a sticker; tattoo cover stickers are sold at the front desk. For the others, ask the hotel before you book.
What time is check-in at the hotels in Japan?
Check-in is usually from 15:00 at the 7 hotels that publish it; check-out times are in the table above. Some plans differ, so check your booking.
Which hotels in Japan have tatami or Japanese-style rooms?
ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SHINJUKU, KUMU Kanazawa by THE SHARE HOTELS, MIROKU Nara by THE SHARE HOTELS have tatami, a raised koagari area or Japanese-style rooms, according to official information. You take off your shoes there.
How can I pay at the hotels in Japan?
ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SHINJUKU: Cash, credit cards, transport IC cards and QR code payments. Other hotels do not state payment methods on their official websites.
What are the nearest stations for the hotels in Japan?
The stations mentioned most often are Setagaya-Daita Station. Every hotel page has directions and the address in Japanese.
More collections
5 hotels
Japan's classic hotels, from the Meiji era on
Western-style hotels built when Japan first opened to visitors, still in use: Fujiya Hotel in Hakone (founded…
12 hotels
Hotel baths and tattoos: what each hotel says
Many Japanese baths limit tattoos, and the rules differ from hotel to hotel. These are the hotels whose…
9 hotels
Hotels for a trip to Hakone, Mt Fuji and Atami
The classic trip out of Tokyo: hot springs in Hakone, the lakes at the foot of Mt Fuji and the sea at Atami.…
