Yamanochaya
山の茶屋
Does Yamanochaya allow tattoos? Yes!
Tattoos are welcome in the shared baths, with nothing to cover, and the ryokan says so in its own FAQ. Most rooms have an open-air bath as well.
No restrictions. The ryokan answers the question directly in its own FAQ: tattooed guests may use the large bath. There are four communal baths, three open-air and one indoor, plus a paid private bath in the valley.
The bath
Tonosawa Onsen was found in 1605 by the wandering monk Tansei and became one of the Seven Springs of Hakone in the Edo period. The ryokan pumps its own source, Tonosawa no Yu, from 300 meters under the grounds: a clear, mild spring. The shared baths are partly circulated and filtered to control the temperature.
There are four baths, and the men's and women's curtains move between them by the hour. Iwato no Noten-buro is an open-air bath looking at the mountains, built around a great boulder the house says has stood on this height since Owakudani began erupting. Kajika no Yu, indoors, has the largest tub, in wood and stone with mosaic tile. Take no Yu, a building of its own in the bamboo grove behind the inn, holds two open-air baths: Usagi, a square stone tub with a falling-water spout to stand under, and Tsuki, a curved stone tub lit from inside. The fourth, Keikoku no Noten-buro, sits right above the Hayakawa gorge and is private from 3 p.m. to midnight: 45-minute turns, eight groups a day, allotted in order of arrival. From 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. it's free for women.
The baths run 3 p.m. to midnight and 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and only between check-in and checkout. Bring the towels from your room. Toiletries are provided.
The hotel
A wooden inn built in 1960 on the slope above a suspension bridge over the Hayakawa, with 15 rooms in 12 types. Most have an open-air bath on the ryokan's own spring. The standard 28 m² room has no bath. Kaiseki is overseen by a chef whose own restaurant has long held a Michelin star, and women can pick from 60 colored yukata (a light cotton robe). Check-in is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and checkout is 10 a.m.
Good to know
- Book the gorge bath when you arrive. Eight 45-minute turns a day, first come, first served.
- No elevator, and stairs to every bath. The inn asks guests with limited mobility to consider this before booking.
- Towels stay in the room. The shared baths have none, so carry yours down.
Getting there
Seventeen minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station, or ten from Tonosawa Station on an unpaved path the inn doesn't recommend for older guests. The inn's shared bus leaves Hakone-Yumoto at 4:45 p.m. (¥100). Route buses stop at Kami-Tonosawa, five minutes away over the bridge and up a steep slope.
Tonosawa STN · Hakone Tozan line
About 10 minutes on an unpaved path.
Hakone-Yumoto Station 17 minutes on foot; the inn's shuttle leaves there at 4:45 p.m., ¥100.
Where it is
Tonosawa STN
- Odakyu line 1 hr 35 min
- Hakone Tozan railway 4 min
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- Hakone Freepass from ¥7,100 · 2 or 3 days from Shinjuku Worth it if you’re coming from Shinjuku and moving around Hakone. It covers the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and back, then unlimited rides on the Hakone Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, lake boats and buses. The Romancecar seat fee is extra.
- Mt Fuji and Hakone day tour Lake Ashi’s torii, the pirate ship, Owakudani and Oshino Hakkai, from Tokyo.
- Japan Rail Pass from ¥53,000 · 7, 14 or 21 days For a trip that takes in several regions by Shinkansen and JR lines.
What happens when you arrive
Check in and go to the bath. There's no seal to buy and nothing to mention at the front desk.
How we know
Confirmed from official site (FAQ answers the question directly)
タトゥー、刺青を入れてますが大浴場に入れますか？ はい、ご利用頂けます。
The operator’s own wording. Show it if anyone asks.
Best for: a valley ryokan at Tonosawa that says yes in writing, for guests who can manage stairs
One of the few places in Hakone that addresses tattoos on its own site rather than leaving it to directories. The private bath in the valley is paid, 45 minutes a turn, taken first come on the day of arrival, eight groups a day, 3 p.m. to midnight.
Book your stay
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