Bettei Ikka
別亭一花
Does Bettei Ikka allow tattoos? In a private bath
Bettei Ikka is a 10-room inn floored in tatami from the entrance to the bedrooms, opened in 2020 by a chef with 30 years in Japanese kitchens, and it keeps one cypress family bath with an open-air tub for private bookings.
Bettei Ikka publishes no tattoo rule. It has one private family bath in cypress, with an indoor tub and an open-air tub, booked through the inn for ¥3,300 and discounted or free on its stay plans. A tattooed guest can reserve that and skip the shared bath.
The bath
The family bath is the one to book. It is built in cypress and has two tubs, one indoors and one open-air, for a single party at a time. The regular fee is ¥3,300. Guests on the standard two-meal plan pay ¥2,200, guests on the Shinshu premium beef plan pay ¥1,100, and the executive plan includes it for free. It runs by reservation, and the inn asks guests to get in touch to set a time.
The water is Asama's alkaline simple spring, which the inn describes as smooth on the skin. The shared large bath has washing stations set between stone partitions on a stone floor and looks out through glass to greenery at its far end. Bath towels and face towels are supplied. After the bath the inn hands out ice cream, and sparkling water is free.
The hotel
The whole building is floored in tatami. There are 10 rooms: eight standard 10-mat Japanese rooms for two to four guests on the second to fourth floors, and two Japanese-Western rooms, Ginnan and Sakura, with motorized reclining beds. The owner trained as a chef, cooked Japanese food for 30 years and founded the company in June 2020; dinner is his seasonal kaiseki (a multi-course Japanese meal) built on Shinshu produce. Drinks in the room refrigerator are free on the stay plans. Lunch and dinner parties of six or more can use the large bath during their booking.
Good to know
- Book the family bath when you reserve. It takes one party at a time, and the inn sets the slot when you contact it.
- The plan decides the bath fee: ¥2,200, ¥1,100 or free, against ¥3,300 at the regular rate.
- Towels are supplied, and ice cream after the bath is on the house.
Getting there
From Shinjuku take the JR Chuo Line limited express Azusa to Matsumoto, about 2 hours 30 to 40 minutes. From stand 23 at the station's Oshiro (castle) exit plaza, the Asama Onsen bus takes about 25 minutes, by the inn's count, to Shimo-Asama Hiroba, and the inn is 2 minutes on foot. Drivers pull up at the entrance and ask at the desk; parking is on the north side. From Nagoya the limited express Shinano reaches Matsumoto in about 2 hours.
Matsumoto STN · JR Chuo Line (Azusa limited express)
Not walkable.
Asama line bus from stand 23 at the station's Oshiro exit plaza, about 25 minutes to Shimo-Asama Hiroba, then 2 minutes on foot.
Where it is
Asama Onsen bus stop
- Azusa limited express 2 hr 35 min
- Alpico bus 25 min
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- JR East Pass from ¥35,000 · 5 or 10 consecutive days Covers the Azusa, JR’s limited express from Shinjuku to Matsumoto, with a reserved seat.
- Miso factory tour and lunch in Matsumoto A guided half day at Ishii Miso, a miso maker more than 150 years old, with lunch.
- 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
Use the bath in your room, or reserve a private bath.
How we know
Bath layout confirmed, tattoo policy not published Checked on the official site (: the home page and the rooms and plans page describe the reservable cypress family bath and its fee)
Best for: a cypress family bath with its own open-air tub, at a small inn run by its chef
The cypress family bath has an indoor tub and an open-air tub. The regular fee is ¥3,300 including tax. It drops to ¥2,200 on the standard two-meal plan and ¥1,100 on the Shinshu premium beef plan, and is free on the executive plan. It is by reservation; the inn asks guests to contact it to book. No rooms have their own bath. Bath towels and face towels are supplied, and the inn gives out free ice cream after the bath and free sparkling water.
Book your stay
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