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Gujo Hachiman and Mino hotels and ryokan: 5 picked from 122
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Where to stay in Gujo Hachiman: three inns in the castle town, two in Mino
- Bizenya and Yoshidaya are within three minutes’ walk of the Jokamachi Plaza stop
- Oyado baison is all-inclusive; Nipponia serves no dinner
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meiji-era ryokan by the town plaza, meals in your room — if you can’t decide | Ryori Ryokan Bizenya Check price |
92/100 | ¥10,000 | ¥12,000 |
| Town-centre ryokan above the Yoshida River | Miharaya Ryokan Check price |
79/100 | ¥10,000 | ¥10,000 |
| 150-year-old machiya, all-inclusive, five groups a night | Machiya Hotel Oyado baison Check price |
77/100 | — | — |
| Restored merchant house in Mino’s udatsu old town | NIPPONIA Mino Shokamachi Check price |
72/100 | ¥22,000–30,000 | ¥30,000–34,000 |
| Centre of Gujo Hachiman, hotel and ryokan rooms in one | Gujo Hachiman no Yado Yoshidaya Check price |
70/100 | ¥10,000 | ¥11,000–21,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-11-07 – 2026-12-30, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-10-31). They move daily — the link shows live prices.
The booking links go to Agoda, which shows today’s price and lets you pay in your own currency. Its price can differ from the Rakuten Travel figures above.
Meiji-era ryokan by the town plaza, meals in your room
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.76/5 (73)
- Ryori ryokan: an inn built around its cooking
- Highest review average of the castle-town inns, 4.76
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 20:00; free parking for 8 cars (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- Founded in the Meiji era, with a Japanese garden that changes through the seasons.
- Breakfast and dinner served in your room; a dinner score of 4.85 on Rakuten.
- Three minutes on foot from the Jokamachi Plaza stop on Gifu Bus; a large bath and a family bath; nine rooms.
- About ¥10,000 per person with breakfast on a weekday, ¥12,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: From Gujo-Hachiman station (Nagaragawa Railway), take Gifu Bus to the Jokamachi Plaza stop; the inn is three minutes on foot from there.
Language and payment: Rakuten’s listing says a few staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB and American Express are listed. The large bath is communal and nude in the Japanese way and tattoo rules are not published; there is also a family bath, so ask about using that.
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Right for: Eating a proper Japanese dinner in your room, right in the middle of the castle town.
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Not for: Only 73 reviews so far, and from the station it is a bus ride.
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Worth knowing: Let the inn know if you will check in after 17:00. Check-out is 10:00.
Score breakdown — 92/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.72 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥10,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 73% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in your room (breakfast and dinner); three minutes on foot from the Jokamachi Plaza stop on Gifu Bus; founded in the Meiji era, with a Japanese garden that changes with the seasons; a large bath and a family bath; a few staff understand a little English; 9 rooms. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.76 across 73 reviews (Rakuten Travel 73) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | Founded in the Meiji era, with a Japanese garden; its 4.76 average is the highest of the castle-town inns, and its dinner score is 4.85. |
Town-centre ryokan above the Yoshida River
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.25/5 (38) · Agoda 9.1/10 (137) · 175 in total
- Check-in from 15:00
- Parking for 8 cars, first come first served (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- In the town centre, with the Yoshida River flowing below.
- Meals in your room or the hall; a large bath; eight rooms.
- Last check-in 22:00, the latest of the five.
- About ¥10,000 per person with breakfast on a weekday and on a Saturday — the cheapest of the five on a Saturday.
Getting there: The listing says only that it is reached by car from Gujo-Hachiman station (Nagaragawa Railway); it is in the Yanagimachi district of the old town.
Language and payment: Rakuten’s listing says a few staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, OMC, UFJ and Rakuten cards are listed. The large bath is communal and nude in the Japanese way, and tattoo rules are not published, so ask first.
- Right for: Hearing the river from your room, and keeping the cost down on a weekend.
- Not for: Only 38 reviews, the thinnest sample here. Check-out is early, at 9:30.
Score breakdown — 79/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Rakuten shows no category scores, so this is our own baseline rating |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥10,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 69% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in your room or the hall (breakfast and dinner); in the town centre, with the Yoshida River flowing below; a large bath; last check-in 22:00; a few staff understand a little English; 8 rooms. |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.25 across 38 reviews (Rakuten Travel 38) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | In the centre of Gujo Hachiman, with the Yoshida River running directly below. |
150-year-old machiya, all-inclusive, five groups a night
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.31/5 (93) · Agoda 9.3/10 (27) · 120 in total
- A machiya is a wooden town house
- Check-in 14:00, last check-in 21:00, check-out 10:00
- Free on-site parking for 4 cars (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- A 150-year-old machiya, renovated; five groups a night.
- All-inclusive: alcohol and soft drinks in the room are free.
- A free private bath, 45 minutes a turn, booked at check-in; a private bedrock sauna at ¥6,600 per person, by reservation.
- No rooms came up in our search window, so check the price on its own page.
Getting there: About fifteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station (Nagaragawa Railway); five minutes by car from Mino IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. There is no parking at the front entrance — give your car model when you book if you want the free parking.
Language and payment: Rakuten’s listing says a few staff understand a little English. The card section names Visa, American Express and JTB but also says cards are not accepted, so confirm how to pay when you book. The bath is a private one, so tattoos do not come up.
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Right for: Adults wanting a quiet, private night in an old Mino town house.
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Not for: Not for families with children aged 12 or under, and the old wooden building has no soundproofing.
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Worth knowing: Children aged 12 and under cannot stay. It is an old wooden house with no soundproofing.
Score breakdown — 77/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | The categories Rakuten does show (room and others) average 5.00 |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | No room came up in our search window, so we could not check a price; this is our own baseline rating |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | About fifteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station; a renovated 150-year-old machiya taking five groups a night; free alcohol and soft drinks in the room; a free private bath (45 minutes a turn); a few staff understand a little English. |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.31 across 93 reviews (Rakuten Travel 93) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A 150-year-old machiya turned all-inclusive inn for five groups a night, with free drinks in the room and a free private bath. |
Restored merchant house in Mino’s udatsu old town
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.50/5 (44)
- Set in the quarter that grew rich on Mino washi paper
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 18:00, check-out 10:00
- Free parking, no booking needed (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- A house nearly 100 years old in Mino’s paper-merchant quarter; ten rooms and a tea room.
- Inside the udatsu townscape that survives from the Edo period.
- Breakfast in your room or a private room; no dinner is served.
- About ¥22,000–30,000 per person with breakfast on a weekday, ¥30,000–34,000 on a Saturday — the highest of the five we could price.
Getting there: About thirteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station (Nagaragawa Railway).
Language and payment: Rakuten’s listing says a few staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, DC and Rakuten cards are listed. No shared bath is listed, so tattoos do not come up. Phone enquiries are taken 9:00–18:00.
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Right for: Sleeping inside Mino’s old streets and walking them at night.
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Not for: No dinner, and only 44 reviews so far.
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Worth knowing: No dinner is served — you eat out in the old town. Give the inn a mobile number for the day of arrival.
Score breakdown — 72/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | The categories Rakuten does show (room and others) average 5.00 |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | ¥22,000–30,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 154% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in a private room; about thirteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station; a house nearly 100 years old in the merchant quarter that grew on Mino washi paper; ten rooms and a tea room; breakfast in your room or a private room; a few staff understand a little English. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.5 across 44 reviews (Rakuten Travel 44) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | A merchant house nearly 100 years old in the town built on Mino washi paper, so you sleep inside the udatsu streets that survive from the Edo period. |
Centre of Gujo Hachiman, hotel and ryokan rooms in one
Gujo Hachiman no Yado Yoshidaya
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.30/5 (186) · Agoda 8.9/10 (86) · 272 in total
- The handiest base here for exploring on foot
- 186 reviews averaging 4.30, the most of the five
- Free parking for 10 cars; tell the inn if you bring two or more (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- Two minutes on foot from the Jokamachi Plaza stop (Gifu Bus and the Mame Bus).
- Hotel and ryokan rooms in one; a large bath; non-smoking throughout; fifteen rooms.
- Dinner in a private room or the dining room; a dinner score of 4.67. Last check-in 21:00.
- About ¥10,000 per person with breakfast on a weekday, ¥11,000–21,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: Two minutes on foot from the Jokamachi Plaza stop on Gifu Bus and the Mame Bus; five minutes by car from Gujo Hachiman IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
Language and payment: Rakuten’s listing says a few staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Rakuten cards are listed. The large bath is communal and nude in the Japanese way, and tattoo rules are not published, so ask first.
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Right for: Walking the castle town from the door, or arriving fairly late.
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Not for: The Japanese-style rooms have no bath or toilet inside, and the bath score is only 3.90.
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Worth knowing: Japanese-style rooms have the bath and toilet outside the room. On dinner plans, check in by 18:00. Breakfast is 7:30–9:00.
Score breakdown — 70/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★☆☆☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.26 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥10,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, breakfast) — 69% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in a private room; two minutes on foot from the Jokamachi Plaza stop (Gifu Bus and the Mame Bus); hotel and ryokan rooms in one, handy for exploring on foot; last check-in 21:00; a large bath, non-smoking throughout; a few staff understand a little English; 15 rooms. |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.3 across 186 reviews (Rakuten Travel 186) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | Hotel and ryokan rooms in the centre of Gujo Hachiman, two minutes from the Jokamachi Plaza stop — the handiest base for walking the town. |
Know before you book
- Gujo Hachiman’s old town is not by its station. Gujo-Hachiman station, on the Nagaragawa Railway, sits on the edge of town; the centre is a short Gifu Bus ride away, around the Jokamachi Plaza (castle-town plaza) stop. Two of the five are within three minutes’ walk of that stop.
- The Nagaragawa Railway is a slow single-track line that starts at Mino-Ota on the JR Takayama line. Many visitors come by highway bus from Nagoya or Gifu instead, or drive — Gujo Hachiman and Mino both have their own exits on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
- The town is built on water. The Yoshida River runs through the middle, narrow channels carry spring water past the houses, and the Sogi-sui spring is on Japan’s list of the 100 best waters. Gujo Hachiman Castle stands on the hill above it all.
- The Gujo Odori dance festival fills the streets on summer nights from mid-July to early September, and dances all night around Obon in mid-August. Rooms in the old town go early for those nights; our prices were checked for November and December.
- Mino is the town of Mino washi paper. Its merchant quarter keeps the udatsu — raised firewalls on the rooflines — that wealthy paper merchants built in the Edo period. Two of the five are there, thirteen to fifteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station.
- Prices here are per person with breakfast, for two sharing. At the Gujo Hachiman ryokan a Saturday costs little more than a Wednesday; the Mino merchant house rises the most.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Gujo Hachiman listed on Rakuten Travel — 122
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 44
- Met every condition below: 28
- Kept: five, each the best at something different
Where the facts come from
- Facts: Rakuten Travel property information (in some articles, each hotel’s own site too)
- Prices: Rakuten Travel live availability, Wednesdays and Saturdays over eight weeks
- Reviews: the count and average on Rakuten Travel, as given in each hotel’s Trust row. Agoda’s reviews are shown under each hotel name for reference only and do not count towards the score
Conditions (all of them, not most of them)
- In Rakuten Travel’s Gujo Hachiman, Seki and Mino district of Gifu Prefecture
- At least 30 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- The cheapest rate falls between ¥6,000 and ¥50,000 per person per night
- A base for the old towns: we left out the highland pensions, minshuku and ski lodges of Hirugano, Meiho, Shirotori and Itoshiro, which are reachable only by car and far from Gujo Hachiman and Mino
Scoring
Five criteria, one to five stars each, weighted to one hundred points. Every star says where the number came from.
- Quality20 pts
- The average of the scores Rakuten Travel publishes for the room, the bath and the food.
- Value for money25 pts
- The cheapest breakfast-inclusive rate against the median of the hotels we compared.
- Easy to stay30 pts
- Minutes from the station, a bath house, and check-out time.
- Trust20 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this hotel has that the other 27 do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shinmei Onsen Irori no Yado Yumoto Sugishima | Runner-up (64/100) | A real hot spring with the most reviews of the 28 that qualified, but it scored 64, six behind Yoshidaya’s 70. The deciding factor was value: about ¥25,000–26,000 per person on a weekday is 173% of the median, and no Saturday room came up. It is also about 50 minutes by car from Mino IC, with no train or bus in its listing. |
| Gujo Hachiman Hotel Sekisuien | Runner-up (56/100) | Close to the castle with the most reviews in the castle town, but it scored 56, fourteen behind fifth place. The deciding factors were quality and trust: room, bath and dinner average 4.00, with a 3.79 bath score, and 4.02 across 350 reviews is the lowest average of the seven we scored. |
| Chez Soi Wakamiya | Outside the theme | 4.87 across 237 reviews, the highest average of the 28 that met our conditions — but it is a pension on the Hirugano plateau, reached by car from the expressway and well away from Gujo Hachiman’s old town. |
| Manten no Yado | Outside the theme | Every room has its own open-air natural hot-spring bath and it rated 4.39 across 139 reviews, but it is up in Itoshiro, about 30 minutes by car from the Shirotori or Takasu exits, in the grounds of the Wing Hills Shirotori ski resort. |
| Fairfield by Marriott Gifu Gujo | Below the price range | 4.59 across 276 reviews and eight minutes on foot from Gujo-Yamato station, but its cheapest listed rate falls just under our ¥6,000 floor, and it is in Yamato rather than Gujo Hachiman. |
| 78 hotels | Below the floor | Fewer than 30 reviews, or an average below 4.0. |
Questions visitors ask
Gujo Hachiman or Mino — where should I stay?
Gujo Hachiman if you want the water town, the castle and, in summer, the Gujo Odori: Ryori Ryokan Bizenya, Miharaya Ryokan and Yoshidaya are all in the old centre. Mino if you want the udatsu merchant streets and washi paper: NIPPONIA Mino Shokamachi and Oyado baison are both old houses in the old town, thirteen to fifteen minutes on foot from Mino-shi station. The two towns are on the same railway line and the same expressway, so you can see one from the other.
How do I get from Gujo-Hachiman station to the old town?
The station is on the edge of town. Take Gifu Bus to the Jokamachi Plaza stop: Yoshidaya is two minutes on foot from there and Ryori Ryokan Bizenya three. Miharaya Ryokan’s listing says only that it is reached by car from the station, so ask the inn how best to get there.
Is there a hot spring?
Not among the five. Ryori Ryokan Bizenya has a large bath and a family bath, Miharaya Ryokan and Yoshidaya have large baths, and Oyado baison has a free private bath. For real hot-spring water, the runner-up Yumoto Sugishima has a 100% free-flowing spring and a large open-air bath, but it is about 50 minutes by car from Mino IC. The communal baths are nude in the Japanese way and none of these publishes tattoo rules, so ask first.
Can I stay for the Gujo Odori?
The dance festival runs on summer nights from mid-July to early September, with all-night dancing around Obon in mid-August. Ryori Ryokan Bizenya, Yoshidaya and Miharaya Ryokan are in the old town where the dancing happens. Rooms on those nights go early, and our prices were checked for November and December, so summer rates may be different.
How much do these cost?
We searched Rakuten Travel availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 4 November and 26 December 2026, taking the cheapest room with breakfast for two adults and showing it per person (checked 25 October 2026, tax included). Weekdays came to about ¥10,000 at Ryori Ryokan Bizenya, Miharaya Ryokan and Yoshidaya, and ¥22,000–30,000 at NIPPONIA Mino Shokamachi. No rooms came up at Oyado baison. Prices move daily — the link on each hotel shows today’s.
Which one would you book?
Ryori Ryokan Bizenya, which scored 92, the highest of any place we scored: a Meiji-era inn with a garden, meals in your room, a 4.76 average and a dinner score of 4.85, for about ¥10,000 per person on a weekday. If you would rather stay in Mino’s old streets, NIPPONIA Mino Shokamachi is the one, though it costs more and serves no dinner.
Changes
- 2026-10-31 First published. Scored from 122 candidates.