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Shiobara Onsen ryokan with in-room dinner: 5 picked from 61
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Five Shiobara Onsen inns with dinner served in your room
- Kyuan Iida takes only two groups a day and averages 5.0 across 54 Rakuten reviews
- Umekawaso starts from about ¥17,000 per person on a weeknight
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two groups a day, rooms with their own open-air bath — if you can’t decide | Kyuan Iida Check price |
81/100 | ¥68,000 | ¥84,000–109,000 |
| On high ground with mountain views, a homely inn | Shiobara Onsen Yuyado Umekawaso Check price |
81/100 | ¥17,000–26,000 | ¥19,000–29,000 |
| Six rooms, creative vegetable cooking, dinner rated 4.90 | Shiobara Onsen Oyado Koumeya Check price |
76/100 | ¥36,000 | ¥24,000–39,000 |
| 652 reviews, river views from the rooms and the baths | Shiobara Onsen Shofuro Matsuya Check price |
74/100 | ¥19,000–40,000 | ¥22,000–40,000 |
| Every room faces the river, 100% free-flowing hot spring | Shiobara Onsen Kappo Ryokan Yunohanaso Check price |
71/100 | ¥41,000–45,000 | ¥45,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-11-11 – 2027-01-02, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-11-04). 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.
Two groups a day, rooms with their own open-air bath
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 5.00/5 (54)
- A hideaway for adults taking only two groups a day, with an open-air bath in the room, says the description
- A welcome drink on arrival
Why it made the five
- Reviewed 5.0 across 54 times; dinner and breakfast both rated 5.0, cleanliness 4.88.
- Two rooms, each with an open-air bath.
- Dinner and breakfast in your room or a private room, depending on the plan.
- A weeknight of ¥68,000 per person, the highest of the five; ¥84,000–109,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: About 20 minutes by car from Nasushiobara station on the Tohoku Shinkansen, or about 20 minutes from Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC. No pick-up is listed. Free parking for 2 cars, no reservation needed. Check-out 11:00; last check-in 18:30.
Language and payment: Rakuten lists a few staff who understand a little English. It lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, OMC, UFJ, Mastercard and Rakuten Card.
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Right for: Adults marking an occasion, at a two-room inn with dinner in the room.
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Not for: Wanting a large bath or in-house facilities; families who need children’s meals.
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Worth knowing: There is no children’s menu; Rakuten says to bring your own food for young children. Outside food and drink are not allowed. Dinner is in your room or a private room, so check when you book.
Score breakdown — 81/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | The categories Rakuten does show (room and others) average 5.00 |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | ¥68,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 317% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00; dinner and breakfast in your room or a private room; about 20 minutes by car from Nasushiobara station; two rooms, two groups a day; a few staff with a little English; parking. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 5 across 54 reviews (Rakuten Travel 54) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | Only two groups a day at an adults’ hideaway with an open-air bath in the room, and a 5.0 average across 54 reviews. |
On high ground with mountain views, a homely inn
Shiobara Onsen Yuyado Umekawaso
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.61/5 (447) · Agoda 9.6/10 (5) · 452 in total
- On high ground with views of the mountains, and a homely feel popular with repeat guests, says the description
- Smoke-free indoors; smoking only at the outdoor spot
Why it made the five
- Dinner rated 4.73, service 4.69 and breakfast 4.67.
- A large bath, an open-air bath and a family bath; 15 rooms.
- Dinner in your room or a private room; breakfast in your room or the dining area.
- A weeknight of ¥17,000–26,000 per person, the lowest weekday rate of the five; ¥19,000–29,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: 20 minutes by bus from Kami-Miyori-Shiobara-Onsenguchi station to Konohaishi-iriguchi, then 10 minutes on foot. Free parking for 25 cars, no reservation needed. Check-in 14:30; check-out 10:00; last check-in 18:00.
Language and payment: English support is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, Mastercard, Rakuten Card, ANA and JAL cards.
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Right for: A homely inn, a mountain view and dinner in the room, at a moderate price.
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Not for: Wanting an easy trip by train and bus (10 minutes on foot from the stop).
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Worth knowing: Dinner is in your room or a private room, so check when you book. Children aged four and over must be booked on a plan with meals. Bathing tax is extra.
Score breakdown — 81/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.61 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥17,000–26,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 77% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Dinner in your room or a private room, breakfast in your room or the dining area; 20 minutes by bus from Kami-Miyori-Shiobara-Onsenguchi station and 10 minutes on foot; 15 rooms; a large bath, open-air bath and family bath; parking. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.61 across 447 reviews (Rakuten Travel 447) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | A homely inn on high ground with mountain views, with dinner rated 4.73 and service 4.69. |
Six rooms, creative vegetable cooking, dinner rated 4.90
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.78/5 (204)
- A small hideaway that welcomes guests with creative dishes built on seasonal vegetables and seasonal flower arrangements, says the description
- A welcome drink on arrival
Why it made the five
- Dinner rated 4.90, service and cleanliness 4.88, breakfast 4.86.
- Six rooms; a large hot-spring bath.
- Dinner and breakfast in your room or the dining room, depending on the plan.
- A weeknight of ¥36,000 per person, but ¥24,000–39,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: 60 minutes by bus from Nasushiobara station, or 45 minutes by bus from Nishi-Nasuno station; about 25 minutes by car from Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC. Free parking for 7 cars, no reservation needed. Check-out 10:00; last check-in 17:30.
Language and payment: English support is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten says cards are accepted but does not list the brands.
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Right for: A small inn with highly rated food, with dinner in your room.
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Not for: Wanting the facilities of a big inn.
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Worth knowing: Last check-in is 17:30, the earliest of the five. Dinner is in your room or the dining room, so check when you book. Changing your date within 10 days of the stay counts as a cancellation.
Score breakdown — 76/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.77 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | ¥36,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 168% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Dinner and breakfast in your room or the dining room; 60 minutes by bus from Nasushiobara station or 45 from Nishi-Nasuno; six rooms; last check-in 17:30. |
| Trust | ★★★★★ | 4.78 across 204 reviews (Rakuten Travel 204) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A small hideaway serving creative seasonal-vegetable cooking, with dinner rated 4.90 and service 4.88. |
652 reviews, river views from the rooms and the baths
Shiobara Onsen Shofuro Matsuya
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.58/5 (652) · Agoda 8.9/10 (17) · 669 in total
- A quiet inn where the river can be seen from the rooms, the large bath and the open-air bath, says the description
- Tea in the after-bath lounge; shogi and go sets to borrow
Why it made the five
- Reviewed 4.58 across 652 times, the most of the 13 inns that meet the theme.
- Location rated 4.62, breakfast 4.60 and dinner 4.55.
- Dinner and breakfast in your room or the dining area, depending on the plan.
- A weeknight of ¥19,000–40,000 per person; ¥22,000–40,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: 50 minutes by bus from Nasushiobara station, or 20 minutes by car from Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC. Free parking for 25 cars. Check-out 11:00; last check-in 18:00.
Language and payment: English support is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, UFJ and Mastercard.
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Right for: A much-reviewed inn with river-view baths and dinner in the room.
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Not for: Wanting an open-air bath in every room.
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Worth knowing: Dinner is in your room or the dining area, so confirm in-room dining when you book. Bathing tax ¥150 per adult.
Score breakdown — 74/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.55 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★☆ | ¥19,000–40,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 87% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00; dinner and breakfast in your room or the dining area; 50 minutes by bus from Nasushiobara station; 22 rooms; a large bath and an open-air bath; parking. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.58 across 652 reviews (Rakuten Travel 652) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | 652 reviews averaging 4.58, the most of the inns that meet the theme, with river views from the rooms and baths. |
Every room faces the river, 100% free-flowing hot spring
Shiobara Onsen Kappo Ryokan Yunohanaso
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.86/5 (222) · Agoda 10.0/10 (2) · 224 in total
- Every room faces the mountain stream, with 100% free-flowing hot spring and seasonal food that changes every month, says the description
- Morning coffee, a welcome drink and a change of yukata
Why it made the five
- Reviewed 4.86 across 222 times; cleanliness 4.86, facilities 4.80, dinner and breakfast 4.64.
- A large bath and an open-air bath; 11 rooms.
- Dinner in your room or a private room; breakfast in a private room.
- A weeknight of ¥41,000–45,000 per person; ¥45,000 on a Saturday.
Getting there: 50 minutes by JR bus from Nasushiobara station to the Shiogama Onsen stop, or 20 minutes from Nishinasuno-Shiobara IC on Route 400. Free parking for 40 cars, first come. Check-out 11:00; last check-in 18:00.
Language and payment: English support is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, UFJ, Mastercard, Saison and JAL cards.
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Right for: Eating seasonal dishes in the room while watching the river.
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Not for: Wanting breakfast in the room too (it is served in a private room).
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Worth knowing: Dinner is in your room or a private room, so check when you book. Rakuten publishes no scores for service, room or bath for this inn. Bathing tax ¥150.
Score breakdown — 71/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | The categories Rakuten does show (room and others) average 4.64 |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | ¥41,000–45,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 190% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00; dinner in your room or a private room, breakfast in a private room; 50 minutes by JR bus from Nasushiobara station; 11 rooms; a large bath and an open-air bath; parking. |
| Trust | ★★★★★ | 4.86 across 222 reviews (Rakuten Travel 222) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Every room faces the river, with 100% free-flowing hot spring and monthly seasonal menus, and 4.86 across 222 reviews. |
Know before you book
- Shiobara Onsen is a string of hot-spring villages along a river valley in the hills of Nasushiobara, Tochigi. The nearest Shinkansen stop is Nasushiobara on the Tohoku Shinkansen, but the onsen is not by the station: the listings give 50–60 minutes by bus, or about 20 minutes by car to Kyuan Iida.
- In-room dinner is not automatic. Of the thirteen inns whose Rakuten listing offers dinner in the room, all five in this guide also list another venue: a private room, a dining room or a dining area. Among the eight we compared, only the runner-up Keiunkaku lists the room alone. Read the plan name or ask when you book.
- None of the five lists a pick-up from a station in its access notes. Of the runners-up, Yumori Tanakaya runs a paid pick-up from Nasushiobara station (book ahead), and Keiunkaku a timed pick-up from the Shiobara Onsen bus terminal (book ahead). Umekawaso can also be reached from Kami-Miyori-Shiobara-Onsenguchi station: 20 minutes by bus to Konohaishi-iriguchi, then 10 minutes on foot.
- Ryokan dinners start at set times, so arrival time matters. Last check-in is 17:30 at Koumeya, 18:00 at Umekawaso, Matsuya and Yunohanaso, and 18:30 at Kyuan Iida. Phone ahead if you will be late.
- Check the bathing tax: Yunohanaso and Matsuya list ¥150 per adult, and Umekawaso says only that it is extra. The runners-up Gensenkan and Keiunkaku take cash only at the inn.
- Prices are per person with dinner and breakfast, for two sharing, and at some inns a Saturday is cheaper. In our search Koumeya was ¥36,000 on a weeknight but ¥24,000–39,000 on a Saturday.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Shiobara Onsen listed on Rakuten Travel — 61
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 43
- Met every condition below: 13
- 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)
- Dinner can be served in your room: Rakuten’s facility information lists the guest room as a dinner venue, or the inn’s own description mentions in-room dining
- In the Shiobara Onsen villages, with a hot spring (Rakuten Travel’s hot-spring filter)
- At least 30 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- A plan for two with dinner and breakfast can be booked
Scoring
Five criteria, one to five stars each, weighted to one hundred points. Every star says where the number came from.
- Quality25 pts
- The average of the scores Rakuten Travel publishes for the room, the bath and the food.
- Value for money20 pts
- The cheapest rate with dinner and breakfast against the median of the inns we compared.
- Easy to stay25 pts
- Meals in your room or a private room, how you get there, the number of rooms, and practical extras such as shuttle bus and parking.
- Trust15 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here15 pts
- What this inn has that the other seven do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shiobara Motoyu Onsen Gensenkan | Runner-up (69/100) | 69/100. Its 4.38 average for room, bath and dinner and 4.36 across 281 reviews scored two stars each, below the five. |
| Hito Nigori-yu no Yado Keiunkaku | Runner-up (68/100) | 68/100. Its 4.46 average for room, bath and dinner scored two stars and 4.45 across 402 reviews three, and a weeknight of ¥21,000 is level with the median. |
| Shiobara Onsen Yumori Tanakaya | Runner-up (66/100) | 66/100, the lowest of the eight. Its 4.32 average across 523 reviews and 4.41 for room, bath and dinner scored two stars each, despite the station pick-up. |
| Kotaki Kosen | Outside the area | 4.87 across 631 reviews, with dinner in the room, but it is in Yaita city, outside the Shiobara Onsen villages, and does not take children of primary-school age or under. |
| Shiobara Onsen Gasthof Yumekiko | Outside the theme | 5.0 across 209 reviews, but dinner is in a dining room, with no mention of the guest room. |
| Shiobara Onsen Yamanoyado Shimofujiya | Outside the theme | 4.59 across 1,275 reviews, but dinner is in a private room, with no mention of the guest room. |
| Takimi no Yado Yutorelo Nasushiobara | Below the review floor | 3.83 across 1,525 reviews, under our 4.0 floor, and dinner is in a private room. |
Questions visitors ask
If I book one of these, will dinner definitely be served in my room?
Not on every plan. Kyuan Iida, Umekawaso and Yunohanaso serve dinner in your room or a private room, Koumeya in your room or the dining room, and Matsuya in your room or the dining area. The plan decides, so look for in-room dinner (部屋食, heya-shoku) in the plan name or ask when you book. Of the runners-up, Keiunkaku lists the room alone.
Can I have breakfast in my room as well?
At four of the five the listing shows the room as a breakfast venue: Kyuan Iida (room or private room), Umekawaso (room or dining area), Koumeya (room or dining room) and Matsuya (room or dining area). Yunohanaso serves breakfast in a private room.
How do I get there from Tokyo?
Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Nasushiobara. From there, Yunohanaso and Matsuya are 50 minutes by bus and Koumeya 60 minutes; Kyuan Iida is about 20 minutes by car. None of the five lists a station pick-up. Of the runners-up, Yumori Tanakaya runs a paid pick-up from Nasushiobara station, booked ahead.
Do any of them have English-speaking staff?
Rakuten lists a few staff with a little English at Kyuan Iida. The other four do not publish their language support, so write when you book.
Which one would you book?
For a special night, Kyuan Iida, top at 81/100: two rooms, each with an open-air bath, and a 5.0 average, from ¥68,000 per person on a weeknight. For value, Umekawaso, also 81/100, from about ¥17,000 per person on a weeknight with dinner rated 4.73.
When were these prices checked?
We searched Rakuten Travel availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 11 November 2026 and 2 January 2027, taking the cheapest room with dinner and breakfast for two adults and showing it per person (checked 4 November 2026, tax included). Bathing tax is paid at the inn. Prices move daily; the link on each inn shows today’s.
Changes
- 2026-11-04 First published. Scored from 61 candidates.