This page contains promotions (affiliate links) (Editorial & ad policy)
Himi, Takaoka and Tonami onsen ryokan: 5 with open-air baths
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Himi onsen ryokan and four more, from the coast to the mountains
- Yamaboushi gives all seven rooms an open-air bath; Hanayama has seven of its 19
- Eihokaku has sea views and a free Himi station pick-up; Gokasanso needs a car
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free private bath and every meal in a private room — if you can’t decide | Fukumitsu Hanayama Onsen Check price |
81/100 | — | ¥24,000–25,000 |
| Seven rooms, each with its own open-air onsen bath | Etchu Goi Hanao Onsen Yamaboushi Check price |
76/100 | — | ¥39,000–43,000 |
| Himi fish dinners and sea-view rooms, free Himi pick-up | Himi Onsenkyo Eihokaku Check price |
72/100 | ¥18,000–20,000 | ¥22,000–30,000 |
| A base for Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, 24-hour open-air bath | Gokayama Onsen Gokasanso Check price |
71/100 | ¥21,000–23,000 | ¥23,000–24,000 |
| A skin-softening hot spring and spa on the Shogawa river | Shogawa Onsen Torigoe no Yado Sanrakuen Check price |
69/100 | — | ¥33,000–35,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-11-04 – 2026-12-26, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-10-27). 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.
Free private bath and every meal in a private room
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.61/5 (792)
- Welcome drink service
- Children’s meals are the same as adults’ (Rakuten listing)
- Late-night snack corner, tea lounge and beauty salon (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- The private bath is free; seven rooms have their own open-air bath.
- Breakfast and dinner both in a private room.
- Service 4.80, breakfast 4.82, dinner 4.78 — 4.61 across 792 reviews.
- About ¥24,000–25,000 per person with two meals on a Saturday; no weekday rooms came up in our search.
Getting there: About 7 minutes by car from Fukumitsu station (JR Johana line), 10 minutes from Oyabe IC on the Hokuriku Expressway; the inn gives 40 minutes to Kanazawa station.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UC and DC are listed; American Express is not. Tattoo rules are not published; the free private bath and the in-room open-air baths avoid the question. The listing is inconsistent about a pick-up, so ask when you book if you need one.
-
Right for: Families or couples who want the bath and every meal away from other guests.
-
Not for: Groups of more than seven, or families with children younger than primary-school age — neither can stay. There is no shop.
-
Worth knowing: No groups over seven and no children under primary-school age. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out at 10:00, with no exceptions. Booking two rooms or more brings a cancellation fee from 14 days before. The ¥150 bathing tax is charged on top.
Score breakdown — 81/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.64 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★☆ | No weeknight room was free in our search window (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 86% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in a private room; a single inn on its own spring with a free private bath; seven rooms with their own open-air bath; breakfast and dinner both in a private room; close to Gokayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa, 40 minutes to Kanazawa station; several staff understand a little English; service 4.80, breakfast 4.82 and dinner 4.78 (Rakuten). |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.61 across 792 reviews (Rakuten Travel 792) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A free private bath and both meals in a private room, with service and food scores all around 4.8. |
Seven rooms, each with its own open-air onsen bath
Etchu Goi Hanao Onsen Yamaboushi
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.67/5 (41) · Agoda 8.4/10 (1) · 42 in total
- No large bath and no shop (Rakuten listing)
- Free parking for 15 cars
- Check-in from 15:00, last check-in 18:00
Why it made the five
- All seven rooms have a hot-spring open-air bath facing a dam lake; there is no large bath.
- Meals in a fully private dining room; free drinks in the lounge and restaurant.
- Bath 4.83, cleanliness 4.81 — 4.67 across 41 reviews.
- About ¥39,000–43,000 per person with two meals on a Saturday; no weekday rooms came up in our search.
Getting there: Listed as 25 minutes from Shin-Takaoka station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and 14 km from Fukuoka IC on the Noetsu Expressway. No pick-up is listed, so plan on a car or taxi.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and UC are listed. Every room has its own bath and there is no shared one, so tattoos do not come up.
-
Right for: Two adults who want an open-air bath in their own room and a quiet, small inn.
-
Not for: Families with children under 12, who cannot stay; and only 41 reviews so far.
-
Worth knowing: Guests aged 12 and over only. The front door is locked at 22:00 and the lounge closes then. Heavy snow in winter — come on winter tyres. Booking two rooms or more brings a cancellation fee from the moment you book. The bathing tax is included.
Score breakdown — 76/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.72 on Rakuten Travel, and every room has its own open-air bath |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | No weeknight room was free in our search window (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 140% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in a private room; all seven rooms have a hot-spring open-air bath facing a dam lake; fully private dining rooms; opened autumn 2021; bath 4.83 and cleanliness 4.81; free drinks in the lobby lounge and restaurant during opening hours; several staff understand a little English (Rakuten). |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.67 across 41 reviews (Rakuten Travel 41) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | All seven rooms have their own hot-spring open-air bath over a dam lake, and every meal is in a fully private room. |
Himi fish dinners and sea-view rooms, free Himi pick-up
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.39/5 (1,764) · Agoda 8.5/10 (142) · 1,906 in total
- Free 50-minute karaoke, welcome drink and a change of yukata (Rakuten listing)
- Indoor parking for 60 cars; staff guide you at the front door
- Check-in from 15:00
Why it made the five
- Fish dinners scoring 4.55, in your room or the restaurant.
- Sea-view rooms and an open-air bath with a view; private family baths.
- Free pick-up from JR Himi station, 10 minutes by car.
- About ¥18,000–20,000 per person with two meals on a weeknight, ¥22,000–30,000 on a Saturday — the cheapest of the five.
Getting there: About 10 minutes by car from Himi station (JR Himi line), with a free pick-up — tell the inn which train you arrive on. By car, 5 minutes from Himi-kita IC on the Noetsu Expressway.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club are listed, though cards are generally accepted for the basic room charge only. Tattoo rules are not published; the two private family baths (40 minutes for ¥2,000, free on some plans) avoid the question.
-
Right for: Eating Himi fish properly and soaking with a view of the sea, on a budget.
-
Not for: Arriving late — the last dinner sitting starts at 18:30.
-
Worth knowing: Call ahead if you will check in after 17:00; the last dinner sitting starts at 18:30, and last check-in is 18:00. The ¥150 bathing tax is charged on top.
Score breakdown — 72/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★☆☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.39 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥18,000–20,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 65% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Free pick-up from JR Himi station; dinner in your room or the restaurant; a Himi ryokan known for its fish; an open-air bath with a view and sea-view rooms; plans with a free private bath; 10 minutes by car from Himi station; several staff understand a little English; dinner 4.55 across 1,764 reviews (Rakuten). |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.39 across 1,764 reviews (Rakuten Travel 1,764) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A Himi ryokan that bills itself as an inn for touring the fish, with fish dinners, sea-view rooms and an open-air bath with a view. |
A base for Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, 24-hour open-air bath
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.34/5 (258) · Agoda 8.1/10 (119) · 377 in total
- 22 rooms; morning coffee service (Rakuten listing)
- Free parking for 40 cars
- Check-in from 15:00
Why it made the five
- Close to Shirakawa-go, in Gokayama.
- Hot-spring large bath with an open-air section, open 24 hours; sauna.
- Free self-service laundry; barrier-free rooms for wheelchair users.
- About ¥21,000–23,000 per person with two meals on a weeknight.
Getting there: About 10 minutes by car from Gokayama IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway, 30 minutes from Fukumitsu IC, or 30 minutes by car from Johana station (JR Johana line). Buses are very few, so the inn recommends coming by car.
Language and payment: English support and tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover are listed, and PayPay is accepted; the bill is settled in one payment. The front desk and shop are open 7:00–21:00.
-
Right for: Touring Gokayama and Shirakawa-go by car, with a bath you can use at any hour.
-
Not for: Travelling without a car — the buses are very few.
-
Worth knowing: Buses are very few, so come by car; in winter you need snow tyres or chains, and four-wheel drive is recommended. The bathing tax is included.
Score breakdown — 71/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★☆☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.41 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥21,000–23,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 75% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | A publicly run inn in Gokayama close to Shirakawa-go; hot-spring large bath with an open-air section, open 24 hours, and a sauna; free self-service laundry; barrier-free rooms for wheelchair users; dinner 4.52 (Rakuten). |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.34 across 258 reviews (Rakuten Travel 258) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | A sightseeing base in Gokayama near Shirakawa-go, with a hot-spring large bath and open-air bath you can use 24 hours a day. |
A skin-softening hot spring and spa on the Shogawa river
Shogawa Onsen Torigoe no Yado Sanrakuen
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.59/5 (842) · Agoda 8.6/10 (15) · 857 in total
- Describes itself as popular with women for its skin-softening water and beauty treatments
- Toyama seafood at meals, per its own description
- Free parking for 50 cars
Why it made the five
- Hot-spring large bath and open-air bath, billed as good for the skin; an in-house beauty salon.
- Bath 4.69, service 4.67 — 4.59 across 842 reviews.
- No karaoke and every room non-smoking.
- About ¥33,000–35,000 per person with two meals on a Saturday; no weekday rooms came up in our search.
Getting there: Tonami station on the JR Johana line, with a pick-up if you book it in advance; by car, 8 km (about 15 minutes) from Tonami IC on the Hokuriku Expressway, along Route 156.
Language and payment: English support and tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club are listed. Wi-Fi in every room.
-
Right for: Resting in the bath and the spa, at a quiet inn.
-
Not for: Wanting dinner in your room or a private room — meals are in the dining room. Last check-in is early, at 17:30.
-
Worth knowing: The two-room Japanese-Western suites take children aged 10 and over only, and junior-high pupils pay the adult rate. The ¥150 bathing tax is charged on top.
Score breakdown — 69/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.62 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★☆☆☆ | No weeknight room was free in our search window (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 119% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | A pick-up from JR Tonami station (book in advance); water billed as good for the skin and a beauty salon; hot-spring large bath and open-air bath; bath 4.69, service 4.67 and cleanliness 4.65; no karaoke, every room non-smoking; Wi-Fi in every room (Rakuten). |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.59 across 842 reviews (Rakuten Travel 842) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Built around skin-softening water and beauty treatments, with the bath scoring 4.69 across 842 reviews. |
Know before you book
- This is a spread-out district, not one onsen village. Eihokaku is on the coast at Himi; Yamaboushi is in the hills of Takaoka; Fukumitsu Hanayama is in Nanto, near Fukumitsu station; Sanrakuen is at Shogawa in Tonami; Gokasanso is up in Gokayama, the mountain area of Nanto towards Shirakawa-go.
- Himi is known across Japan for kan-buri, the yellowtail landed in Toyama Bay in winter. On clear days the bay coast looks across the water to the Tateyama mountains — the view Amaharashi, between Takaoka and Himi, is famous for.
- The Hokuriku Shinkansen stops at Shin-Takaoka. From Takaoka the JR Himi line runs up the coast to Amaharashi and Himi, and the JR Johana line runs inland through Shin-Takaoka to Tonami, Fukumitsu and Johana. Eihokaku picks up free from Himi station, and Sanrakuen from Tonami station if you book the pick-up ahead.
- For Gokasanso and Yamaboushi a car is the practical way in: Gokasanso says buses are very few, and both ask for winter tyres in the snow season.
- Japanese shared baths are nude, and you wash at the taps before you get in. None of these five publishes a tattoo rule. For a bath with just your own party: Fukumitsu Hanayama’s private bath is free and seven of its rooms have an open-air bath, every room at Yamaboushi has its own, and Eihokaku has private family baths.
- Prices here are per person with dinner and breakfast, for two sharing. A bathing tax of ¥150 per adult is charged on top at Fukumitsu Hanayama, Eihokaku and Sanrakuen; Yamaboushi and Gokasanso include it.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Himi and Takaoka listed on Rakuten Travel — 38
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 29
- Met every condition below: 11
- 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 Takaoka, Himi and Tonami district of Toyama, with a hot spring
- At least 30 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- The cheapest rate falls between ¥8,000 and ¥40,000 per person per night
- A hot-spring open-air bath — the large bath’s open-air section counts; private and in-room open-air baths are noted as a bonus
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 stay30 pts
- A pick-up from the station, meals in your room or a private room, private baths, access to the sights, and English support.
- Trust20 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this inn has that the other ten do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amaharashi Onsen Isohanabi | Runner-up (68/100) | 68/100, one point behind Sanrakuen. The view and the station pick-up are real strengths, but 4.26 across 1,087 reviews is the lowest average of the eight and room, bath and dinner average 4.32 — two stars each for quality and trust. |
| Himi Onsenkyo Umiakari | Runner-up (63/100) | 63/100. At about ¥30,000–31,000 per person on a weeknight it costs 109% of the median for three stars on value, and room, bath and dinner average 4.39 with a 4.37 review average — two stars each for quality and trust. |
| Omaki Onsen | Runner-up (60/100) | 60/100. The boat-only approach earns five stars for uniqueness, but room, bath and dinner average 4.28 — the lowest of the eight, one star for quality — and 4.34 across 282 reviews gives two for trust. |
| Etchu Inami Machiya Ryokan Kokarian | Runner-up | 4.71 across 35 reviews with a hot spring and rooms with an open-air bath, but it serves breakfast only, so there is no two-meal rate to compare. |
| Shogawa Onsen Yumetsuzuri | Runner-up | 4.48 across 351 reviews, with private baths, rooms with an open-air bath and dinner in a private room — the same strengths as Fukumitsu Hanayama, which scores higher. |
| Hamabe no Yado Asahiya | Outside the theme | 4.64 across 455 reviews, five minutes on foot from Shimao station with dinner in your room, but its listing shows no open-air bath, so it did not meet the condition. |
| Mercure Toyama Tonami Resort & Spa | Outside the theme | 3,892 reviews averaging 4.14 and an open-air hot-spring bath, but its cheapest rate is under our ¥8,000 floor. |
Questions visitors ask
Which one would you book?
Fukumitsu Hanayama Onsen, top of the five at 81/100: a free private bath, both meals in a private room and the best service and food scores here, at about ¥24,000–25,000 per person with two meals on a Saturday (no weekday rooms came up in our search). If cost comes first, Eihokaku in Himi is about ¥18,000–20,000 on a weeknight, with fish dinners and a free station pick-up. For an open-air bath in your own room, Yamaboushi has one in every room.
Himi on the coast, or inland towards Shogawa and Gokayama?
Himi if you have come for the seafood and the sea: Eihokaku is there, Himi’s yellowtail is the town’s name in winter, and the bay coast looks across to the Tateyama mountains. Inland if you want quiet and the mountains: Sanrakuen is on the Shogawa river, Fukumitsu Hanayama is near Fukumitsu station, Yamaboushi overlooks a dam lake in the Takaoka hills, and Gokasanso is up in Gokayama.
How do I get there without a car?
Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Shin-Takaoka. For Eihokaku, go on to Himi on the JR Himi line from Takaoka; the inn picks up free from Himi station. For Sanrakuen, take the JR Johana line to Tonami and book the inn’s pick-up in advance. Fukumitsu Hanayama is about 7 minutes by taxi from Fukumitsu station on the same line. Gokasanso and Yamaboushi are much easier by car — Gokasanso says buses are very few.
Can I use the baths with a tattoo, or without bathing with strangers?
None of the five publishes a tattoo rule, so ask before you count on a shared bath. Yamaboushi has no shared bath at all — every room has its own hot-spring open-air bath. Fukumitsu Hanayama’s private bath is free and seven of its rooms have their own open-air bath. Eihokaku has two family baths, 40 minutes for ¥2,000, free on some plans.
Can I stay here to visit Gokayama and Shirakawa-go?
Yes. Gokasanso is in Gokayama itself, close to Shirakawa-go, about 10 minutes from Gokayama IC, and its open-air bath is open 24 hours. Fukumitsu Hanayama also lists Gokayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa as within reach. In winter Gokasanso asks for snow tyres or chains and recommends four-wheel drive.
When were these prices checked?
We searched Rakuten Travel availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 4 November and 26 December 2026, taking the cheapest room with dinner and breakfast for two adults and showing it per person (checked 27 October 2026). Three of the five had no weekday rooms in that window. A bathing tax of ¥150 per adult is added at three of them. Prices move daily — the link on each inn shows today’s.
Changes
- 2026-10-29 First published. Scored from 38 candidates.