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Myoko & Joetsu onsen ryokan: 5 inns with open-air hot springs
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Myoko ryokan from a 10-room inn at Seki Onsen to a 69-room spa resort
- Kawaratei is about ten minutes by car from Joetsumyoko Shinkansen station
- Hotel Taiko is rated 5.00; Uguisu no Hatsune takes four groups a day
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-room inn with 100% free-flowing spring water — if you can’t decide | Asahiya Ryokan, Seki Onsen Check price |
90/100 | ¥12,000–13,000 | ¥12,000–13,000 |
| The closest onsen inn to Joetsumyoko shinkansen station | Kaminomiya Onsen Kawaratei Check price |
82/100 | ¥20,000 | ¥23,000–30,000 |
| Rated 5.00 by 459 guests, high above Akakura Onsen | Akakura Onsen Hotel Taiko Check price |
81/100 | — | — |
| Spa resort with over 80 years of history and views | Akakura Kanko Hotel Check price |
79/100 | ¥40,000–66,000 | ¥47,000–66,000 |
| Four groups a day, semi-open-air baths in the rooms | Uguisu no Hatsune Check price |
70/100 | — | ¥28,000 |
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.
Ten-room inn with 100% free-flowing spring water
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.66/5 (138)
- In Seki Onsen, known as Uesugi Kenshin’s hidden bath
- The listing calls the water one of Echigo’s secret springs
- Top score of the five, 90/100
Why it made the five
- 100% free-flowing spring water, with the bath rated 4.75.
- About ¥12,000–13,000 per person with two meals — the cheapest of the five on weeknights and Saturdays.
- Ten rooms; 4.66 across 138 reviews.
- The open-air bath is open only from mid-May to mid-November.
Getting there: About fifteen minutes by car from Sekiyama station. Three free parking spaces at the inn, first come first served, plus Seki Onsen’s shared car parks.
Language and payment: Whether staff speak English is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists credit cards as not accepted, and says plans that include lift passes cannot be paid by card, so bring cash. Tattoo rules for the bath are not published. Check-in and check-out outside the usual hours are possible, and there is a ski drying room.
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Right for: Soaking in water straight from the source at a small inn, for the lowest price here.
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Not for: Wanting an outdoor bath in the ski season, or a meal in your room — meals are served in the dining room.
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Worth knowing: The open-air bath is open only from mid-May to mid-November. Three parking spaces (Seki Onsen’s shared car parks besides), a 22:00 curfew, no cards on lift-pass plans, and a ¥150 bathing tax per adult on top.
Score breakdown — 90/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.69 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥12,000–13,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 61% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Free-flowing 100% spring water, called one of Echigo’s secret springs; about fifteen minutes by car from Sekiyama station; the open-air bath opens only from mid-May to mid-November; check-in and check-out outside the usual hours possible; a ski drying room. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.66 across 138 reviews (Rakuten Travel 138) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Ten rooms in Seki Onsen, the spring said to be Uesugi Kenshin’s hidden bath, with 100% free-flowing water straight from the source. |
The closest onsen inn to Joetsumyoko shinkansen station
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.69/5 (332)
- Twelve rooms
- An alkaline spring the inn likens to skin lotion
- Closest onsen inn to Joetsumyoko, per Rakuten’s listing
Why it made the five
- About ten minutes by car from Joetsumyoko station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
- A large bath with an open-air bath and a sauna, on a natural hot spring.
- Bath and dinner both rated 4.77; 4.69 across 332 reviews.
- About ¥20,000 per person on a weeknight with two meals.
Getting there: About ten minutes by car from Joetsumyoko station (Hokuriku Shinkansen). Sixty free parking spaces, no booking needed. No pick-up is listed, so plan on a taxi from the station.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Discover. Tattoo rules for the shared baths are not published, so ask when you book. Meals can be adapted for allergies, and there is a wheelchair to borrow and an accessible toilet.
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Right for: Getting off the Shinkansen and into a hot spring the same evening without travelling further.
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Not for: Staying close to the ski slopes, and no station pick-up is listed.
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Worth knowing: A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on top. Let the inn know if you will arrive after your planned check-in time.
Score breakdown — 82/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.72 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥20,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 100% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Called the closest hot-spring inn to Joetsumyoko station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen; about ten minutes from it by car, with sixty free parking spaces; a natural hot spring with a large bath, an open-air bath and a sauna; several staff understand a little English; meals adapted for allergies; a wheelchair to borrow and an accessible toilet. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.69 across 332 reviews (Rakuten Travel 332) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Rakuten’s listing calls it the closest hot-spring inn to Joetsumyoko Shinkansen station, and guests rate both its bath and its dinner 4.77. |
Rated 5.00 by 459 guests, high above Akakura Onsen
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 5.00/5 (459) · Agoda 10.0/10 (1) · 460 in total
- 67 rooms on the high ground above Akakura Onsen
- The listing sells it on its views
- Renovated in 2016
- No rooms came up in our search window; check its dates on Rakuten
Why it made the five
- 5.00 across 459 reviews — the highest of the 70 we looked at.
- Dinner in your room or in the restaurant.
- Free pick-up from Myoko-Kogen station, booked by the day before, 9:00–18:00.
- A large bath, an open-air bath and a sauna; ski and snowboard rental.
Getting there: About twenty minutes by bus or ten by taxi from Myoko-Kogen station, or free pick-up from the station (book by the day before; 9:00–18:00). About ten minutes by car from Myoko-Kogen IC — set the car navigation by address, not phone number.
Language and payment: Whether staff speak English is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, DC, NICOS, JTB and debit cards. Tattoo rules for the shared baths are not published. Pets may stay, and there is ski, ski-wear and snowboard rental with a drying room.
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Right for: Booking the inn with the strongest guest record here, and eating dinner in your room.
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Not for: Walking from the station; in winter, driving anything but a four-wheel-drive car with chains.
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Worth knowing: In winter the first car park is on a steep slope: four-wheel drive with studless tyres and chains is required, or use the second car park. Last check-in 18:00. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on top.
Score breakdown — 81/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Rakuten shows no category scores, so this is our own baseline rating |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | No rooms came up in the period we searched, so the price could not be checked; scored as a neutral three stars (editorial) |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Free pick-up from Myoko-Kogen station, booked by the day before, 9:00–18:00; about twenty minutes by bus or ten by taxi from Myoko-Kogen; a natural hot spring with a large bath, an open-air bath and a sauna; dinner in your room or the restaurant; renovated in 2016; ski, ski-wear and snowboard rental with a drying room; pets welcome; tea served in the after-bath lounge. |
| Trust | ★★★★★ | 5.00 across 459 reviews (Rakuten Travel 459) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Its 459 reviews average 5.00, the highest score of all 70 places we looked at. |
Spa resort with over 80 years of history and views
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.79/5 (675) · Agoda 9.4/10 (137) · 812 in total
- 69 rooms
- Spa, gym and tennis courts
- Location rated 4.83, bath 4.80, cleanliness 4.88
Why it made the five
- More than eighty years old; 4.79 across 675 reviews.
- A large bath, an open-air bath and a family bath, plus a spa and gym.
- Free shuttle bus from Myoko-Kogen station, by reservation.
- From about ¥40,000 per person on a weeknight with two meals — the dearest of the five.
Getting there: Free shuttle bus (reservation required) from Myoko-Kogen station on the Shinano Railway and Echigo TOKImeki Railway. About ten minutes by car from Myoko-Kogen IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway; seventy free outdoor parking spaces.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and Diners Club. Tattoo rules for the shared baths are not published; the family bath is for your own party. There is a free coin laundry and a baby cot, and allergies can be catered for if you ask in advance.
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Right for: A resort stay with views, hot springs and a spa all in one place.
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Not for: Eating in your room — meals are in the restaurant or dining room — or keeping the cost down.
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Worth knowing: In winter the road up to the hotel can be driven only in four-wheel drive; other cars park at the guest car park of Akakura Kanko Resort ski area and are collected from there. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on top.
Score breakdown — 79/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.79 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | ¥40,000–66,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 194% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00; free shuttle bus from Myoko-Kogen station, by reservation; more than eighty years of history, with views and hot springs; a natural hot spring with a large bath, an open-air bath, a family bath and a sauna; several staff understand a little English; a spa, gym and tennis courts; a free coin laundry and a baby cot; guests without four-wheel drive are collected from the ski-area guest car park. |
| Trust | ★★★★★ | 4.79 across 675 reviews (Rakuten Travel 675) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | A spa resort with more than eighty years behind it, whose guests rate the location 4.83, the bath 4.80 and the cleanliness 4.88. |
Four groups a day, semi-open-air baths in the rooms
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.70/5 (78)
- In the Seki Onsen area; rooms built for privacy
- Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so no weeknight came up in our Wednesday search
Why it made the five
- Only four groups a day.
- Semi-open-air baths in the rooms, and two private baths.
- Breakfast and dinner in a private room.
- About ¥28,000 per person on a Saturday with two meals.
Getting there: By train, from Sekiyama station take the town bus to Seki Onsen (buses leave Sekiyama at 15:30 and 17:24; the morning bus leaves Seki Onsen at 9:43) — tell the inn in the booking notes if you are coming by bus. By car, about twenty minutes from Myoko-Kogen IC or Nakago IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard and Rakuten Card. Tattoo rules are not published; the in-room and private baths are used by your own party alone. Free Wi-Fi in the rooms and a ski drying room.
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Right for: Having the bath and the dinner table to yourselves, without meeting other guests.
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Not for: Staying more than one night, or on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
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Worth knowing: Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except Golden Week, Obon and the New Year). No consecutive nights, a 21:00 curfew, last check-in 17:00, and a ¥150 bathing tax per adult on top. In winter you park where the inn directs you.
Score breakdown — 70/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Rakuten shows only a dinner score, 4.60 |
| Value for money | ★☆☆☆☆ | No weeknight room was free in our search window (it closes on Wednesdays); about ¥28,000 per person on a Saturday (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 135% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Meals in a private room; four groups a day, with semi-open-air baths in the rooms, two private baths and a private dining room; town bus from Sekiyama station to Seki Onsen (leaving Sekiyama 15:30 and 17:24, leaving Seki Onsen 9:43); several staff understand a little English; free Wi-Fi in the rooms and a ski drying room. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.7 across 78 reviews (Rakuten Travel 78) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | Only four groups a day, with semi-open-air baths in the rooms, two private baths and a private dining room. |
Know before you book
- Joetsumyoko is the Hokuriku Shinkansen station for this area, about two hours from Tokyo. One inn here, Kawaratei, is about ten minutes from it by car; the mountain inns are further up the line.
- For Akakura and Myoko Kogen, change at Joetsumyoko to the Echigo TOKImeki Railway and ride to Myoko-Kogen station, where the Shinano Railway from Nagano also terminates. Two of the five, Hotel Taiko and Akakura Kanko Hotel, run free pick-ups from Myoko-Kogen if you book them in advance.
- Seki Onsen is a small hot-spring village higher on Myoko’s slopes, reached from Sekiyama station, on the same line between Joetsumyoko and Myoko-Kogen. The town bus from Sekiyama runs only a few times a day, so check the times before you travel.
- Myoko gets very heavy snow. In winter, a car needs winter tyres or chains, and the hills up to the Akakura inns can be driven only in four-wheel drive — Akakura Kanko Hotel picks up guests at its ski-area car park instead.
- Not every outdoor bath stays open in winter. At Asahiya Ryokan in Seki Onsen the open-air bath runs only from mid-May to mid-November, so ask before you book a ski-season stay for the outdoor soak.
- Prices here are per person with dinner and breakfast, for two sharing. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on top at every inn here, and one of the five takes no cards, so carry some cash.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Myoko and Joetsu listed on Rakuten Travel — 70
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 33
- Met every condition below: 8
- 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 Joetsu, Itoigawa and Myoko district of Niigata, with a hot spring
- At least 30 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- The cheapest rate falls between ¥10,000 and ¥40,000 per person per night
- An open-air hot spring bath — the open-air part of a communal bath 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
- The station, bus or pick-up, the baths, where meals are served, and check-out time.
- Trust20 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this inn has that the other seven that met our conditions do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Himekawa Onsen Hotel Kunitomi Suisenkaku | Runner-up (64/100) | 64/100. Its gorge setting earned four stars for what sets it apart, but 4.42 across 378 reviews took three on trust, room, bath and dinner average 4.44 for two on quality, and at 118% of the median price it scored two on value. |
| Shiosai no Yu Mikaku, Unohama Onsen | Runner-up (58/100) | 58/100. The best price among the runners-up, at 95% of the median, earned four stars on value, but 4.13 across 267 reviews and a room, bath and dinner average of 4.15 took one star each on trust and quality. |
| Takadai no Yado Sankei, Unohama Onsen | Runner-up (54/100) | 54/100. The sunset view and in-room meals were not enough: 4.08 across 150 reviews and a 4.09 dinner score, the only category Rakuten shows, took one star each on trust and quality, the lowest here. |
| Akakura Onsen Ryokan Okayama | Outside the theme | 4.82 across 149 reviews and spring water flowing 100% from the source, within our price range — but its listing shows a large bath only, with no open-air bath. |
| LIME RESORT MYOKO | Outside the theme | 4.45 across 576 reviews with a large hot-spring bath, but its cheapest rate is under our ¥10,000 floor, and its listing shows no open-air bath. |
| Lotte Arai Resort | Outside the theme | A big ski resort with an open-air bath and 1,706 reviews averaging 4.26, but its cheapest rate is under our ¥10,000 floor. |
| Akakura Onsen Akakura Hotel | Below the floor | Free-flowing spring water with open-air and family baths, but 377 reviews average 3.89, below our 4.0 floor. |
Questions visitors ask
Which one would you book?
Asahiya Ryokan in Seki Onsen, the top score of the five at 90/100: ten rooms, spring water flowing 100% from the source, and about ¥12,000–13,000 per person with two meals, the cheapest here on weeknights and Saturdays. Two catches: its open-air bath runs only from mid-May to mid-November, and it takes no cards. For a winter ski stay, Akakura Onsen Hotel Taiko carries a perfect 5.00 across 459 reviews and a free pick-up from Myoko-Kogen station.
I’m arriving on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Which is easiest?
Kawaratei, about ten minutes by car from Joetsumyoko station — the closest hot-spring inn to it, by its own account. No pick-up is listed, so take a taxi. For Akakura, change at Joetsumyoko to the Echigo TOKImeki Railway for Myoko-Kogen, where Hotel Taiko and Akakura Kanko Hotel both run free pick-ups if you reserve them in advance.
Can I use the open-air bath in winter?
At four of the five, the listings give no seasonal closure. At Asahiya Ryokan the open-air bath is open only from mid-May to mid-November, so a ski-season stay there means indoor baths only. Uguisu no Hatsune also has semi-open-air baths in its rooms.
Can I drive there in winter?
Only with proper equipment. Winter tyres or chains are needed on the expressway and local roads, and the slopes up to the Akakura inns need four-wheel drive. Hotel Taiko’s first car park requires four-wheel drive with chains, so others use its second car park; Akakura Kanko Hotel collects guests from the guest car park at the Akakura Kanko Resort ski area. The train and the inns’ pick-ups are the easier way in.
Can I pay by card, and do they speak English?
Four of the five list Visa and Mastercard, among others. Asahiya Ryokan lists cards as not accepted, so bring cash. Kawaratei, Akakura Kanko Hotel and Uguisu no Hatsune say several staff understand a little English; the other two do not say. None of the five publishes a tattoo policy for its shared baths, so ask when you book. Every inn adds a ¥150 bathing tax per adult.
When were these prices checked?
We searched Rakuten Travel availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 4 November and 26 December 2026, taking the cheapest plan with dinner and breakfast for two adults and showing it per person (checked 25 October 2026, tax included). No rooms came up for Hotel Taiko in that window, and Uguisu no Hatsune closes on Wednesdays, so it shows a Saturday price only. Prices move daily — the link on each inn shows today’s.
Changes
- 2026-10-31 First published. Scored from 70 candidates.