Booking.com, one of the world's largest digital travel platforms offering accommodations, travel experiences, flights, and rental cars, is marking August 10th's "Inn Day" by spotlighting standout accommodations from across Japan.
"Inn Day" was established in 1992 at the initiative of the youth division of the National Federation of Ryokan and Hotel Associations, based on a play on words: "ya (8)" and "do (10)." As summer vacation and the Obon travel season approach, it's also an ideal moment to rediscover the appeal of Japan's inns.
To mark the occasion, Booking.com has selected 10 distinctive accommodations from Hokkaido to Kyushu, ranging from long-established hot spring ryokan to inns where guests can feel a deep connection with nature or experience local culture and cuisine firsthand. Whether you're planning this summer's stay or simply want to rediscover the charm of Japanese hospitality and regional character, this lineup offers plenty of inspiration.
Rediscovering the Charm of Japan's Inns: 10 Recommended Accommodations Nationwide
Daiichi Takimotokan (Noboribetsu, Hokkaido)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/daiichi-takimotokan.ja.html
Standing directly across from Noboribetsu's Jigokudani (Hell Valley), this long-established inn dates back to 1858. Its bathing area, spanning roughly 1,500 tsubo, lets guests experience 5 of Japan's 10 spring-water types across 35 baths for men and women combined, all fed by naturally flowing hot spring water. With a pool and a dog-friendly room on-site, it's also a good choice for three-generation family trips.
Shin-Appi Onsen Seiryukaku (Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/shinappi-onsen-seiryukaku.html
This standalone inn is known for its strong saline spring, drawn from ancient seawater and often described as a "fossil seawater" hot spring. With a salt concentration said to be roughly twice that of seawater, it has long been valued as a "beautifying, rejuvenating" bath. The inn also serves Japanese set meals featuring local ingredients such as Appi-grown maitake mushroom rice and Iwate beef, and its location makes it a convenient base for exploring northern Tohoku.
Kounsou (光雲荘, Shiobara Onsen, Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/guang-yun-zhuang.html
Located in the Monzen Onsen area of the Shiobara hot spring region, this inn draws 100% of its bathwater straight from its own source, the "Kounsou" spring. The water is prized as a "beautiful-skin bath" for its high content of metasilicic acid. Dinner features the inn's signature "ishiyaki-daru" dish, in which heated stones are dropped into a wooden barrel to finish cooking the meal with dramatic flair.
Inatori Tokai Hotel Yuen (Higashi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/inatori-toukai-yuen.html
Every room has an ocean view at this inn overlooking the Pacific, offering guests a dramatic panorama right outside their windows. Visitors can enjoy 16 different bathing options, including an open-air observation bath and a private open-air bath at the water's edge. Dinner is a generous kaiseki course loaded with seafood from the waters off Izu, including simmered kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) and Ise lobster.
Kaiko Roman no Yado Kisara (懐古ロマンの宿 季さら, Toba, Mie Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/huai-gu-romannosu-ji-sara-niao-yu-shi.html
Set in a hillside forest overlooking Toba Bay, this small inn consists entirely of detached guest cottages, each with its own open-air hot spring bath. The Taisho-era-inspired, Japanese-modern interiors and the fully separated cottage layout let guests relax without worrying about neighboring rooms. Dinner is a kaiseki course built around seasonal Shima-area ingredients such as Ise lobster and abalone.
Senpokaku (扇芳閣, Toba, Mie Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/senpokaku.html
Perched on a hilltop overlooking Toba Bay, this inn offers sea views from every room. Guests can enjoy the waters of Sakakibara Onsen, known as a "beautiful-skin bath," in both the top-floor observation bathhouse and an atmospheric garden open-air bath. The property also has a kids' space, making it a good fit for three-generation family travel.
Ryokan Asukasou at the Entrance of Nara Park (Nara City, Nara Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/asukaso.html
About an 8-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and close to Sarusawa Pond, this traditional inn has operated since 1938. From its rooftop open-air bath and the private open-air bath "Toei no Yu," guests can take in views of the old capital, including Kofuku-ji Temple and Nara Park. Conveniently located for exploring Nara Park and the Naramachi district, the inn also serves a monthly-changing kaiseki course built around seasonal ingredients.
Arima Onsen Gekkoen Kourokan (有馬温泉 月光園 鴻朧館, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/arima-onsen-gekkoen-korokan.ja.html
Arima is regarded as Japan's oldest hot spring town, and this inn is one of the few there with its own source spring on the property. From the bathhouse and open-air bath overlooking Mt. Ochiba (落葉山) and the Taki River, guests can soak in Arima's famous reddish "kinsen" (gold spring) water straight from the source. Three private baths — cypress, cave, and sandstone-styled "wine" baths — are also available, making it a good choice for a special-occasion stay.
Kobayashiya (Kinosaki Onsen, Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/kobayashiya.ja.html
With a 300-year history, this inn occupies a three-story wooden building registered as a Tangible Cultural Property. Following a major renovation in the Reiwa era — its first in roughly 100 years — the property now combines traditional beauty with modern comfort. Meals highlight "new local cuisine" made with ingredients unique to the region.
Nagasaki I・K Hotel (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/nagasaki-ik.html
Within walking distance of JR Nagasaki Station and close to bus and tram stops, this city-center hotel is convenient for both sightseeing and business trips. It offers a variety of room types, including Japanese-style and Japanese-Western-style rooms, suiting everyone from solo travelers to families and groups. Its gentle Japanese-style breakfast, made with seasonal Nagasaki ingredients, is also well received.
