Family-Friendly Hotels Around Lake Shinji: Sunsets and Hot Springs

When you are choosing a family-friendly place to stay around Lake Shinji, it can be hard to know what to base the decision on. Tamatsukuri Onsen, famous as a hot spring town, Matsue with the atmosphere of an old castle town, and Izumo, the birthplace of Japanese mythology, are scattered around the lake like a ring, and each has a different character, so the base you pick changes the whole color of the trip. Shimane Prefecture holds areas such as Tamatsukuri Onsen and Izumo, each with its own mood, and the beauty of this region is that you can choose between them according to your children's ages and the pace you want to keep.

Above all, the area around Lake Shinji is widely known for the sun setting over the water. The lakeshore has places set up for watching the evening view, and it helps that you can enjoy the scenery without walking long distances even with a small child. It is also easy to combine indoor and outdoor destinations, which suits families: the grounds around Matsue Castle, the sightseeing boats that circle the castle moat, and Gobius, the Shimane Prefectural Lake Shinji Nature Museum standing right by the water. Tamatsukuri Onsen, central Matsue, and the Izumo Taisha Shrine area are all linked along the lake, so even if you settle on a single base you can still reach several destinations comfortably.

As for how to narrow down a hotel, the layout of the room comes first. Of the 15 properties we list in this area, 15 have Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms, an easy choice for families who want the reassurance of setting a crawling baby down on tatami mats. If you would rather soak without worrying about other guests, 10 properties have rooms with a private or open-air bath, and 7 offer a reservable private bath. Some, such as Matsunoyu and Tamatsukuri Grand Hotel Choseikaku, have both. 4 properties state that you can bathe your baby using a baby tub, among them Yumoto Yunokawa, known as one of Japan's three great hot springs for beautiful skin, and Naniwa Issui.

Meals are the other big dividing line on a trip with children. 10 properties prepare a toddler meal menu, 9 accommodate food allergies, 8 have private or semi-private dining rooms, and 2 serve dinner in your room. Hotel Gyokusen, set around a garden with a winding stream, lists a kids' buffet, a children's corner, and children's tableware and aprons, while Yujin Chiyonoyu serves meals in the room. Some properties, such as Tamatsukuri Onsen Ryokan OQOQ, both provide baby food and allow you to bring your own and have it warmed, which makes the days easier to plan even with a very young baby.

If you are staying more than one night, splitting your destinations between the east and west sides of the lake makes for an unhurried route. Give one day to strolling the castle town and the aquarium, and another to the shrines and the coast, and it should sit well with small children. The evening then settles into returning to your hotel for an early bath and dinner.

Our 5 picks in Family-Friendly Hotels Around Lake Shinji, and why

If you only have a minute: these five are where we would start. Ranked by what families actually booked and what each hotel verifiably offers for babies and toddlers.