Family-Friendly Hotels in Tohoku: Hot Springs, Highlands and Snow

When you pick a family hotel in Tohoku, it's hard to know where to base yourselves: Miyagi, Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata or Fukushima. Hot spring towns are scattered across every prefecture, and in winter, ski resort hotels become an option too. There are 164 family-friendly places to stay, from hot spring inns (ryokan) to highland resorts. Choosing your base according to your children's ages and the purpose of your trip is the surest way to find the right hotel.

If you're traveling with a baby, a hot spring town close to a Shinkansen (bullet train) station helps keep the travel burden down. In Miyagi, Akiu Onsen and Sakunami Onsen are close to Sendai, and in Iwate, the Hanamaki Onsen area is also easy to reach by Shinkansen. There are 103 hotels with Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms, 41 with family or private baths, and 41 with in-room baths or rooms with an open-air bath, so you can still enjoy a hot spring even if a shared bath feels daunting.

If you have a toddler and want plenty of outdoor play, highland areas are good candidates: Urabandai and Inawashiro in Fukushima, Appi Kogen in Iwate, and Zao in Yamagata. In summer you can spend time in nature, and in winter they serve as bases for playing in the snow or taking a first ski lesson. There are 34 hotels with kids' programs or activities, and 23 with indoor play spaces such as kids' rooms.

If you want to combine the sea or a stroll through town, Miyagi, home to Matsushima, and Aomori, with hotels in Hachinohe and Aomori City, are good fits. Akita is known for Kakunodate and the Nyuto Onsenkyo hot spring area, and Yamagata for the atmospheric hot spring towns of Ginzan Onsen and Atsumi Onsen. Combining hot springs and sightseeing without strain is part of what makes Tohoku special.

For meals, 55 hotels offer allergy support, 43 serve toddler meals, and 46 have private or semi-private dining rooms.