Awaji Sumoto Onsen Kaigetsukan

Kaigetsukan, on the seafront at Sumoto Onsen on Awaji Island, is a baby-welcoming onsen ryokan certified as a "Welcome Baby" inn by Mikihouse Child Care Research Institute. It has won the Rakuten Travel Gold Award several times and is one of the most popular places to stay on Awaji Island.

Its standout feature is the Baby's First Onsen Plan, built from the input of parents who have raised children themselves. The Japanese-Western room is specially fitted out as a playroom, with a crib, bouncer, Bumbo seat, baby futon, step stool, children's tableware, toys, picture books and DVDs, and safety measures such as outlet covers, door locks and corner cushions are already in place. Diapers (Pampers, up to 15) and cube-type formula milk are provided, and a nursing pillow, a diaper-only trash bin and baby wipes are on hand too, so families with a baby can travel with far less luggage.

Meals are kaiseki course cuisine made with seafood and Awaji beef from Awaji Island, long known as Miketsukuni, a region that has supplied food and shaped Japan's food culture since ancient times. On the baby plan, dinner is served as in-room dining, so you can take your time over the meal without worrying about other guests even when the children get lively (breakfast is a buffet in the dining area). The ryokan will also warm baby food and sterilize baby bottles, and the gift shop sells retort-pouch baby food and baby products.

For bathing, there is a communal bath overlooking the Kii Channel and the sky open-air bath Shiosai no Yu, where you can soak while listening to the sound of the surf. A baby bed is set up in the communal bath and Bumbo seats are available to borrow, so getting to and from the bath with a baby is less of a struggle. Some room types are family Japanese-Western rooms with an in-room bath or a view bath, so families whose baby is still too young for the communal bath can bathe at their own pace in their room.

Right in front of the ryokan, a 1-minute walk away, is Ohama Beach, certified by the Ministry of the Environment as a Pleasant Beach. It is shallow and the waves are gentle, which makes it a good choice for a child's first swim in the sea. In summer, Kaigetsukan also opens a children's pool. At the ryokan's own Kaigetsu Farm, guests can enjoy an onion-harvesting experience - Awaji Island's famous specialty - with staff support, in season only.

Female staff who have raised children themselves are stationed throughout the ryokan, and if a child suddenly develops a fever or similar, the ryokan can drive guests to a nearby hospital or clinic (a pediatric hospital is about 5 minutes away by car). It is about 15 minutes by car from the Sumoto Interchange, or about a 5-minute walk from the Sumoto Kosoku Bus Center for highway buses, with a free shuttle available if you contact the ryokan. Note that the baby equipment depends on specific certified rooms and plans, so it is worth confirming the plan details and the eligible room type when you book.