Yamanaka Onsen Shirasagiyu Tawaraya

A purely Japanese-style Yamanaka Onsen ryokan along the Daishoji River

Yamanaka Onsen Shirasagiyu Tawaraya is one of the Yumoto Junikken, the twelve inns at the hot-spring source, said to have been founded in the Kamakura period. It is a purely Japanese-style onsen ryokan standing along the Daishoji River in Yamanaka Onsen, part of the Kaga Onsen area. A free shuttle bus runs from Kaga-Onsen Station on the JR and IR Ishikawa Railway lines by reservation, and free parking for about 80 cars is available. Kanazawa is about an hour away by car, making the ryokan a good base for a Kaga onsen trip with children.

Open-air baths above the stream and simple onsen water

The communal baths Kakusen and Kajika each have an open-air bath overlooking the Daishoji River gorge, where you can enjoy colorless, skin-friendly simple onsen water (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, high-temperature spring water, drawn 100% from the source) and move between baths that show a different view in the morning and in the evening. Whether children may bathe, and the water temperature, should be confirmed at the ryokan.

Special rooms with a source-fed open-air bath and in-room dining

Among the special rooms with an open-air bath fed by the hot spring source, which opened in 2023, some types come with a private dining area for meals in the room. Even families with small children who are uneasy in a communal bath can take their time with the room's own open-air bath and in-room dining, without worrying about other guests. Guest rooms are mainly generous Japanese-style tatami rooms of 10 mats or more, and the tatami space works well for co-sleeping, changing diapers and baby food times.

A private-hire bath the whole family can share

The private-hire bath Kikka (45 minutes, fee applies, reserved by phone) lets families and couples bathe at ease, so you can share the bath with your children without worrying about other guests. Some Japanese-Western rooms are barrier-free, which suits a three-generation trip to Kaga onsen as well. Some ingredients are difficult to accommodate for food allergies, so please consult the ryokan at least 2 days in advance. Changes of ingredients due to personal likes and dislikes or vegetarian diets are not accepted.