Akiu Onsen Sakan, which calls itself Densho Sennen no Yado, the inn of a thousand-year tradition, is a large ryokan at Akiu Onsen in the hills west of Sendai, with four large baths and a private bath. Before you book, five things matter: the free shuttle from Sendai Station must be booked online; the private bath costs 2,000 yen plus tax; the official site says nothing about tattoos; cancellation charges start three days before; and Sendai’s accommodation tax applies.
For the city, see our Sendai map; for a stay by the sea instead of the hills, our guide to Hotel Taikanso in Matsushima.
Akiu Onsen Sakan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | Yakushi 28, Yumoto, Akiu-machi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai |
| Buildings | Three: Hiten-kan, Sansui-kan, Kagetsu-kan |
| Room hours | 15:00 to 11:00 next morning (terms) |
| Free shuttle | Sendai Station East Exit 11:00 and 15:30, booking required |
| Baths | Four large baths; private bath 2,000 yen + tax for 40 minutes |
| Tattoos | Not stated |
| Cancellation | 30% from 3 days before, 50% the day before, 100% on the day |
| Accommodation tax | 300 yen per person per night (room-only 6,000 yen+) |
| Bathing tax | 150 yen per person per day |
| Smoking | Non-smoking throughout, except smoking rooms |
From Sakan’s official pages and Sendai City, read October 9, 2026.
How old is Akiu Onsen Sakan?
The name says a thousand years, and the pages tell the story in different ways, so it helps to know which page says what. The Japanese home page traces the spring back about 1,500 years, to an emperor cured of smallpox, and calls it one of Japan’s three imperial baths. It says the inn flourished as the bathing palace of the Sendai lord Date Masamune, and that a flame brought from Mount Koya has burned in the main house for 400 years.
The company history is the most careful. It says the family has lived at Akiu since the medieval period, served as keepers of the hot spring, now in its 34th generation, and has run an inn since the early Edo period at the latest. The English home page goes further and says a man named Kanzaburo Sato opened a small ryokan about 1,000 years ago; read the “thousand years” as the inn’s name and the family’s role at the spring.
Getting to Akiu Onsen Sakan from Sendai
How does the free shuttle work?
Sakan runs a free shuttle between Sendai Station and the inn for individual guests; groups of more than 10 need a paid bus. You must book a seat yourself on the shuttle booking page linked from the access page, and the hotel does not take shuttle bookings by phone. Seats are limited, so book early.
| Direction | Departs | Arrives (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| Sendai Station East Exit to Sakan | 11:00 | 11:45 |
| Sendai Station East Exit to Sakan | 15:30 | 16:15 |
| Sakan to Sendai Station East Exit | 10:00 | 10:45 |
| Sakan to Sendai Station East Exit | 14:30 | 15:15 |
From the official access page, read October 9, 2026.
It leaves from the tour bus stop at the East Exit; the access page walks you there in six steps from the shinkansen concourse and from the central gate. The bus will not wait if you are late, and you cannot board or leave it partway. Day-trip plans can use it too.
What if I miss the shuttle?
Take the Miyagi Kotsu bus bound for Akiu Onsen from stop 8 at the West Exit bus pool, about 40 to 60 minutes, to Akiu Onsen Yumoto, 1 minute on foot from the inn. The hotel warns that this is a different stop from the shuttle. The hotel gives about 30 minutes by taxi from Sendai Station and about 50 minutes from Sendai Airport.
How long is it from Tokyo?
The access page gives about 2 hours on the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai, and about 25 minutes from Sendai Airport to Sendai Station on the airport line. If you drive, the car park is about 100 m from the front entrance and you move the car there yourself; the pages give no fee.
The baths at Akiu Onsen Sakan
Which baths are there, and when are they open?
The hotel describes its water as a mild salt spring. There are four large baths, and the two in Kagetsu-kan switch between men and women at 20:00, after cleaning from 19:00.
| Bath | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Kagetsu-kan 1st floor (open-air, deep bath, silk bath, saunas) | 15:00–19:00 | 20:00–9:30 |
| Kagetsu-kan basement (stone open-air bath, waterfall bath) | 20:00–9:30 | 15:00–19:00 |
| Natori no Miyu (cypress and granite) | 15:00–23:00, 5:00–11:00 | 15:00–23:00, 5:00–11:00 |
| Kawara no Yu (riverside open-air) | 5:00–11:00 | 15:00–23:00 |
From the Japanese bath pages, read October 9, 2026. Each bath also closes for a longer clean one morning a week: Monday (1st floor), Friday (basement), Wednesday (Natori no Miyu).
The 1st-floor bath was renovated in 2023 and has dry and steam saunas. The lattice around Natori no Miyu recreates the screen that guarded Date Masamune while he bathed. Kawara no Yu, a small open-air bath on the Natori River with water straight from the source, is for staying guests only. Women will find a choice of shampoos in the baths, the hotel says.
How do I book the private bath?
Next to Natori no Miyu is a private bath, step-free, for up to three people, filled with spring water straight from the source. The Japanese page says it is booked in one-hour slots between 16:00 and 22:00 and costs 2,000 yen plus tax for 40 minutes. The English page gives different hours and says to book at reception on the day you arrive, so ask at check-in.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The Japanese, English and Chinese pages and the terms do not state a tattoo rule. Ask the hotel before you book. If the large baths are not possible, the private bath is the one to ask about. Our tattoo and onsen guide covers what to ask.
Rooms at Akiu Onsen Sakan
Which building should I choose?
| Building | What it offers | View |
|---|---|---|
| Hiten-kan (13 floors) | The higher grade: Japanese rooms of 10 or 12.5 mats, Japanese-Western rooms, suites on the 12th floor, special rooms on the 13th | Mountains, or the Natori River |
| Sansui-kan (6 floors) | Japanese rooms, singles with a unit bath | Courtyard or the spa town, not mountains or river |
| Kagetsu-kan (10 floors) | Japanese rooms, rooms with beds, compact rooms of 15 m² | A lift straight to the large baths |
From the official room pages, read October 9, 2026.
Is there a room with its own outdoor bath?
One. Room 333 in Hiten-kan, opened in August 2014, has a Japanese room of 10 mats, twin beds and an outdoor bath for up to seven guests, but the hotel notes that its bath is not hot-spring water. Room 738 has a cypress bath with a view and a private rooftop garden, and the 12th-floor suites have marble baths. Rooms come with a toothbrush, towels, a hair dryer, a yukata and a toilet with a bidet seat.
Is Akiu Onsen Sakan non-smoking?
Yes. The room page says the whole hotel is non-smoking and you may smoke only in the designated smoking rooms.
Meals and allergies at Akiu Onsen Sakan
What is dinner like?
Plans come with one of two dinners: a half buffet in the dining room Miyagino, where you pick a main dish, or a Japanese set meal in a private dining room. Not every private room has tables and chairs yet. Sendai beef tongue can be ordered as an extra. The pages do not mention meals served in your room. Breakfast is the “Premium Morning” buffet, with chefs cooking in front of you, though on some days it becomes a Japanese set breakfast.
Which allergies can Sakan handle?
The allergy page is precise. Sakan offers a low-allergen menu that removes, as far as possible, nine ingredients: egg, wheat, milk, buckwheat, peanuts, crab, shrimp, walnuts and cashews. You must ask when you book, not on the day, and the hotel does not guarantee they are fully removed. For any other allergy it does not cater individually, but you may bring your own safe food, such as pouches or frozen meals. Vegetarian and halal meals are not mentioned.
Fees and rules at Akiu Onsen Sakan
What is the cancellation policy?
| Up to 14 guests | No-show | On the day | Day before | 2 days before | 3 days before |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charge | 100% | 100% | 50% | 30% | 30% |
From the accommodation terms, read October 9, 2026. Percentages are of the basic charge.
The table has no column for four days before, and its columns for five and six days before are blank, so do not assume a free-cancellation date; the plan you book may set its own rule. Shortening a stay costs one night’s cancellation fee. See our hotel cancellation guide.
What are the times and the curfew?
The terms let you use the room from 15:00 until 11:00 the next morning. Breakfast runs 7:00 to 9:00 and dinner 18:00 to 21:00, the front desk is staffed 7:00 to 23:00, and the doors close at midnight. If you have not arrived by 20:00 without calling, or two hours after the time you gave, the inn may treat the booking as canceled. Staying past 11:00 costs 30 percent of the room charge for up to 3 hours, 60 percent for up to 6, and the full charge beyond that.
What do children cost?
For direct bookings, the terms say child rates apply to elementary school age and younger and depend on the child’s age and whether a children’s meal and bedding are provided; a child aged 2 or under with no meal or bedding pays an entry fee of 4,000 yen plus tax. The age bands on the booking page differ between the Japanese and English versions, so check the age you enter. Compare other hotels in our kids stay free guide.
Which taxes will I pay?
Since January 13, 2026, Sendai City and Miyagi Prefecture charge an accommodation tax of 300 yen per person per night, 200 yen to the city and 100 yen to the prefecture, when the room-only rate before consumption tax is 6,000 yen or more. A free tax call center, 0120-254-857, answers in English and other languages from 9:00 to 18:00. Sendai’s bathing tax is 150 yen per person per day for staying guests, and children who have not finished compulsory education are exempt. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
How do I pay and call?
The terms say you pay at the front desk on departure, in cash or by card or another accepted method; the pages do not list the cards. Foreign guests register their nationality and passport number. The phone line is +81-22-398-2233, answered by a voice menu from 10:00 to 17:00 Japan time; the pages do not say whether English is spoken. The hotel promises to match a lower price for the same plan found on another booking site.
Who is Akiu Onsen Sakan for?
Travelers who want a big traditional ryokan within an hour of Sendai, with several baths to move between, a riverside bath for staying guests, and a free shuttle if they plan ahead. Pick Hiten-kan for the mountain or river view, and Kagetsu-kan if you want the shortest walk to the baths. Guests in the afternoon can use a lounge from 15:00 to 18:00, and in summer, an outdoor pool on the 4th floor of Hiten-kan, planned for July 18 to August 31 in 2026. The hotel lends wheelchairs and low chairs, and its main house keeps a gallery of family treasures around the flame said to have burned for 400 years. If you only want a meal and a bath, a day-trip plan of about four hours includes a private dining room. Before you go:
- Book the shuttle on the booking page; phone bookings are not taken.
- Ask about tattoos before you book.
- Tell the hotel about allergies when you book; only nine are covered.
- Reserve the private bath at check-in if you want it.
- Be back before midnight, when the doors close.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free shuttle from Sendai Station to Akiu Onsen Sakan?
How do I get to Akiu Onsen Sakan by public bus?
Does Akiu Onsen Sakan have a private bath?
Can I use the baths at Akiu Onsen Sakan with a tattoo?
What is the cancellation policy at Akiu Onsen Sakan?
What time is check-in at Akiu Onsen Sakan?
How much is the accommodation tax in Sendai?
Can Akiu Onsen Sakan handle food allergies?
Bottom line (2026): Akiu Onsen Sakan is about 45 minutes from Sendai Station on a free shuttle you must book online, with four large baths and a private bath at 2,000 yen plus tax. The official site says nothing about tattoos, cancellation charges start three days before, and Sendai adds 300 yen per person per night in accommodation tax.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Sakan’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), access, baths, private bath, Kawara no Yu, rooms, meals, allergies, company history and accommodation terms; and the Sendai accommodation tax and bathing tax pages. All were read on October 9, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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