Choseian is a seven-room inn in Shirahama Onsen, Wakayama, opened in 2017 on a hillside near the coast. It calls itself a quiet hideaway for adults in a busy resort town, built from an old farmhouse and new Japanese-modern wings around a garden, and it owns two hot springs of its own, which it says few inns in Shirahama do. Before you book, three things matter: five of the seven rooms have no bath of their own; the small private bath is free for every guest; and the kitchen cannot serve vegetarian or vegan meals.
Choseian at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2762-5 Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama |
| Rooms | 7, each for up to 4 guests |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 11:00 |
| Hot springs | Two owned springs, flowing straight into every bath |
| Private bath | Tsuboyu, free, 1 hour per use |
| Meals | Kaiseki dinner of 10 to 12 dishes; Japanese breakfast; semi-private dining room |
| Prices | From 27,500 yen per person with two meals (2 per room) |
| Extra charge | Bathing tax 150 yen per person |
| Parking | Free, on site |
| Smoking | Non-smoking indoors; smoking area outside |
From the official site and price list, read October 13, 2026.
Which room should you book at Choseian?
The seven rooms fall into three groups, and the price depends on the group, the plan and how many share the room. All prices below are per adult per night, tax included, for two guests in one room, from the official price list valid from April 2026.
| Room | Type | Own bath? | Two meals | Room only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsubaki, Hamayu, Kakitsubata | Japanese-modern, 2nd floor, beds | No | 27,500 yen | 17,600 yen |
| Jinchoge | Old farmhouse, 1st floor, 8 mats | No | 27,500 yen | 17,600 yen |
| Sakura | Old farmhouse, 2nd floor, 10 mats | No | 29,700 yen | 19,800 yen |
| Miyabi | Japanese-modern, 10 mats, bay view | Hot-spring bath | 29,700 yen | 19,800 yen |
| Kinmokusei | Detached cottage, garden | Semi-open-air cypress bath | 41,800 yen | 26,400 yen |
Source: official price list, read October 13, 2026.
Nights before a holiday add 2,200 yen per person, and Golden Week, Obon, Silver Week and New Year add 5,500 yen. Online-only early and late-booking plans cut up to 12 percent, though not every plan, date or room qualifies; Kinmokusei is not marked for these discounts. The inn also guarantees that its own site has the lowest rate.
One note for light sleepers: Miyabi sits above a live-music bar. The inn says acoustic sets run on Friday and Saturday from 18:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00, with no drums and sound proofing, but some sound reaches the room. Sakura, with a wide window and a sunny veranda, is the room the inn suggests for families.
How do the baths at Choseian work?
Both springs are sodium bicarbonate and chloride water, weakly alkaline, at 78.9°C and 61.7°C at the source. Water is added only in summer when it runs too hot. The inn says every bath on site is kakenagashi, fed straight from the spring without recirculation.
When are the shared baths open?
The bath house has two baths, a rock bath and a cypress bath, open 6:00 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 24:00. Men and women swap baths partway through the day, so check the sign each time. The baths are for staying guests only.
How do I use the free private bath?
Tsuboyu is a small pot-shaped bath in the annex that fills up with two people, with a washing area. It is free for every staying guest, one hour at a time, from 15:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30) and 8:00 to 10:00 (last entry 9:30). Tell the front desk the time you want, or reserve ahead.
What is Chosei no Yu across the road?
Chosei no Yu is a day-use hot-spring facility opposite the inn with an open-air bath, a wooden indoor bath and a bath lined with Kishu binchotan charcoal. Guests get a free ticket from the front desk, one visit per person per night. Hours are 10:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30), and it has closing days.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. The private bath and the in-room baths of Kinmokusei and Miyabi are used alone, but ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Choseian
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is a kaiseki of 10 to 12 dishes built on spiny lobster, abalone and fish chosen at the market, Kumano beef from Wakayama and local vegetables. A Kumano beef plan centers on roast beef, sukiyaki or shabu-shabu and fillet, and booking Kinmokusei adds a whole lobster (or local fish) as sashimi. Breakfast is Japanese, with a rolled omelet and tofu made with the spring water. On a second night, both meals change.
Meals are not served in the room. Both are in a semi-private dining room with chairs and tables, or a tatami room divided by sliding doors, depending on the night. Dinner starts between 17:30 and 18:30 and breakfast between 7:00 and 8:00.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Tell the inn about allergies or foods you cannot eat when you book. The FAQ states that shojin (Buddhist), vegetarian and vegan meals cannot be provided, and that other requests may be declined. Guests with allergies or a disability may bring their own food, and baby food, to the dining room.
Children, cancellation and payment
What do children cost?
Junior high school students and older pay the adult rate. Elementary school children pay 70 percent, children aged 3 and up pay 50 percent, and babies under 3 stay free. Young children can be booked without meals or bedding. Elementary school children get a kaiseki like the adults and younger children a kids’ plate; high chairs are limited, so ask ahead.
What is the cancellation policy?
From the FAQ: 30 percent from 4 to 7 days before, 50 percent 2 to 3 days before, and 100 percent the day before, on the day or for a no-show. The inn may waive the fee on the day for natural disasters or accidents such as a stopped bullet train or a canceled flight. See our hotel cancellation guide for how these rules compare.
How do I pay?
The FAQ lists JCB, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay cards, Japanese transit and e-money cards, and QR payments such as PayPay.
What taxes are added?
The price list adds a bathing tax of 150 yen per person. The Shirahama town office lists the rate as 150 yen per person per day and exempts children under 12. Shirahama also plans an accommodation tax from March 1, 2027, from 200 to 1,000 yen per person per night by room-only price; it was not in force on October 13, 2026. Our onsen bathing tax guide explains the system.
Getting to Choseian in Shirahama
By train, the Kuroshio limited express takes about 2 hours 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Shirahama Station, then it is about 5 minutes by taxi. By bus, take the line toward Sandanbeki for 15 minutes to the Kogaura stop; the inn is a minute’s walk. From Tokyo, JAL flies from Haneda to Nanki-Shirahama Airport in 75 minutes, then about 10 minutes by taxi. Drivers leave the Hanwa Expressway at Nanki-Tanabe and take Route 42 for about 20 minutes. Parking on site is free. The official pages do not mention a pickup service.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Choseian
- The official website is in Japanese. The booking page links to an English booking form; the inn takes questions at info@choseian.info or +81-739-33-9020 (9:00 to 21:00).
- Most rooms have no bath of their own; plan on the shared baths, Tsuboyu or Chosei no Yu.
- Same-day bookings are room only (until 17:00); plans with meals close at 17:00 the day before.
- The inn is a walk from Shirahama’s white-sand beach, Shirarahama; ask the inn how long it takes.
- For earthquakes, the inn names a hilltop evacuation site about 550 m away, around 8 minutes on foot.
Frequently asked questions
Does Choseian have a private bath?
What time is check-in at Choseian?
Can Choseian serve vegetarian or vegan meals?
What is the cancellation policy at Choseian?
How do I get to Choseian?
Bottom line (2026): Choseian is a small, quiet hot-spring inn in Shirahama with two springs of its own, a free private bath and a free pass to the day spa across the road. Most rooms share the baths, and the kitchen cannot do vegetarian meals; book on the official site.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Choseian’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, hot springs, bath facilities, cuisine, access, FAQ, price list, private bath notice, early-booking plans and booking page, and the Shirahama town office pages on the bathing tax and accommodation tax. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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