Takasagoya Ryokan is a small, family-run inn in Zao Onsen, Yamagata City, that calls itself a homely inn for food: three generations of okami, from the grandmother to the young okami, cook seasonal Yamagata dishes by hand, down to the stock and the miso. Before you book, three things matter: the inn’s own bath is heated water, not natural hot spring, so you walk to the public bathhouses for Zao’s acidic sulfur water; the seven rooms share toilets and have no bath of their own; and for winter stays you book on the official booking page, because the inn does not answer winter booking inquiries by message.
Why people stay at Takasagoya Ryokan: the home cooking
What is dinner like?
Dinner is a Japanese set meal of about 14 dishes, served in the dining room, starting between 18:00 and 18:45. The inn describes it as the taste of a Yamagata home, handed down through the three okami, with local Yamagata beef and wild vegetables and mushrooms gathered in the Zao mountains.
What changes with the seasons?
| Season | Example from the official menu page |
|---|---|
| Spring | Mountain vegetables picked that morning |
| Summer | Fresh heirloom vegetables from the area |
| Autumn | Mushrooms and akebi fruit from the Zao range, and imoni, Yamagata’s taro stew |
| Winter | Karakara-jiru, a warming Zao soup |
From the official cuisine page, read October 13, 2026.
What is breakfast, and can the inn handle allergies?
Breakfast is a Japanese set of about 9 dishes, also in the dining room, starting between 7:30 and 8:15. Elementary school children get the adult menu with fewer dishes, and younger children a children’s menu. For allergies, the page says to consult the inn. It says nothing about vegetarian, halal or other diets, so ask before you book.
Takasagoya Ryokan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 23 Zao Onsen, Yamagata City, Yamagata 990-2301 |
| Phone | +81-23-694-9026 |
| Rooms | 7 Japanese-style rooms, 6 to 14 tatami mats, up to 25 guests |
| Bathroom | Shared toilets and washbasins outside the rooms |
| Inn bath | Heated water, not hot spring; closed 23:00–6:00 |
| Meals | Dinner about 14 dishes, breakfast about 9, in the dining room |
| Prices | From 13,000 yen per person (weekday, 2–5 guests) |
| Wi-Fi | Free in all rooms |
| Smoking | Non-smoking throughout since April 2020 |
| Parking | Free, 10 spaces |
From the official site, read October 13, 2026.
Rooms are on the 2nd floor, reached by stairs; there is no elevator. Each room has a toothbrush and toothpaste, a bath towel, a hand towel and a yukata, and the bathrooms have body soap, shampoo with conditioner and a hair dryer. Besides hot-spring trips and winter sports, the inn takes business travelers and group training camps.
The baths: what Takasagoya Ryokan offers and where to soak
Is the bath at the inn a hot spring?
No. The inn says plainly that its own bath is heated water, not natural hot spring, and that it cannot be used from 23:00 to 6:00. It sends guests to the town’s public baths instead, and adds a warning: Zao’s water is strongly acidic sulfur water and may not suit people with sensitive skin or children.
Which public baths are nearby?
Three public bathhouses are all within about three minutes on foot: Shimoyu, right by the inn, which also has a free footbath; Kamiyu, in the center of the village; and Kawarayu, on a back street. The inn’s page lists them as open year-round from 6:00 to 22:00.
| Bath | Hours on the inn’s page | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Kamiyu, Shimoyu, Kawarayu (public) | 6:00–22:00, all year | Adults (12+) 300 yen, children 100 yen |
| Zao Onsen Dairotenburo (open-air) | 9:30–17:00 (to 18:00 weekends and holidays), late April to early November | Adults 800 yen, children 400 yen |
From the official baths page, read October 13, 2026. Hours can change by season.
The large open-air bath sits beside a mountain stream, about five minutes by car from the inn, and closes in winter; check its own site for hours. The inn’s pages also describe free public-bath tickets and a discount for the open-air bath for some guests, but the conditions differ from page to page, so ask the inn what applies to your booking.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The inn’s pages do not mention tattoos, and the public bathhouses are run separately. Ask before you go; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Prices and rules at Takasagoya Ryokan
How much does a stay cost?
Per person per night, the price page lists minimum rates: 13,000 yen on weekdays for 2 to 5 guests and 14,300 yen for one guest; 14,100 yen before weekends and holidays; and 16,500 yen on peak dates such as Golden Week, Obon and the winter season. Rates change by date, and the page does not say whether they include meals or tax.
What do children cost?
Elementary school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate. Younger children with meals and bedding pay 50 percent, accepted only on quiet weekdays and sometimes refused; with bedding only, 2,200 yen; with neither, 1,100 yen.
What is the cancellation policy?
| When you cancel | April to mid-December | Mid-December to March |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 3 days before | – | 30% |
| 2 days before | 30% | 50% |
| Day before | 50% | 80% |
| Same day or no-show | 100% | 100% |
From the official price page, read October 13, 2026.
For winter, the dates follow the rules on the official booking site, and for stays of two nights or more the fee is worked out for each night and added up. See our hotel cancellation guide for how these fees work in Japan.
How do I pay, and are there taxes?
The inn accepts cash, card and electronic payment; it does not list which cards. Yamagata City will charge an accommodation tax of 3 percent of the room charge from April 1, 2027; it has not started yet. The city’s bathing tax applies to hot-spring bathing, and the inn’s pages do not say whether it is added to your bill. Our onsen bathing tax guide explains what happens when a hotel’s bath is not a hot spring.
Getting to Takasagoya Ryokan in Zao Onsen
From JR Yamagata Station, take the bus bound for Zao Onsen to the last stop, then walk about 3 minutes. By car, it is about 30 minutes from the Yamagata-Zao interchange via Route 13 or the Nishi-Zao Kogen Line. Parking is free for 10 cars, 6 beside the building and 4 behind it; if it is full, tell the staff and they will find you a free space. The official pages do not mention a shuttle.
One local tip from the inn: Google Maps may send you down a narrow lane behind the building. Set your destination to “Matsubokkuri” or “stand My”, two places in the same row, and you will arrive by the proper road.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Takasagoya Ryokan
- The website is in Japanese only; the contact page adds a short English note, and replies can take about three business days. Call if it is urgent.
- For winter, book on the official booking page; winter booking inquiries by message get no reply.
- Bring change for the public baths, 300 yen per adult, and plan your soak before 22:00.
- Rooms are upstairs with no elevator, and toilets are shared.
- Ask the inn about check-in time, since dinner starts by 18:45.
Frequently asked questions
Does Takasagoya Ryokan have a natural hot-spring bath?
What time is check-in at Takasagoya Ryokan?
Do the rooms at Takasagoya Ryokan have a private bathroom?
What is the cancellation policy at Takasagoya Ryokan?
How do I book Takasagoya Ryokan in winter?
Bottom line (2026): Takasagoya Ryokan is a seven-room, family-run inn in Zao Onsen where the draw is the okami’s home cooking. Its own bath is not a hot spring, so plan to walk to the public baths, expect shared toilets, and book winter stays on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Takasagoya Ryokan’s official pages: home, cuisine, facilities, baths, prices, access and contact (all in Japanese), and from Yamagata City’s accommodation tax page and bathing tax page. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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