Ryokan Sansui is a 26-room inn in Fukuji Onsen, a small hot-spring village in Okuhida, in the mountains of Takayama City, Gifu. The inn says the spring was once called the “Emperor’s spring” because Emperor Murakami is said to have rested here. Before you book, three things matter: you pay in cash only; the private open-air baths are free when one is empty; and from November to early April the roads here are icy and snowy, so plan the drive or take the bus.
Ryokan Sansui at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 850 Fukuji, Okuhida Onsengo, Takayama, Gifu 506-1434 |
| Phone | +81-578-89-2216 (enquiries 9:00–21:00) |
| Rooms | 26 Japanese-style rooms of 10 tatami mats, each with bath and washlet toilet; all non-smoking |
| Check-in / out | From 14:30 / by 10:00 |
| Spring | Simple spring, free-flowing (not recirculated), from the inn’s own source |
| Private baths | Free when empty, 14:30–24:00 and 5:00–9:30 |
| Price | From 13,750 yen per person with dinner and breakfast (3 sharing), tax included |
| Payment | Cash only (cards not accepted) |
| Parking | 30 cars, free |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
Getting to Ryokan Sansui in Fukuji Onsen, Okuhida
Is there a bus from Takayama or Matsumoto?
The inn points to direct highway buses to Okuhida Onsen from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Matsumoto. On a bus that runs via Fukuji Onsen, get off at Fukuji Onsen Kami, one minute on foot. On a bus via Ipposui, get off at Fukuji Onsen Guchi and phone the inn; it picks you up for free. The official pages do not name a nearest train station.
What about driving in winter?
By car, the inn gives about 4 hours from Tokyo via the Matsumoto IC and the Abo Tunnel, about 5 hours from Osaka via the Hida-Kiyomi IC and Takayama, and about 1 hour 30 minutes from Toyama. From November to early April, it asks drivers to use winter tires or chains, and warns that diesel can freeze, so fill up with cold-climate fuel in the Hida area. Parking is free for 30 cars. For the wider area, see our Takayama map.
What are the rooms like?
All 26 rooms are Japanese-style rooms of 10 tatami mats, and the inn holds up to 104 guests. The booking page lists a sitting area by the window with a table and chairs, a unit bath (not hot-spring water), a washlet toilet, a sink, TV, safe, fridge and hair dryer, plus yukata, a padded jacket (a light one in summer), towels, a toothbrush, green tea and sweets. You sleep on futon, which are laid out before you arrive and put away at breakfast. The plans on the booking page take 2 to 5 guests per room.
Downstairs are a lobby facing a Japanese garden, a shop and a tea corner. Right in front of the inn is Yadoriyu, a free rest house for Fukuji Onsen guests with a foot bath and an irori hearth room, open 10:00 to 21:30.
The baths at Ryokan Sansui
What is the water like?
The inn draws a simple spring (neutral, hypotonic, high temperature) from its own source and runs it free-flowing, not recirculated. It says the baths are drained and cleaned every day between checkout and check-in. There is one large bath each for men and women, with outdoor baths named Basho no Yu (men) and Kogen no Yu (women).
How do the private open-air baths work?
The private open-air baths are free: if one is empty, you can use it from 14:30 to 24:00 and again from 5:00 to 9:30. The site describes four, one of cypress and three of rock. The booking page now says the Fukuji shared spring dropped for a time and has recovered, and that two rock private baths are in use, with the cypress Seiza no Yu closed. In winter, it adds that the private baths may be unavailable when the water cools in sub-zero air. Ask the inn what is open for your dates.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. A private bath is used only by your group, but ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Ryokan Sansui
What is dinner like?
Dinner is a seasonal kaiseki built around Hida beef, with mountain vegetables, mushrooms and fish from the Sea of Japan. A sample menu on the booking page lists a Hida beef main, sashimi of Sea of Japan fish, vegetable tempura, salt-grilled ayu or char, chawanmushi and Hida soba, and it changes with the season and supply. Dinner starts at 18:00 or 18:30. Both meals are served at a high table with raised chairs, which helps if sitting on the floor is hard. The site and booking page describe where you eat in different ways, so ask if you want dinner in your room. Kotsuzake is offered as an extra at 2,400 yen for 2 go.
What is breakfast?
Breakfast is a Japanese set meal with hoba miso. Pick 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The official pages do not say. Email the inn with your needs before you book, in simple English or Japanese.
Prices, children and payment at Ryokan Sansui
| What | Official figure |
|---|---|
| Adult, dinner and breakfast | From 13,750 yen per person (3 sharing); 14,750 yen and up for 2 sharing on dates we checked in November and December 2026 |
| Elementary school child | 70% of the adult rate |
| Young child, meals and futon | 50% of the adult rate |
| Young child, meals only | 4,400 yen |
| Young child, futon only | 3,300 yen |
| Infant, no meals or futon | 0 yen |
| Bathing tax | 150 yen per adult per night, paid separately |
Rates include consumption tax. From the official booking page, read October 13, 2026.
What about the accommodation tax?
Takayama City has charged an accommodation tax since October 1, 2025: per person per night, 100 yen under 10,000 yen, 200 yen from 10,000 to under 30,000 yen, and 300 yen from 30,000 yen, set on the room charge before meals and tax. Children up to the March 31 after their 12th birthday are exempt (Takayama City). With the 150-yen bathing tax, it is paid on top of your rate; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Both versions of the booking page charge 100 percent for a no-show, but the Japanese and English versions list different rates for the days before arrival. Check the rule shown on your plan before you pay, or ask the inn. Our hotel cancellation guide covers the usual questions.
How do I pay?
In cash. The official site says payment is in cash and cards are not accepted. Okuhida is remote, so bring the yen you need with you.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Ryokan Sansui
- There is no English website. The booking page has English menus, but plan details are in Japanese, so a translation app helps.
- Bring cash for the bill, the bathing tax and the accommodation tax.
- Check in from 14:30 and aim for the late afternoon; phone ahead if you will be late, since dinner starts at 18:00.
- Same-day bookings close at 6:00 on the morning of your stay.
- The inn lists Kamikochi about 50 minutes away by bus, the Shinhotaka Ropeway about 20 minutes by car and central Takayama about 60 minutes by car.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay by credit card at Ryokan Sansui?
What time is check-in at Ryokan Sansui?
Does Ryokan Sansui have private baths?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Ryokan Sansui?
How do I get to Ryokan Sansui without a car?
Bottom line (2026): Ryokan Sansui is a quiet mountain inn in Fukuji Onsen with free-flowing water, free private open-air baths and Hida beef dinners. Pay in cash, arrive in the late afternoon, prepare for winter roads, and confirm the cancellation rule on your plan.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Ryokan Sansui’s official pages: home (Japanese), welcome and facilities, rooms, baths, meals, access and sightseeing, the official booking page in English and in Japanese, and Takayama City’s accommodation tax page. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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