Hinoharu Ryokan is an 11-room inn in Yufuin, Oita, a few steps from the Yunotsubo Kaido shopping street; its site says the street is “0 minutes” on foot, yet the grounds are quiet and wooded. It dates from the Taisho era, and its open-air bath, the Sennin-buro, has been kept by the family since then. Before you book, three things matter: the open-air large bath is open 24 hours but has no indoor bath beside it; the family baths are free and need no booking; and the official English and Japanese pages do not always match, so check the details on the booking page.
Hinoharu Ryokan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1082-1 Kawakami, Yufuin-cho, Yufu, Oita |
| Phone from abroad | +81 977 84 3106 |
| Rooms | 11, all Japanese-style; 1 barrier-free room |
| Hot spring | Simple hot spring, 100% free-flowing from the source |
| Open-air large baths | Men and women, 24 hours |
| Family baths | 2 open-air, 1 cypress; free, no booking |
| Check-in | From 15:00; tell the inn if after 18:00 |
| Wi-Fi / smoking | Free Wi-Fi in all rooms / non-smoking rooms, 2 outdoor smoking areas |
| Parking | 12 spaces, free |
| Pets | Not allowed |
From the official site and booking page, read October 15, 2026.
Where is Hinoharu Ryokan, and how do I get there?
The inn is on the edge of central Yufuin, by Yunotsubo Kaido; see our Yufuin guide for the town. The building inside is a simple sukiya style made with red cedar from Hita, and the inn has kept steps low so older guests and small children can move around easily.
From Yufuin Station
The access page gives about 5 minutes by taxi or about 15 minutes on foot from JR Yufuin Station. The official pages do not mention a pickup service; instead, the inn lists two local taxi companies. You can leave bags at the front desk before check-in and after check-out.
From Fukuoka, Oita and the airport
By train, the limited express Yufu takes about 2 hours from Hakata and about 40 minutes from Oita. The Yufuin-go highway bus takes about 2 hours 20 minutes from Fukuoka Tenjin, and the limousine bus from Oita Airport about 55 minutes. Drivers can use the free parking before check-in and after check-out too.
Rooms at Hinoharu Ryokan in Yufuin
All 11 rooms are Japanese-style, each set up a little differently. The baths in the rooms use hot-spring water.
| Room type | Rooms | Size | Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| With private open-air bath | 2 | Entry + 10 mats | Stone open-air bath, 100% source water |
| With indoor bath | 7 | Entry + 10 mats | Bathtub, hot-spring water |
| Kutsurogi (no bath) | 2 | 8 mats | None; use the inn’s baths |
From the official rooms page and FAQ, read October 15, 2026.
The FAQ says a room takes up to 4 guests, and up to 3 in the rooms without a bath. Rooms have a TV, phone, tea set, fridge, hair dryer, yukata and a toilet with a bidet.
The baths at Hinoharu Ryokan
What is the Sennin-buro?
The name means “thousand-person bath”: a soldier who once visited said a thousand people could fit. It is an open-air bath floored with small round pebbles, with 100% free-flowing hot-spring water. There is one for men and one for women, and they are open 24 hours.
Is there an indoor bath?
No. The large baths are open-air only, with a washing area and showers. In the coldest months, January and February, the inn suggests washing in your room’s bath or the family indoor bath. Towels are not kept at the large baths; bring them from your room.
How do the family baths work?
There are two open-air family baths and one cypress family bath. They are free for staying guests and need no booking: use one when its sign shows it is empty. Hours are from check-in to 23:00, and from 7:00 the next morning.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Hinoharu Ryokan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is a seasonal Japanese kaiseki of local vegetables, live fish and Oita wagyu, the prefecture’s beef brand, under head chef Koji Fujiwara. Breakfast is an Oita-style Japanese meal with rice grown in Yufu, and the menu changes about every two months. Meals are in private rooms or a restaurant with partitions; where dinner is served depends on the room and plan, and the English and Japanese pages describe it differently, so ask when you book.
Are there meals for children or special diets?
Children can have a kids’ meal or a kaiseki close to the adult one. The official pages say nothing about allergies, vegetarian or halal meals; contact the inn before you book.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment
How much does a stay cost?
Per person with two in a room, the Japanese booking page showed these starting prices on October 15, 2026, tax included: the basic kaiseki plan with dinner and breakfast from 28,600 yen (room without bath), 30,800 yen (indoor bath) and 36,300 yen (open-air bath); a plan sold only on the inn’s own site, with dinner and breakfast, from 27,170 yen; and breakfast only from 20,900 yen. The old English page lists a different set of prices, so go by the booking page.
On top, Yufu City charges a bathing tax of 250 yen per person per night for stays over 4,000 yen, with under 12s exempt, according to the city. Oita Prefecture also plans a new accommodation tax from January 2027. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
The booking page has child categories for ages 6–12, 3–5 and under 3, with or without meals and bedding. The prices are not listed on the official pages; the English page asks you to ask.
What is the cancellation policy?
The Japanese rooms page lists 30 percent from 3 days before, 50 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. Deadlines for changes and cancellations differ between the English and Japanese booking pages, so check the rule shown for your plan. Our hotel cancellation guide covers the basics.
How do I pay?
Plans on the booking page are prepaid by credit card, arranged by Time Design Co., Ltd. For anything paid at the inn, the official pages list the accepted methods differently, so ask the inn.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Hinoharu Ryokan
- The English page on the inn’s site is an older page; the English booking page has current plans, but it lists 6 plans while the Japanese one lists 9.
- Bring your towel from the room to the open-air bath.
- In January and February the large bath is outdoors only, so plan to wash in a private bath.
- Arriving after 18:00? Tell the inn in advance.
- Confirm the check-out time when you book, as the English and Japanese pages differ.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the baths at Hinoharu Ryokan at night?
Do I need to book the private bath at Hinoharu Ryokan?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Hinoharu Ryokan?
What time is check-out at Hinoharu Ryokan?
How do I get to Hinoharu Ryokan from Yufuin Station?
Bottom line (2026): Hinoharu Ryokan is a small Taisho-era inn by Yunotsubo Kaido with a 24-hour open-air bath and free family baths. Bring a towel to the bath, ask about tattoos and diets, and check times and rules on the booking page, since the English and Japanese pages do not always match.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Hinoharu Ryokan’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, hot spring, cuisine, FAQ, access, English page, the official English booking page and the official Japanese booking page; plus Yufu City on the bathing tax and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on Oita’s accommodation tax. All were read on October 15, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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