Gokan no Yu Tsuruya (the Tsuruya Hotel) is a 41-room inn in Zao Onsen, Yamagata, standing right across the road from the Zao Onsen Bus Terminal. Its pitch is its own spring: every large bath and private bath is 100% free-flowing hot spring water. Before you book, three things matter: the water is strongly acidic (pH 1.5); there are four private baths, one use of which is free on web-booked plans; and the booking pages are in Japanese, while the English page dates from 2019.
Gokan no Yu Tsuruya at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 710 Zao Onsen, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata (990-2301) |
| Location | Across the road from Zao Onsen Bus Terminal, 0 minutes on foot |
| Rooms | 41, in Japanese, Japanese-Western and renovated Japanese-modern styles |
| Check-in / out | From 14:00, last 19:00 / 10:00 (Japanese rooms page) |
| Spring | Acidic iron sulfur spring, pH 1.5, own source, 100% free-flowing |
| Baths | Two large baths with outdoor baths (men, women) + four private baths |
| Wi-Fi | Free in rooms, 24 hours |
| Parking | Free: 13 indoor, 27 outdoor |
| Cards | Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, Rakuten |
| Phone | +81-23-694-9112 |
From the official site, read October 15, 2026.
Getting to Gokan no Yu Tsuruya in Zao Onsen
How do I get there by train and bus?
From Tokyo, the official access page gives about 3 hours 10 minutes: the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa to Yamagata Station takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, then the bus to Zao Onsen Bus Terminal about 40 minutes. Our Shinkansen tickets guide covers buying the train leg. From Sendai, the JR Senzan Line reaches Yamagata in about an hour, and the same bus finishes the trip. A bus from Yamagata Airport takes about an hour.
Is there an airport bus or a shuttle?
A direct limousine bus runs from Sendai Airport in about 1 hour 45 minutes, only from mid-December to the end of March and with a reservation required. The inn’s free shuttle is only for groups of 15 or more adults, to the Yamagata City area. Drivers should note that the Zao Echo Line road is closed in winter, from early November to late April. In winter, use nearby parking before check-in and after checkout.
The baths at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya
The water is an acidic, iron-bearing sulfur spring, and the inn says its pH of 1.5 ranks second among hot springs in Japan. It flows naturally from the inn’s own source, with no water added or recirculated.
When are the baths open?
The large baths, each with an outdoor bath for men and women, are open at all hours except a cleaning period in the morning. The private baths run from 7:00 to 22:00. The Japanese pages give the cleaning period in different ways, so if you plan a late-morning soak, ask the front desk for that day’s times.
What are the four private baths?
| Private bath | What the inn says |
|---|---|
| Cave Bath (Dokutsu no Yu) | A cave-style bath |
| Hokuto Lying Bath (Hokuto no Neyu) | A bath to lie down in |
| Ki no Ka no Yu | All Japanese cypress; the inn calls its view the finest |
| Megumi no Yu | The largest, step-free, with a wheelchair-accessible toilet |
For staying guests, each costs 2,300 yen for 50 minutes. Plans booked on the inn’s website include one free use per night, and further uses are half price at 1,100 yen. Reserve at the front desk when you check in, or by phone from 8:00 on the day.
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.
Can I visit just for a bath?
Yes. Day bathing runs from just after noon, once cleaning ends, until 17:00 last entry: 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children in the large baths, or 3,000 yen for 50 minutes in a private bath. Towels are 200 yen to rent or buy.
Rooms and meals at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya
What are the rooms like?
The Japanese rooms page shows four types: a 43 m² Japanese-modern room with two semi-double beds, renovated in 2024 and on the 6th floor or higher; a 36 m² Japanese-modern twin renovated in 2022; a 10-mat Japanese room; and an 8-mat Japanese-Western twin. The two renovated types are non-smoking and have a shower; the other two have a bath and come in smoking or non-smoking. In-room baths are not hot spring water. Every room has an air conditioner in summer. The English page describes the rooms differently and is older.
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is a course meal. Each guest chooses a Yamagata regional set or one of three Zao beef mains built around 200 g of beef: sukiyaki, shabu-shabu or steak. The beef is Wagyu from local Takahashi Livestock, raised on feed without antibiotics or hormones. Breakfast is a Japanese set from 7:30 to 9:00, last start 8:30. All meals are in your room or a private dining room: in-room meals are for up to two guests, and groups of three or more eat in a private room.
Can the inn handle allergies?
Tell the inn in advance, and it will change ingredients or cooking methods. It declines guests with severe allergies. The official pages do not mention vegetarian or halal meals.
Children, cancellation and payment at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya
What do children cost?
Elementary-school age and younger pay a child rate; junior-high age and older pay the adult rate. Child rates are set as a share of the adult price:
| Child plan | Share of adult rate |
|---|---|
| Bedding + adult meals | 70% |
| Bedding + kids’ meal | 50% |
| No bedding + kids’ meal | 30% |
| Bedding, no meals | 20% |
| No bedding, no meals (under 3 only) | Free |
What is the cancellation policy?
The Japanese pages list 100 percent on the day, 50 percent the day before and 30 percent two to three days before; a no-show is 100 percent. Plans and dates can carry their own policy. For stays from December 30 to January 2, the Japanese FAQ says fees start from December 1; the English page gives a different rule, so confirm with the inn. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay, and what taxes apply?
The inn takes Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC and Rakuten cards, and the FAQ says no deposit is needed in principle when you book. Yamagata City charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per night; the official pages do not say whether plan prices include it (see our onsen bathing tax guide). The city has also set an accommodation tax of 3 percent of the room charge, starting April 1, 2027; it does not apply to stays before then.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya
- The booking engine and the current site are in Japanese. Online booking closes at 17:00 on the day; after that, phone the inn.
- The English page dates from 2019; where it differs from the Japanese pages, confirm with the inn.
- The water is very acidic. Ask the front desk how long to soak if you are unsure.
- Zao Onsen Ski Resort is about 5 minutes by car; the lit-up snow monsters are about 20 minutes and the Okama crater lake about 1 hour 40 minutes, according to the inn.
- Free Wi-Fi in rooms; the network is named “TSURUYA AP.”
Frequently asked questions
What time is check-in at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya?
Can I use the baths at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya with a tattoo?
How much are the private baths at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya?
What is the cancellation policy at Gokan no Yu Tsuruya?
How do I get to Gokan no Yu Tsuruya?
Bottom line (2026): Gokan no Yu Tsuruya is a 41-room inn right by the Zao Onsen bus terminal, with its own pH 1.5 free-flowing spring, four private baths and meals in your room or a private dining room. Booking is in Japanese, and prices were not visible to us, so check the official site, and confirm check-in and New Year rules with the inn.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Gokan no Yu Tsuruya’s official pages: home (Japanese), hot spring, rooms, meals, facilities, access, FAQ and English page; and from Yamagata City’s bathing tax page and accommodation tax page. All were read on October 15, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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