Yamagaso is a small inn of detached cottages set in a Japanese garden in Hakone-Yumoto, Kanagawa. Its Japanese site says it took over Hana no Chaya, a restaurant closely tied to the artist and gourmet Kitaoji Rosanjin, and that you enter through a thatched gate. Before you book, three things matter: preschool children cannot stay; the inn cannot prepare meals for allergies; and every cottage has its own bath of free-flowing hot-spring water, with a free private bath on top.
Yamagaso at a glance
| Question | What the official pages say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Where is it? | 592 Yumoto, Hakone, Kanagawa | About 10 minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station |
| What kind of rooms? | A handful of detached cottages in a strolling garden | Pick a cottage on the booking page |
| Baths | Free-flowing hot-spring bath in every cottage; free 24-hour private bath | No booking needed for the private bath |
| Meals | Dinner and breakfast in your room | Start dinner by 19:00 |
| Children | No preschool children | Check ages before booking |
| Allergies | Not handled | Ask about other diets in advance |
| Check-in / out | Not on the Japanese site | Confirm with the inn |
| Extra charge | Hakone bathing tax 150 yen per person per night | Charged per person per night |
From the official site and the Hakone town website, read October 20, 2026.
What makes Yamagaso different?
What is the Rosanjin connection?
The official Japanese site says Yamagaso carries on Hana no Chaya, a restaurant with deep ties to Kitaoji Rosanjin, the potter, calligrapher and cook. One cottage, Yamabuki, keeps a second alcove (tokonoma) in its side room, which the site calls a trace of the days when the building was a restaurant. Another, Karukaya, is built after the tea room of Nene at Kodaiji temple in Kyoto.
What are the cottages like?
The cottages stand one by one in a strolling Japanese garden, behind a thatched-roof gate in the style of an old row-house gate, and each is built differently. The site calls the inn a hideaway for adults and mentions seasonal flowers, wild birds and the sound of a stream. Rooms are Japanese style with tatami, and every cottage has a toilet with a bidet seat, a stocked refrigerator and a hair dryer. A humidifier and air purifier can be borrowed while stock lasts, and a kotatsu heated table is set out in winter.
What is provided in the room?
The amenity list covers yukata, samue work wear, a hanten jacket, bath and face towels, toothbrushes, shower caps and a pouch, plus cleanser, face wash, toner and lotion for women.
The baths at Yamagaso
Does every cottage have its own bath?
Yes. Each cottage has a bath of free-flowing hot-spring water straight from the source: cypress (hinoki) tubs in most cottages and an Izu-stone tub in one. Depending on the cottage, the bath is open-air or semi-open-air.
How does the private bath work?
There is also a family bath only for Yamagaso guests, filled with 100 percent free-flowing hot-spring water. It is free to use 24 hours a day and needs no booking. If other guests’ footwear is at the entrance, someone is inside, so come back later.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages, Japanese and English, do not mention tattoos. Since every cottage has its own bath, ask the inn about the shared private bath before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains how to ask.
Meals at Yamagaso
Where and when is dinner served?
Both dinner and breakfast are served in your room. Dinner is seasonal cooking by the head chef, with a different menu for each season, and the latest start time is 19:00.
What is breakfast?
Breakfast is a Japanese set from about 8:00, with tofu made in Hakone-Yumoto from Hakone spring water, Odawara’s dried fish and kamaboko fish cake, and miso soup.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
No for allergies. The meal page says the inn cannot accommodate allergies, because how serious they are differs by guest and can be life-threatening. Vegetarian and other diets are not mentioned, so ask the inn before you book.
Children, cancellation and booking at Yamagaso
Can children stay?
Every cottage on the room page carries the same note: children who have not started elementary school cannot stay. The English page does not repeat this, so families should read the Japanese rule.
What is the cancellation policy?
The official policy page lists 10 percent of the room charge from 7 to 4 days before, 50 percent from 3 to 2 days before, and 100 percent from the day before, on the day, or for a no-show. Some plans have their own policy. See our hotel cancellation guide for how these tiers compare.
How much does it cost, and how do I pay?
The Japanese site has no price list; plans and rates are on the booking page. It says booking on the official site gives 7 percent off. Payment methods are not stated. Hakone also charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per night for overnight guests, with exemptions such as children under 12; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
Getting to Yamagaso from Hakone-Yumoto Station
The inn is about 10 minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station. A paid shuttle bus runs from the station: the orange minibus on the A course toward Taki-dori, a ride of 3 to 5 minutes. By car, the access page gives a route from the Odawara-Atsugi Road via Yamazaki IC and Route 1, about 5 minutes. Parking details are not stated. For the rest of the area, see things to do in Hakone.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Yamagaso
- The official site is in Japanese; an English page exists, but a few details differ from the Japanese one, so treat the Japanese rules as the reference and confirm anything important.
- Confirm check-in and checkout times with the inn when you book.
- Plan to be in your room in time to start dinner by 19:00.
- Anyone with a food allergy should know the kitchen will not adjust meals.
- Keep 150 yen per adult per night for the Hakone bathing tax.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring young children to Yamagaso?
Can Yamagaso prepare meals for food allergies?
Does Yamagaso have a private bath?
What is the cancellation policy at Yamagaso?
How far is Yamagaso from Hakone-Yumoto Station?
Bottom line (2026): Yamagaso is a quiet inn of detached cottages in Hakone-Yumoto with ties to Kitaoji Rosanjin, a hot-spring bath in every cottage and meals in your room. It is not for families with preschool children or guests who need allergy meals; confirm check-in times and prices on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Yamagaso’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, meals, baths, access, policy and cancellation and the English page, and the Hakone town page on the bathing tax. All were read on October 20, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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