Kokarian (written KOKARIAN on its site) is a four-room inn in Yuwaku Onsen, the hot-spring village in the hills of Kanazawa, Ishikawa. It calls itself a small inn of hot springs and cooking for adults, and every room has its own hot-spring bath. Before you book, three things matter: children below junior high school age cannot stay, infants included; there is no shared large bath, so the bath in your room is the only one; and the free shuttle from Kanazawa Station runs once a day and must be booked two days ahead.
Kokarian at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | Yuwaku Onsen Kokarian |
| Address | I-68 Yuwaku-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1123 |
| Phone | 076-235-1144 (from abroad +81-76-235-1144), answered 12:00–14:30 |
| Rooms | 4, all non-smoking, each with a hot-spring bath |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 10:00 |
| Front desk | 7:00–22:00 |
| Guests | Junior high school age and up; up to 6 per group; no pets |
| Meals | Kanazawa creative kaiseki dinner and breakfast in a private dining room |
| Parking | Free, 8 cars |
From the official site, read October 20, 2026.
Which room should I choose at Kokarian?
All four rooms have their own hot-spring bath. The two ground-floor rooms have an open-air bath facing the garden; the two upstairs rooms have a semi-open-air bath:
| Room | Bath | Size (with bath) | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mokubei | Open-air | 48 m² | 1–2 |
| Kokutani | Open-air | 56 m² | 1–3 |
| Yoshidaya | Semi-open-air | 65 m² | 2–5 |
| Akae | Semi-open-air | 70 m² | 2–6 |
From the official rooms page, read October 20, 2026.
Rooms have Wi-Fi, a TV with satellite channels, a fridge, a safe, a hair dryer, green tea and coffee, and samue loungewear; colored yukata for men and women are chosen at the front desk. There is no elevator, so the upstairs rooms are reached by stairs. If you want ice, ask the front desk by 22:00.
The hot-spring baths at Kokarian
Is there a large public bath?
No. The FAQ says plainly that there is no large bath, and outside guests cannot come for day bathing. A separate private bath to book is not mentioned either. The bath in your room is your onsen.
What is the water like, and when can I bathe?
The water comes from Yuwaku Onsen source No. 5, a sodium chloride and sulfate spring that the inn describes as hypotonic, weakly alkaline and low in temperature. Because the bath is in your room, the official pages give no bathing hours.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. The bath is private to your room, but if it matters to you, ask the inn before you book; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Kokarian
What is dinner like?
Dinner and breakfast are both served at tables in Kadoma, a private dining room on the ground floor, and you can come in yukata and slippers. Dinner starts between 18:00 and 19:00, chosen at check-in. It is a creative Hokuriku and Kanazawa kaiseki that changes about every two months; the September–October menu ended with matsutake rice cooked in a clay pot, served on Kutani porcelain and Yamanaka lacquerware.
When are the crab and yellowtail seasons?
The cuisine page lists wild yellowtail from November to February, live crab from mid-November to the end of February, and nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) from October to April. The crab page gives prices per person, tax included, for four guests in one room: from 47,800 yen for a crab kaiseki with one boiled crab for two, from 41,800 yen for wild yellowtail, from 68,000 yen for crab sashimi, shabu-shabu and boiled crab, and from 73,700 yen for crab and yellowtail together. Some of these exclude the New Year period.
What about breakfast, drinks and special diets?
Breakfast, served between 7:30 and 8:30, includes Kaga vegetables, grilled fish and rice or rice porridge. You may bring drinks into your room but not into the dining room, and there is a fridge of free drinks by the front desk. For allergies or foods you do not eat, the official pages differ on how to arrange it, so contact the inn directly before your stay.
Children, cancellation and payment at Kokarian
Can I bring children?
No. The FAQ says children below junior high school age cannot stay, and this includes infants. Groups of seven or more cannot stay either; the limit is six guests per group.
What is the cancellation policy?
For one room, the FAQ lists 20 percent from 10 days before, 30 percent from 7 days, 80 percent from 3 days, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. For two rooms or more, or one room for two nights or more, it is 20 percent from 14 days, 50 percent from 7 days, 80 percent from 3 days and 100 percent on the day, and a charge of 5,000 yen before tax applies from the time of booking. The FAQ adds that online plans may have their own policy, so check your plan. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay, and what taxes apply?
The FAQ lists JCB, DC, Visa, UC, NICOS and Rakuten Card; American Express and Diners Club are not accepted. Kanazawa adds a bathing tax of 150 yen per guest per night at hot springs, and an accommodation tax that the city has set since October 2024: none under 5,000 yen per person per night, 200 yen from 5,000 yen to under 20,000 yen, and 500 yen from 20,000 yen, based on the charge before tax. Check the city’s accommodation tax page for the current rule, and see our onsen bathing tax guide.
Getting to Kokarian in Yuwaku Onsen
Is there a free shuttle from Kanazawa Station?
Yes, for staying guests only. Book it at least two days ahead. It picks up at Kanazawa Station (the access page names the Shinkansen gate and the group bus area at the west exit) at 14:30 sharp, and the return leaves the inn at 10:10. Other times are not offered.
Can I take the bus or drive?
From the east exit of JR Kanazawa Station, take the Hokutetsu bus from stop 12 bound for Yuwaku Onsen; the fare is 600 yen one way, and the inn is about 2 minutes on foot from the Yuwaku Onsen stop. By car, the access page points to the Morimoto interchange from the Tokyo side and the Kanazawa-Nishi interchange from the Osaka side. Parking is free for 8 cars; the inn says it is hard to find, so drive up to the entrance and staff will guide you. For the city itself, see our things to do in Kanazawa guide.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Kokarian
- The website is in Japanese only. To ask questions, use the contact page or call +81-76-235-1144 between 12:00 and 14:30; the inn says replies can take time.
- The inn has closing days, announced on its news page, when the phone is not answered.
- There is no convenience store nearby, and no shop or vending machine inside, so bring what you need.
- On a dinner plan, let the inn know if you will arrive after 18:00.
- The whole inn is non-smoking.
Frequently asked questions
Can children stay at Kokarian?
Does Kokarian have a large shared bath?
What time is check-in at Kokarian?
Is there a shuttle from Kanazawa Station to Kokarian?
Which credit cards does Kokarian accept?
Bottom line (2026): Kokarian is a four-room inn for adults in Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa, where every room has its own hot-spring bath and meals are creative kaiseki in a private dining room. Children below junior high school age cannot stay, there is no shared bath, and the free station shuttle needs booking two days ahead. The site is in Japanese, so contact the inn about prices and special meals before you book.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Kokarian’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, cuisine, crab and yellowtail, hot spring, access and FAQ, and the City of Kanazawa’s bathing tax page and accommodation tax page. All were read on October 20, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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