Ohanami Kyubei is a 43-room inn in Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa, beside the gorge of the Daishoji River. It calls itself “not a ryokan, but a Ryokan Cafe”: instead of formal, full service, guests mix and match free extras such as matcha whisking, grilling their own dango and rice crackers, and tasting local sake. Before you book, three things matter: its three private open-air baths are free but are booked on the day only; the inn does not cater for allergies; and the website and booking page are in Japanese only.
Ohanami Kyubei at a glance
| Item | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Address | Ni-138-1 Shimotani-machi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa |
| Rooms | 43 (33 Japanese-style, 10 Japanese-Western); every room faces the gorge |
| Check-in / out | From 15:00 / by 11:00 |
| Baths | Two indoor baths (men, women), three free private open-air baths, six rooms with their own open-air bath |
| Prices | From 11,000 yen per person with breakfast; dinner plans from 18,700 yen (tax included) |
| Smoking | Non-smoking throughout; smoking booth on the 4th-floor terrace |
| Wi-Fi / parking | Free Wi-Fi in all rooms / free parking for 80 cars |
| Nearest station | JR Kaga-Onsen, with a free shuttle on request |
From the official site and booking page, read October 21, 2026. Prices are per person with two guests in one room.
What does “Ryokan Cafe” mean here?
The inn’s words are that it offers not formal hospitality but experiences and time you combine as you like, with Japanese culture kept casual and “no need to get it right.” In practice, that means free extras around the lobby:
- Matcha whisking at the tea corner, 15:00–22:00; pick your own bowl and whisk, yukata welcome.
- Grill your own dango and rice crackers, 15:00–22:00.
- Local sake tasting in the lobby and on the terrace, 15:00–19:00.
- About 1,500 manga and magazines, board games and table tennis in the games room, 15:00–23:00 and 7:00–11:00.
- A free sweets bar and an amenity bar where you take your own toothbrush, towels and hair ties.
A private sauna, WABISABI, costs 3,300 yen for 50 minutes (tax included) whatever the group size. It is booked on the day, first come, first served, and has a shower but no cold plunge.
The baths at Ohanami Kyubei
How do the three private open-air baths work?
The private baths, Tsukihana, Mizunohana and Kazabana, all look over the gorge and are free for every staying guest. Tsukihana is the largest and the inn’s most popular; Kazabana is the most compact. From 15:00 to 22:30 you book a slot on the day, first come, first served, and advance booking is not accepted. From 22:45 until 10:30 the next morning you can use them without booking.
When are the indoor baths open?
There is one indoor bath for men and one for women, open 15:00–24:00 and 5:30–10:30. All the baths use Yamanaka Onsen water, a calcium-sodium sulfate spring at 48.2°C; the facility page notes that it is diluted, heated and filtered and recirculated. Six rooms have their own open-air bath.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book, whether you plan to use the indoor baths or the private ones. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Ohanami Kyubei
What is the “Your Feast” dinner?
Dinner is the inn’s own “Tsukuru Kaiseki” (create-your-own kaiseki) in the Yamanaka Kakusenkei Kitchen dining room, renewed in July 2024, with chairs and tables. Staff bring the main dish to your table, such as wagyu sukiyaki, grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) or sashimi, depending on the plan. Everything else, from starters and tempura to Kanazawa-style oden and dessert, you take yourself, in any order and as often as you like. Soft drinks are free; alcohol is ordered from a tablet at the table. You choose a start time of 18:00, 18:30, 19:00 or 19:30 at check-in.
What is breakfast like?
Breakfast is a set Japanese meal where you pick the main: a seafood rice bowl, charcoal-grilled mackerel or ginger pork, with Ishikawa Koshihikari rice cooked in an earthenware pot. Choose 7:30, 8:00 or 8:30 at check-in. The booking page also mentions a “sleep-in” option to swap breakfast for lunch; ask at the front desk on the day.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
No. The FAQ says the inn does not make special menus for allergies or change ingredients for likes and dislikes, and the booking page repeats it. Vegetarian and halal meals are not mentioned. If you have an allergy or a strict diet, contact the inn before you book, or look at the breakfast-only plan.
Prices and rules at Ohanami Kyubei
How much does a stay cost?
On the official booking page, prices include consumption tax and are per person with two guests in a room. The breakfast-only plan starts at 11,000 yen, and dinner plans start at 18,700 yen on sale plans. On the basic wagyu sukiyaki plan, the calendar shows 22,000 to 24,200 yen on November 2026 weekdays and 27,500 yen on Saturdays. Winter plans with a whole Kano crab per person start at 48,400 yen. The pages do not say whether the overnight bathing tax is included; its day-trip price adds a 50-yen bathing tax. Ask the inn, and see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
The FAQ lists elementary-school children with children’s meals and bedding at 70 percent of the adult rate, and younger children at 50 percent with bedding or 40 percent without. Infants with no meals or bedding are 1,100 yen. Children’s dinner includes a sushi set in place of the adult main, plus a children’s buffet corner. Baby baths and baby soap are free; baby food is not provided, but you may bring your own.
What is the cancellation policy?
The FAQ lists 20 percent of the room charge 3 days before, 30 percent 2 days before, 50 percent the day before and 100 percent on the day. Groups of 15 or more have different terms. On the basic plan, online changes and cancellations are accepted until 12:00 the day before. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Plans on the official booking page are prepaid by credit card, under a travel contract with the booking agent Time Design. The FAQ also lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners and other cards, plus PayPay as the only QR payment.
Getting to Ohanami Kyubei in Yamanaka Onsen
The nearest station is JR Kaga-Onsen, about 3 hours 14 minutes from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, according to the inn. A free shuttle bus leaves the station at 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 and returns from the inn at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00. It runs only when booked, so reserve it by the day before. Exit the south ticket gate; the driver holds a pink flag with the inn’s name. By car, it is about 20 minutes from the Kaga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway, with free parking for 80 cars. If you are coming from Kanazawa, our Kanazawa map shows how the city fits together.
On foot, the inn lists Korogi Bridge at about 7 minutes, the Yuge Kaido main street at about 10, Ayatori Bridge at about 17 and the Kiku-no-Yu public bath at about 16. The Kakusenkei gorge path runs about 1.3 km between Korogi Bridge and Kurotani Bridge.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Ohanami Kyubei
- There is no English website or English booking page. Use a browser translator on the Japanese pages, or write through the official contact form.
- The private baths cannot be reserved in advance. Sign up soon after you arrive.
- Book the free shuttle by the day before; it does not run on a fixed timetable.
- Allergies and special diets are not catered for.
- There is no late-night food on site, and the vending machines have no alcohol. The nearest convenience store is about 5 minutes by car.
Frequently asked questions
Are the private baths at Ohanami Kyubei free?
Can Ohanami Kyubei handle food allergies?
What time is check-in at Ohanami Kyubei?
What is the cancellation policy at Ohanami Kyubei?
Is there a shuttle to Ohanami Kyubei?
Bottom line (2026): Ohanami Kyubei is a casual, activity-filled inn on the Yamanaka Onsen gorge, with three free private open-air baths booked on the day and a create-your-own kaiseki dinner. Plan around the Japanese-only booking page, the lack of allergy support and the shuttle that must be booked.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Ohanami Kyubei’s official pages: home, rooms, baths, meals, experiences, access, sightseeing, day plan and FAQ (all in Japanese), and the official booking page. All were read on October 21, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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