Ryokan Kiraku is a small, family-run onsen inn in Kannawa, the steam-filled hot spring district of Beppu, Oita. It started as a modest inn for toji, long bathing stays, carrying on a family business of renting rooms to bathers, and today it takes seven groups a day. Before you book, three things matter: new bookings are by phone for now; the spring water is hot and not cooled with water; and every meal is served in a private dining room, not in your bedroom.
Before you book: website bookings are paused
In a notice dated October 2, 2026, the inn said it was getting a very large number of inquiries about the Kyushu Fukko-wari travel discount, so it had paused new bookings on its website. Bookings from October 16 are taken by phone only, 9:00 to 18:00 Japan time, at +81-977-66-1585. The same notice says changes to existing bookings are not accepted. The booking page below still lists the plans and prices, which is useful before you call. For solo travelers, the FAQ already said that one-person stays are booked by phone only.
There is no English website. The inn publishes an email address, info@e-kiraku.com, on its contact page for press inquiries, and a general inquiry form; the contact page says replies come within five business days.
Ryokan Kiraku at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | Kannawa Miyuki 4-kumi, Beppu, Oita 874-0045 |
| Rooms | 7: four Japanese tatami rooms (Boku) and three suites with beds (Miyabi) |
| Check-in / out | From 15:00 / 10:00 |
| Baths | Indoor and outdoor baths (men and women swap), two family baths, sand bath, steam bath |
| Spring | Sodium chloride spring, pH 7.3, flowing from the source |
| Meals | Private dining room on the 1st floor; no lunch |
| Prices | From 10,700 yen per person with breakfast, tax included (2 per room) |
| Payment | At the inn; major cards and PayPay |
| Parking | Free, up to 10 cars |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
The baths at Ryokan Kiraku
The inn says its water is on the hot side: it sits high up in Kannawa, and to keep the source water as it is, it does not add cold water. If it feels too hot, the inn asks you to tell the staff. The spring is a sodium chloride spring, pH 7.3, with a source temperature of 93°C; the booking page gives an average bath temperature of 42°C.
When are the baths open?
The indoor bath and the outdoor bath swap between men and women. Men use the outdoor bath from 15:00 to 18:30, the indoor bath from 18:30 to 22:00, and the outdoor bath again from 6:00 to 8:00 the next morning; women have the opposite. There is also a steam bath and a sand bath, where heated sand covers your body. Shampoo, conditioner and body soap are in the baths.
Is there a private bath?
Yes. There are two family baths for private use, one of them open-air. The booking page says reservations are taken after you arrive, and the official pages give different time slots, so check the length at the front desk. Rooms do not 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. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Ryokan Kiraku
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Each room has its own private dining room on the 1st floor; meals in your room are by request. Dinner starts from 18:00, with the last start at 19:30, and lasts up to about two hours. The menu lists local Oita and Beppu food: seasonal starters, sashimi, chawanmushi steamed in the jigoku hot spring steam, Nakatsu-style fried chicken, a seasonal hot pot and rice from Ajimu. Higher-priced plans add Bungo beef. Breakfast is from 8:00 (7:00 or 7:30 on request), a Japanese set with ryukyu, a local marinated-fish dish, and the inn’s Ranou eggs. There is no lunch.
Kannawa is known for jigoku-mushi, food steamed over the hot spring vents. The inn has a steam oven that guests can use 24 hours a day with their own ingredients. Extra dishes, such as Seki horse mackerel, need booking 3 days ahead.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The FAQ says the inn will do what it can if you tell it 3 days before, but it may not be able to accept guests with severe allergies. Vegetarian and halal meals are not mentioned.
Rooms: Boku and Miyabi
The four Japanese rooms, called Boku, keep the look of the old bathing inn: tatami, futon bedding and low chairs. The three Miyabi suites, Hana, Sou and Yutaka, are each decorated in a different retro style and have two semi-double beds in 21 square meters. The booking page lists every room with a washbasin and toilet. All rooms are non-smoking; there is a smoking room on the 2nd floor. Wi-Fi is free and yukata come in medium and large.
Prices and rules at Ryokan Kiraku
How much does a stay cost?
Per person, with two sharing a room, the official booking page starts at 10,700 yen with breakfast and 18,250 yen with dinner and breakfast in a Japanese room; the suites cost more. The page says prices include consumption tax. Beppu also charges a bathing tax of 250 yen per person per day for stays of 6,001 to 50,000 yen, with under-12s exempt; the official pages do not say whether it is in the plan price. Oita Prefecture has also adopted a new accommodation tax, and the materials we read give no start date. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
Can children stay?
Yes. The FAQ says children can stay, but the number of guests cannot be changed on the day. The booking page has separate options for older and younger elementary school children and for infants, with or without meals and bedding. Child prices are not given on the pages we read.
What is the cancellation policy?
The FAQ lists 80 percent of the room charge on the day, 20 percent the day before, and 100 percent for a no-show without notice, adding that some plans set their own policy. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Payment is at the inn. The FAQ lists JCB, Visa, Mastercard, UC, American Express, Diners, Discover, UnionPay and PayPay.
Getting to Ryokan Kiraku in Kannawa, Beppu
From Beppu Station, take a Kamenoi bus bound for Kannawa and get off at the Kannawa stop; the inn is within about 5 minutes on foot. The inn runs a free shuttle between Beppu Station and the inn, booked by phone by the day before with your number of guests and time. It runs 15:30 to 19:30 for breakfast plans and 15:30 to 17:30 for dinner plans. There is no airport shuttle. Drivers park free in front of the inn, up to 10 cars. The Hells of Beppu (jigoku) sightseeing area is within walking distance; see our Beppu guide for the rest of town.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Ryokan Kiraku
- The site and booking page are in Japanese only, and new bookings are by phone for now.
- The water is hot; tell staff if it is too much for you.
- Book the free station shuttle by the day before.
- Tell the inn about allergies 3 days ahead.
- The FAQ says the building is locked from 22:00 to 6:00 for security, and there is no lunch, no souvenir shop and no wheelchair to borrow.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book Ryokan Kiraku online?
What time is check-in at Ryokan Kiraku?
Can I use the bath at Ryokan Kiraku with a tattoo?
What is the cancellation policy at Ryokan Kiraku?
How do I get to Ryokan Kiraku from Beppu Station?
Bottom line (2026): Ryokan Kiraku is a seven-room bathing inn in Kannawa, Beppu, with hot spring water that is not cooled, a sand bath and steam bath, and meals in a private dining room. New bookings are by phone for now, so call ahead and book the free station shuttle by the day before.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Ryokan Kiraku’s official pages: home (Japanese), company, facilities, hot spring, meals, access, FAQ, the October 2, 2026 booking notice and the official booking page; and Beppu City (bathing tax) and Oita Prefecture (accommodation tax). All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
Tokyo to Osaka, Tokyo to Kyushu, Tokyo to Hokkaido — day by day — plus seven places most visitors never reach.
- 12 pages, 80 photographs, every stop linked to its guide
- Every price and opening hour read from the official page
- Re-issued monthly, so it does not go stale in your inbox
Free. One email a month, plus the rare change that matters. Unsubscribe with one click in any email. By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy.
