Shinkiya Ryokan is a small, long-established inn in Kannawa Onsen, the steam-filled hot-spring quarter of Beppu, Oita. It has eight Japanese-style rooms and is now run by the Hirakawa family’s younger couple, with the parents still cooking and growing vegetables. Before you book, three things matter: all three baths are private and free, booked at check-in; dinner starts at 18:00; and two of the eight rooms have no toilet of their own.
Shinkiya Ryokan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-kumi Furomoto, Beppu, Oita 874-0044 |
| Phone | +81-977-66-0962 (9:00–21:00 Japan time) |
| info@shinkiya.jp | |
| Rooms | 8, all Japanese style, non-smoking, Wi-Fi |
| Check-in / out | From 14:00 (booking page: until 21:00) / by 10:00 |
| Baths | 3 private baths, free, source-fed hot spring |
| Meals | Dinner from 18:00, breakfast from 8:00 |
| Parking | About 20 cars, behind the inn |
| Closed days | Set days each month, posted on the inn’s blog |
From the official site and booking page, read October 14, 2026.
Which room should you pick at Shinkiya Ryokan?
The rooms are named after flowers and finished in natural wood. Every room has a massage chair, a TV, air conditioning and a fridge, but no room has its own bath. Sizes are in tatami mats (one mat is about 1.6 square meters).
| Room | Size | Guests | Toilet in room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagi | 8 mats | 2 | Yes |
| Ayame | 9 + 6 mats + veranda | 2–6 | Yes |
| Sakura | 7.5 mats + wooden floor | 2–3 | Yes |
| Ume | 8 mats + wide veranda | 2–4 | Yes |
| Take | 6 + 4 mats + veranda | 2–4 | Yes |
| Tsubaki | 12 mats | 2–4 | No |
| Botan | 8 mats + veranda | 2–4 | Yes |
| Fuji | 6 mats + wide veranda | 1–2 | No |
From the official rooms page, read October 14, 2026.
On most plans the inn assigns the room on the day and asks you to tell it if you have a wish. Tsubaki and Fuji have their own plans on the booking page, at lower prices. Yukata, towels, a toothbrush set, a hair dryer and a razor are provided, and the toilets have bidet seats.
The baths at Shinkiya Ryokan
What makes the water special?
The water is a sodium chloride hot spring, piped straight from a source about 30 meters away that comes out at over 90°C. From winter to Golden Week (early May), the inn floats citrus fruit in the bath for its “mikan bath.”
How do the private baths work?
There is no large shared bath. Instead there are three private baths: Amagi-no-yu, a high-ceiling wooden bath and the largest; Ougi-no-yu, a fan-shaped tub for 2 to 3; and an open-air cypress bath for up to 2, lit at night. All are free, and you book a time at check-in. They are open until midnight and again from 6:00 in the morning. Shampoo, conditioner, body soap and makeup remover are supplied. The official pages list the daytime hours slightly differently, so ask at the desk.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Because every bath is used privately, the question may not arise, but ask the inn before you book. The five public bathhouses of Kannawa nearby have their own rules; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Shinkiya Ryokan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner, from 18:00, is a regional kaiseki cooked by the two proprietresses, with Oita wagyu, fish from Beppu Bay, jigoku-mushi (food steamed in hot-spring vapor) and vegetables from the inn’s own pesticide-free garden; the booking page lists about 12 dishes. Breakfast, from 8:00, is a homemade Japanese set of many small dishes. Both are served in private rooms in the first-floor dining area, which was renovated in 2021. The booking page says in-room dinner is free on request for up to two adults. Extra dishes such as Seki-aji or Seki-saba fish and a birthday cake can be ordered in advance.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
For children, the inn asks you to consult it in advance about allergies. The official pages say nothing about adult allergies, vegetarian or halal food, so email or call before you book.
Can I cook my own food?
Yes. There is a guest kitchen with a fridge, gas stove, microwave oven and rice cooker, and a free steam oven by the entrance where you can steam your own eggs or sweet potatoes. Room-only plans are available.
Prices, children and payment at Shinkiya Ryokan
How much does a stay cost?
The official booking page shows per-person reference prices from about 9,300 yen (room only, Tsubaki or Fuji) to 18,500 yen (solo traveler, dinner and breakfast); two-meal plans for two start at 15,500 yen. Search your dates for the real price. The pages do not say whether tax is included. Beppu City charges a bathing tax of 250 yen per adult per day where the stay costs 6,001 to 50,000 yen before consumption tax; children under 12 are exempt. See our onsen bathing tax guide. Oita Prefecture’s accommodation tax starts on June 1, 2027.
What about children?
Families are welcome on the family plans. The inn lends baby baths, children’s jinbei, towels, chairs, picture books and diaper bins for free, and the children’s dinner includes hamburger steak and a hot-spring-steamed pudding. The group plan for 3 to 6 is adults only. Children’s prices appear on the booking page, which we could not read in full.
What is the cancellation policy?
The booking page states that cancellation fees differ by plan and are shown on each plan’s page. Read it before you pay; our hotel cancellation guide explains the terms.
How do I pay?
You can prepay online by card or PayPay, or pay at the inn. Both the site and the booking page list QR-code payments. They differ on paying by card at the desk, so confirm with the inn if you plan to pay by card on arrival.
Getting to Shinkiya Ryokan in Kannawa, Beppu
From Beppu Station, take a bus bound for Kannawa, about 25 minutes. On Oita Kotsu buses, get off at Jigokubaru and walk 2 minutes; on Kamenoi buses, ride to the last stop, Kannawa, and walk 4 minutes. A taxi takes about 15 minutes. From Oita Airport, take the airport bus to Beppu International Tourist Port, then a taxi of about 10 minutes. The official pages do not mention a pickup. The streets of Kannawa are very narrow; drivers can call the inn for directions as they get close. Most of the Beppu “hells” are within walking distance. For the rest of the city, see our Beppu guide.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Shinkiya Ryokan
- The inn has an English website and an English booking page, but the plan details are in Japanese; email info@shinkiya.jp with questions.
- Book your bath times at check-in.
- The inn closes on set days, many of them Thursdays, posted on its Japanese blog.
- The booking page notes construction work near the inn from 9:00 to 17:00.
- Consecutive nights over December 31 to January 2 cannot be booked.
- The whole inn is non-smoking; the smoking area is outside the entrance.
Frequently asked questions
What time is check-in at Shinkiya Ryokan?
Does Shinkiya Ryokan have a public bath?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Shinkiya Ryokan?
What is the cancellation policy at Shinkiya Ryokan?
Is Shinkiya Ryokan good for families with small children?
Bottom line (2026): Shinkiya Ryokan is an eight-room family inn in Kannawa Onsen with three free private baths of source-fed water and home-style Oita cooking. Pick a room with its own toilet if that matters, book your bath times at check-in, and confirm payment and cancellation on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Shinkiya Ryokan’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), rooms, hot spring, cuisine, access and the official booking page; plus Beppu City (bathing tax) and Oita Prefecture (accommodation tax). All were read on October 14, 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.
