Ryokan Matsumoto describes itself as a quiet, homey inn of 10 rooms in Ginzan Onsen, the hot-spring street in Obanazawa, Yamagata. It is family-run, keeps the style of an old-fashioned country onsen inn, and says plainly that it is small and its facilities are not the newest. Before you book, three things matter: reservations are online only and open about three months ahead; the inn takes no solo guests and no consecutive nights; and on site it accepts Japanese yen in cash only.
How does booking work at Ryokan Matsumoto?
When do reservations open?
The inn opens each month’s calendar about three months ahead, around the start of the month (for example, January stays open in October). The exact day is not fixed and is announced only when it opens. Booking is online only, on the official site or the Japanese booking sites Rakuten Travel and Jalan; there are no phone or email bookings. On opening days, a booking made online can still be refused if too many arrive at once; the inn says it will tell you within three days.
Who can book?
Rooms are for two or more guests. Consecutive nights are not accepted, even as separate bookings, and stay dates cannot be changed; you cancel and book again. Rates change by date and are shown on the booking site. The inn closes about two days a week on irregular days because it runs with a small staff.
Ryokan Matsumoto at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Rooms | 10, for 2 up to 8 guests (two-room suites); Japanese futon, no beds |
| Building | 5-story reinforced concrete, rebuilt in 1992, with an elevator |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–18:00 / 10:00 (no early or late) |
| Doors locked | Around 21:00 (ring the chime) |
| Baths | One men’s, one women’s; 15:00 to 10:00 |
| Room payment | Credit card, prepaid at booking |
| Paid on site | Cash in yen only; bathing tax 150 yen per adult |
| Parking | Free, two lots, no booking needed |
| Languages | Staff speak Japanese only |
From the official Japanese and English pages, read October 14, 2026.
What are the rooms like at Ryokan Matsumoto?
Rooms range from rooms for two to two-room suites for up to eight. Each room listed on the facility page has its own toilet and is non-smoking, but no room has its own bath, and the in-room toilets are not washlets; the shared toilets on the 1st to 3rd floors are. Rooms have yukata, towels, a toothbrush, a TV with Japanese channels, a safe, a kettle and a fridge with paid drinks. Heating and cooling are adjustable, and Wi-Fi works but is weak in places. There are no wheelchair-accessible rooms, no cribs, and no pets.
The English FAQ names Rooms 301, 302, 402 and 502 as river-side, but notes that a wall a little over 1 m high and the inn’s spot on the bend of the street keep the balconies from having a good view of the onsen street.
The baths at Ryokan Matsumoto
What is the hot spring like?
There is one men’s and one women’s bath with wooden tubs, small enough for three or four people at a time. The water is free-flowing from the source, with no added bath salts or disinfectant; the spring is a sulfur-sodium-chloride-sulfate type that leaves the source at 60°C. If it feels too hot, you add tap water yourself. The baths are open from 15:00 to 10:00 the next morning.
Is there a private bath?
No. The inn does not reserve the baths for private use, and there is no sauna. Day visitors cannot use them.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The Japanese FAQ says a small, one-point tattoo on a foreign guest is not a problem; the English pages do not mention tattoos. If yours is larger, ask the inn first. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Ryokan Matsumoto
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is regional cooking with local, seasonal ingredients: mountain vegetables, mushrooms, Yamagata beef and seafood, with the inn’s own local sake, Nizaemon. It is served in your room or a private dining room; larger groups eat in a banquet room, and you cannot choose the place in advance. Dinner starts at 18:00 and the time cannot be changed. A Japanese breakfast is served from 7:30 in the main hall.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
No. Both the Japanese and English FAQ say the inn cannot handle allergies or change ingredients. The Japanese FAQ suggests sharing dishes with your companions, as many are served. There are no extra dishes, birthday cakes or flowers.
Children, cancellation and payment at Ryokan Matsumoto
Can children stay?
Yes, with limits. Children who need bedding can come only in rooms that allow it on the booking site, and rooms other than 402 and 502 have only one child futon. Infants who need no bedding can come at one per adult. Bookings over a room’s capacity may be refused. The official pages do not list child prices.
What is the cancellation policy?
The Japanese and English FAQ pages give different cancellation schedules, so check the policy on the booking screen before you pay, or ask the inn. Cancel on the site where you booked; phone cancellations are not accepted. Fees are waived after nearby Yamagata Airport flights or the Yamagata Shinkansen announce waivers for typhoons, heavy snow or earthquakes. Our hotel cancellation guide covers the questions to ask.
How do I pay?
The room is prepaid by credit card when you book; it cannot be paid at the inn. Anything on site, such as drinks or a larger party, is cash in yen only; cards and QR payments are not accepted there. Obanazawa charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per night for adults, paid in cash at the front desk; under-12s are exempt. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
Getting to Ryokan Matsumoto in Ginzan Onsen
The nearest station is JR Oishida. The inn runs a free pickup from Oishida Station at 15:45 and a drop-off leaving the inn at 9:45, in time for the 10:31 train; request it at least two days ahead, for example in the booking remarks. The ride takes about 30 minutes. A taxi costs about 7,000 yen one way, and Hanagasa Bus runs from Oishida Station and Yamagata Airport. Our Ginzan Onsen from Tokyo guide covers the trip from Tokyo.
Drivers park free in two lots, about 1 and 3 minutes on foot. Snow is possible from mid-November to early April, so winter tires are required. From December to March and on holidays, cars may be stopped at Taisho Roman-kan; tell the guard “Ryokan Matsumoto” and the name on the booking.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Ryokan Matsumoto
- Staff speak Japanese only, and the inn asks guests living outside Japan to show a passport at check-in.
- Arrive between 15:00 and 18:00; if you will be later, contact the inn, as dinner depends on it.
- Bring enough yen in cash for the bathing tax and extras.
- There is no convenience store nearby; the English FAQ says the nearest is a 30-minute drive.
- You can go out at night, but the doors are locked around 21:00, so tell the staff and ring the chime.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book Ryokan Matsumoto by phone or email?
Can one person stay at Ryokan Matsumoto?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Ryokan Matsumoto?
What is the cancellation policy at Ryokan Matsumoto?
How do I get to Ryokan Matsumoto?
Bottom line (2026): Ryokan Matsumoto is a small, family-run inn in Ginzan Onsen with free-flowing wooden baths and regional dinners in your room or a private room. Book online about three months ahead for two or more people, use the free station pickup, and carry yen in cash.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Ryokan Matsumoto’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), facilities, baths, access, FAQ (Japanese) and FAQ (English), and Obanazawa city’s bathing tax page. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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