Osakaya Ryokan (written “Osakaya” on its own site) is a long-established inn in Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, founded in the late Edo period and standing one minute on foot from Yubatake, the steaming hot-water field at the center of town. Its baths draw the Yubatake spring itself. Before you book, three things matter: Wi-Fi works around the lobby only, not in the rooms; meals are served in dining rooms, not in your room; and the private bath is booked by phone on the day at the front desk.
Osakaya Ryokan at a glance
| Item | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Address | 356 Kusatsu-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma 377-1711 |
| Phone | +81-279-88-2411 (calls 9:00–18:00 Japan time) |
| Location | 1 minute on foot to Yubatake |
| Rooms | Japanese rooms, two types: Kamiyashiki (up to 7) and Nakayashiki (up to 4 or 6) |
| Check-in / out | 14:00 (last check-in 20:00) / 10:00 |
| Baths | Two gender-separated baths with outdoor cypress tubs, one private rock bath |
| Meals | Kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast in dining rooms |
| Wi-Fi | Lobby area only |
| Extra charge | Bathing tax 150 yen per adult |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
What makes Osakaya Ryokan different from other Kusatsu inns?
The founder, Nakazawa Ichirozaemon, trained under an Edo merchant named Osakaya Magohachi, came home to Kusatsu and took the name “Osakaya.” The calligraphy on the sign is by the haiku poet Kawahigashi Hekigodo, who stayed in 1929. The outside reproduces the segai-dashi-bari style of western Gunma’s silk-farming houses: deep eaves, large white walls and black beams, which the inn says Kusatsu’s streets once looked like.
Inside are a lobby with an irori hearth, a tea room on the 2nd floor, a gallery of the writers and artists who stayed, a souvenir corner, and a free manga room on the 1st floor that you can borrow books from. The inn says the building is quiet for a place in the middle of town.
Which room should you book at Osakaya Ryokan?
What is the difference between Kamiyashiki and Nakayashiki?
All rooms are sukiya-style Japanese rooms, facing either Takishita Street or the garden. Kamiyashiki is the largest type: every room has a second room, laid out as 10 mats plus 6 mats, a 2-mat sunroom and a 4.5-mat tea room, or as 10 mats plus 4.5 mats, for 1 to 7 guests. Nakayashiki comes as a 12-mat type (12 mats, or 10 plus 4.5) for 1 to 6, and a standard 10 or 8 mats for 1 to 4.
Do rooms have their own bath and toilet?
Yes. Both types list a bath, washbasin, toilet with a bidet seat, TV, sofa and hair dryer, with yukata, towels and toothbrushes provided. Photos show one example of each type, and you cannot choose a specific room.
The baths at Osakaya Ryokan
Where does the water come from?
The inn draws the Yubatake spring and runs it straight into the tubs without recirculating it. It is strongly acidic, pH 2.1, and 55.7°C at the source; the inn describes it as soft on the skin for an acidic spring. Next door is Chiyo-no-yu, a public bathhouse on the same spring.
When are the main baths open?
The men’s bath, Kunshi-no-yu, has a black granite indoor tub and an outdoor cypress tub. The women’s bath, Shiratama-no-yu, has a red granite indoor tub, an outdoor cypress tub and a cave bath carved into the hillside. Both are open 14:00 to 10:00 the next morning, with shampoo, cleanser, hair dryers and skin lotion.
How do I book the private bath?
The outdoor rock bath, cut into the hillside, can be reserved for 40 minutes for 800 yen, once per room, between 13:00 and midnight. Call the front desk on extension 9 on the day of your stay; it is first come, first served, so it may be full. It cannot be reserved in the morning, and from 6:00 to 9:30 it is for men only.
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book; our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Osakaya Ryokan
What are dinner and breakfast like?
Dinner is Joshu kaiseki, built on seasonal food from around Japan and local Gunma produce, served at 18:00 or 19:00. The sukiyaki course swaps about five dishes for Joshu beef sukiyaki and is served in the Mokuemon dining rooms or the dining hall. Breakfast is a gentle Japanese meal at 7:45 or 8:15. A children’s kaiseki is available. In-room meals ended in March 2023; meals are now in the dining hall.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Phone before you arrive if there is something you cannot eat, and the inn will do what it can. It also says everything is cooked in one kitchen, so wheat, egg and shellfish may get in, and it cannot serve meals fully free of allergens. Vegetarian and halal meals are not mentioned. Outside food and drink are not allowed.
Prices, children, cancellation and payment at Osakaya Ryokan
How much does a stay cost?
The booking page shows reference prices per person, including service charge and consumption tax but not the bathing tax: 15,000 to 26,000 yen with dinner only, 18,700 to 29,700 yen for the sukiyaki plan with breakfast, and 26,400 to 33,000 yen for the top kaiseki plan in a private dining room. Room-only and breakfast-only plans also exist. When we checked, nearly every date from mid-October to mid-November was full, so book early for autumn. Kusatsu’s bathing tax is 150 yen per adult per night; see our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
Elementary-school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate. Preschoolers cost 7,150 yen with meals, 2,750 yen with bedding only, and nothing without meals or bedding. Kusatsu exempts children of elementary-school age and under from the bathing tax.
What is the cancellation policy?
20 percent from 3 to 2 days before, 30 percent the day before, 50 percent on the day, and 100 percent for a no-show without notice. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Plans list payment at the inn. Accepted cards are JCB, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UC, DC, NICOS, Diners and UFJ; Saison cards are not accepted. The booking page also shows online payment options on some plans.
Getting to Osakaya Ryokan
By train from Tokyo, take the limited express Kusatsu from Ueno, about 2 hours 30 minutes, or the Shinkansen to Takasaki and the Kusatsu from there, to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi. A JR bus takes about 25 minutes to Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. From Karuizawa, a bus takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the terminal it is about 6 minutes on foot, or the inn’s free shuttle takes 2 to 3 minutes; call the inn for it. Our Kusatsu Onsen from Tokyo guide covers the routes.
If you drive, parking is free with no booking: stop at the front entrance and staff will move your car. The inn recommends the detour by Takishita Street, as the road past Yubatake is narrow and crowded.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Osakaya Ryokan
- The website and booking page are in Japanese only; the inn takes calls from 9:00 to 18:00 and lists the email info@osakaya.in.
- No Wi-Fi in the rooms; it works around the lobby.
- Arrive by 20:00, and if you will be later than 17:00, contact the inn so dinner can be prepared.
- Rooms are non-smoking.
- Yukata and sandals are fine for walking around town, the inn says.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Osakaya Ryokan from Yubatake?
Is there Wi-Fi in the rooms at Osakaya Ryokan?
Can I eat dinner in my room at Osakaya Ryokan?
What is the cancellation policy at Osakaya Ryokan?
Can I bathe with a tattoo at Osakaya Ryokan?
Bottom line (2026): Osakaya Ryokan is an Edo-era inn one minute from Yubatake, with its own Yubatake spring water, sukiya-style rooms with private bathrooms, and kaiseki served in dining rooms. Plan for no Wi-Fi in the room, book the private bath on arrival day, and book early for autumn.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Osakaya Ryokan’s official pages: home (Japanese), about, baths, rooms, meals, access, FAQ and the official booking page, plus Kusatsu town’s bathing tax page. 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.
