Experience the history and charm of Okayama. 9 luxury ryokan for a luxurious stay

Treat yourself to a luxurious trip to Okayama as a reward for working hard every day. Okayama, a sunny country blessed with a warm climate, is an attractive place filled with historical spots such as Kurashiki's Bikan Historical Quarter and Okayama Castle. You can also encounter delicious gourmet food, including seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, produce from the countryside, and produce from the mountains. Why not stay at a slightly more luxurious inn than usual and enjoy Okayama to the fullest?

On the sea side of Okayama, there are spots such as Kurashiki and Okayama Castle, while inland there are many charming townscapes along the old highways. Near these spots, there are many quaint ryokan with a sense of history. You can spend a relaxing and refreshing time while enjoying the inherited spirit of hospitality, delicious food, and onsen. Some inns have been renovated and incorporate the latest technology. Stay at a luxurious inn that suits you and fully immerse yourself in the charm of Okayama ♡

Yoshii ryokan is about a 10-minute walk from Kurashiki Station. It is a renovated inn from a private house built in the late Edo period that is over 270 years old. Located in the beautiful Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, you can experience traditional Japanese culture while staying here.

The six guest rooms are luxurious spaces where you can enjoy a Japanese atmosphere. The photo shows "Tsutsuji," which is limited to one group per day. This purely Japanese-style room is filled with atmosphere and even has a veranda, giving it a special feeling.

Yoshii ryokan is also well-known for the deliciousness of its food. The dishes, which the head chef painstakingly prepares, are both gorgeous and delicate, and exude hospitality. ryokan also has the popular Unagi Rantei restaurant, where you can enjoy crispy eel dishes on the outside and plump inside, so eel lovers should definitely give it a try.

"Restaurant & Ryokan Tsurugata" is about a 10-minute walk from Kurashiki Station. It is an inn with a Japanese atmosphere, also located in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter. It is housed in a repurposed merchant's house built in 1744, and has a history of over 280 years. There are a total of 11 rooms, and the photo here shows the "Kibi no Ma." With a garden spreading out outside the window, it is a relaxing stay away from the hustle and bustle of lively Kurashiki.

The lodging makes use of traditional architecture, and you can feel the long history of Kurashiki from the floors, pillars, and thick beams. On the second floor of the main building is a large hall with 52 tatami mats, and the heavy beams running east to west are an attractive feature. Please be sure to ask to see it.

For dinner, you can enjoy their signature dishes, mainly fresh seafood caught in the Seto Inland Sea. "Restaurant & Ryokan Tsurugata" is also involved in the production of in-flight meals for JAL domestic first class, so meal is something to look forward to.

Located about a 15-minute walk from Kurashiki Station, Ryokan ryokan is a Japanese-modern inn located along the river in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter. The guest rooms are renovated from rice storehouses and tool storehouses built at the end of the Edo period.

There are a total of eight guest rooms, and this is the "Higashi no Ma" room, which was renovated from a rice storehouse. This is a relaxing room with a 12 tatami Japanese-style room and a Western-style bedroom. The other guest rooms are all attractive in their own way, so you'll probably be excited just choosing your room.

ryokan Kurashiki" is not only an inn that carries on tradition, but also boasts kaiseki cuisine ryokan that uses plenty of carefully selected ingredients from the mountains and the sea. The dishes are not only pleasing to the palate but also to the eye, and you will feel the fragrance of the four seasons. Enjoy a peaceful meal time at the restaurant with a beautiful garden outside the window.

Bingoya is an inn where you can spend a special time, as if you were visiting a villa built in a garden. It is located near Tamashima Port, a little away from the scenic area, and about a 10-minute taxi ride from Shin-Kurashiki Station. Nine individual guest rooms are scattered along the mountain slope. Just looking at the expanse of greenery outside the window is sure to refresh you.

Go through the stone steps to the detached Japanese-style room. The garden is full of lush nature, and you can see cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall. Why not take a leisurely stroll and feel the breeze of Tamashima? The bath is also a separate building in the garden. Walking through the garden with your bathing equipment is the perfect way to enjoy an atmospheric trip.

"Bingoya" originated as a traditional Japanese restaurant. The dishes, carefully prepared using seasonal ingredients, brighten up your dining table. Many people come on day trips just to try the food. There is also a teahouse on the premises, so you can fully enjoy the Japanese atmosphere.

"Joka Koyado Kojiya" is an inn that opened in July 2020 in Tsuyama City, in the northern part of Okayama. It is about a 10-minute walk from Tsuyama Station. Tsuyama City is located in the middle of the Izumo Kaido, which once connected Harima Province and Izumo Province, and the nostalgic townscape remains today under Tsuyama Castle. On the street is the former Kanda Sake Brewery, a nationally designated important cultural property, and this inn is a renovated townhouse attached to it. You can stay as if you were living an elegant life while immersed in history.

The rooms have a private feel, using the traditional townhouse structure as is. As it is a townhouse, it also has a large living room and kitchen space. Appliances and dishes are also provided. It would be nice to bring some delicious ingredients from Okayama and enjoy cooking. Furthermore, each room has its own terrace and garden. There are many ways to spend your time, such as enjoying the cool evening breeze, fine evening drinks, or morning coffee.

A distinctive feature is the "sake bath." This is an experience that can only be had at an inn with a sake brewery at the source. Sake is provided in the bath, and you can pour yourself a drink. The "sake bath" is said to have the added benefit of improving blood circulation and improving heat retention and moisturizing effects. Enjoy a stay that will cleanse you while also exploring history.

"Hana no Yado Nishikien" is a lodging with the theme of "beauty and health" located in Yunogo onsen in northern Okayama. You can request a pick-up service from Hayashino Station. There is a wide range of room types to choose from, from traditional Japanese rooms to Japanese modern rooms and luxurious rooms with open-air baths. There are also rooms with germanium baths.

meal are also substantial and focused on health and beauty. Based on the concept of "Today's delicious food creates your tomorrow," the restaurant is extremely particular about the ingredients it serves. The dishes, which use local vegetables, pesticide-free medicinal eggs, and honey from Yamada Bee Farm, will make you feel energized from the inside out!

You can enjoy the hot onsen while enjoying the elegant Japanese scenery with stone walls. There is also a bedrock bath. Yunogo Onsen is selling a great value "Yu Meguri Coaster" that allows you to bathe in any 3 facilities out of the 9 facilities in the hot onsen onsen. It is also nice to enjoy a day trip to the hot springs while strolling around the onsen town.

"Kifu no Sato" is also a popular inn for women located in Yunogo onsen. It takes about 10 minutes by shuttle bus from Hayashino Station. The hotel is attractive for its soothing fresh flowers scattered throughout the building. The relaxing Japanese atmosphere has many fans, and it seems to have many repeat customers.

If you want to spend your time in luxury, we recommend a suite room or a room with an open-air bath. This is the most recommended room, "Nojigiku." It's nice to sit in the tatami living room, which resembles a veranda, and gaze out at the courtyard. Enjoy a luxurious stay in a spacious and comfortable space.

onsen is spacious, bright and very open. Whether you choose the indoor or outdoor bath, you can relax while looking out at the garden. There is also a "medicinal stone steam bath" where you can detoxify on heated natural minerals, which is popular as a low-temperature sauna that is said to have skin-beautifying effects. There is also a private outdoor bath where you can enjoy some private time. Enjoy it while touring the hot springs of Yunogo onsen.

"Meisen Kagiyu Okutsuso" is a onsen ryokan where you can spend a supreme time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by the rich nature of Tomata County in the northern part of Okayama. It is about a 60-minute bus ride from Tsuyama Station. There are only eight rooms in total, and the inn is for adults only, with guests aged 12 and over allowed to stay. onsen has a history of over 90 years, and its charming building is a registered tangible cultural property.

One of the most distinctive features is the famous hot spring "Kagiyu" that continues to bubble up due to the power of nature. Long ago, this onsen was exclusively for the lord of Tsuyama, and was kept locked, hence the name "Kagiyu". This is a rare spot where you can experience the sensation of onsen gushing up from the bottom, and it's sure to warm you to the core.
*It will be renovated in 2024, and this photo is from before the renovation.

At "Meisen Kagiyu Okutsuso," you can enjoy seasonal cuisine that makes the most of the natural flavors of the ingredients without using any chemical seasonings. Some dishes even use onsen water. In addition, you can enjoy coffee brewed in hot onsen water at Lounge Katsura, a relaxing space filled with the warmth of wood, so be sure to try it.

"Yubara onsen Hakkei" is located in Maniwa City, on the northern side of Okayama, on the border with Tottori Prefecture. It is about a 5-minute shuttle ride from the Yubara onsen bus stop. This is a popular inn in the prefecture, Yubara onsen, where you can enjoy luxurious rooms, a spa, and a wide variety of mountain village cuisine. There is a large suspension bridge in front of the inn, and the feeling of stepping into something out of the ordinary makes your heart beat faster.

onsen at Hakkei are hypotonic alkaline hot onsen, characterized by their soft, viscous water that wraps around the skin. There is a large public bath, a private bath, and a rooftop private spa called "Sora no Yu." Enjoy the sounds of the wind and the river, and at night a sky full of stars. Enjoy a luxurious bath time while having the great outdoors of Maniwa all to yourself.

The highlight of this inn is the "Sunayu" (Sand Bath) on the riverbank. It is a mixed-gender bath that is open to the public free of charge, and is known as the Yokozuna of Western Japan. For those who think that a mixed-gender bath by the river is too daunting, there is a bathing suit jointly developed by the proprietress and Wacoal, so don't worry! Enjoy onsen surrounded by nature that you can only experience here.

There are many historically rich spots all over Okayama. Just walking around leisurely will fill your soul with a fulfilling time. Enjoying gourmet food, onsen, and a sophisticated atmosphere at a high-grade inn will be the perfect reward for yourself. Enjoy a trip for adults to Okayama, rich in historical atmosphere.