I Looked Into Yoshiike Ryokan

As part of my hocance detour series, I've been researching hot spring inns that seem reachable without a car, and this time I decided to look into the Hakone area too.

It started when I came across information about a long-established ryokan within walking distance of Hakone-Yumoto Station. Since I'm a paper driver myself, I figured a place I could walk to from the station might be a lower hurdle, so I looked into Yoshiike Ryokan.

What Kind of Place Is Yoshiike Ryokan?

Yoshiike Ryokan is located in Yumoto, Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, about a 7-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, or about 3 minutes by the shared bus operated by the local ryokan association (Route A bound for "Taki-dori," with an adult fare of 200 yen). It's not a dedicated shuttle bus but rather a bus run by the regional ryokan association. As someone who doesn't drive, I found it reassuring just knowing it's within walking distance of the station.

There are 64 guest rooms, and the entire property has been non-smoking since March 2022. Check-in is generally at 2:00 PM and check-out at 10:00 AM, and for plans that include dinner, the last check-in time seems to be set at 6:00 PM. As for room rates, I couldn't find specific figures in the official site's main text—it seems you need to check pricing plan by plan through external booking systems or travel sites like Jalan and Rakuten Travel. Reservations can apparently also be made by phone. Parking is free for 70 cars (some spaces covered) with no reservation needed, which seems convenient if you're driving there.

Komorin

Just being within walking distance of the station makes it an easy candidate for someone like me who's a paper driver.

Six Private Springs and Distinctively Different Large Baths

The biggest highlight of Yoshiike Ryokan seems to be everything related to its own hot spring sources. It owns six springs, with a combined maximum flow of up to 720 liters per minute. The baths are 100% source-fed, with no added water, no reheating, and no circulation filtering, and the water quality is classified as a sodium-calcium chloride spring (weakly alkaline).

The large baths differ in character between the men's and women's sides. The men's bath apparently has a garden outdoor bath, a large indoor bath, and a cave bath, while the women's bath has a garden outdoor bath, an all-cypress bath (using ancient cypress wood), and a granite bath. There are also reportedly two private indoor baths available, but since 2021 these have switched to a reservation-based, paid system, and the official site's main text didn't list specific prices, so it might be worth checking at the time of booking if you're interested. If you have a tattoo, it seems you can still bathe by purchasing a cover sticker at the front desk.

In terms of facilities, a guest-only lounge called "In & Out Lounge" was newly added in spring 2024, offering a self-service drink bar. There's also a summer-only outdoor hot spring pool (one large, one small), and free Wi-Fi throughout the entire property including guest rooms, which felt like a nice point for someone like me who prefers staying indoors. On the other hand, the official FAQ apparently states clearly that there are several steps along the paths in front of the entrance and leading to the rooms and baths, meaning accessibility isn't fully barrier-free, so anyone who needs that should probably check in advance for peace of mind.

The Garden "Sangetsuen," Once Part of the Former Iwasaki Family Villa, Also Seems Worth Seeing

On the grounds of Yoshiike Ryokan lies a garden called Sangetsuen, which was once the villa of Yanosuke Iwasaki of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu. It's a strolling pond garden covering roughly 10,000 tsubo (about 33,000 square meters), with around 1,000 koi swimming across seven ponds, and apparently fireflies and crabs can be spotted there too. The Japanese-style building and tea house, both nationally registered tangible cultural properties, can reportedly be viewed still retaining their original atmosphere, and it seems even day visitors can come just to stroll through the garden (viewing hours and fees weren't specified in the official site's main text).

Nearby, within a 1-2 minute walk, there seem to be shops good for a food-tour stroll, including the soba restaurant Hatsuhana, the tofu shop Hagino, and Nanohana, known for its hot spring manju buns. If you venture a bit further, Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato is about a 10-minute drive away, and both Hakone Gora Park and the Hakone Open-Air Museum are about 20-25 minutes by car, so it seems like a good base for sightseeing around the Yumoto area.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C." Since this is the actual result produced by the company's own published tool, I'll just share it as is.

Since this is a hot spring area nestled in the mountains, signal reception may vary depending on the exact spot. If you're planning to rely on your phone for communication or looking things up during your stay, it might be reassuring to check with your own device beforehand.

Komorin

A C rating is a bit of a concerning result, so if you're planning to go, it seems worth checking with the official tool yourself beforehand.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my impression was that Yoshiike Ryokan is a long-established ryokan with plenty to offer even within the Yumoto area, featuring source-fed baths drawn from six of its own hot spring sources, plus the chance to stroll through the garden of a former Iwasaki family villa. The location, accessible on foot or by the ryokan association's bus from the station, also felt like a nice point for someone like me who doesn't drive.

There were a lot of details, like room rates and fees for the private baths, that I couldn't figure out just from the official site's main text, so when actually considering a stay, it seems best to check the latest information through booking systems or travel sites. As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the result was a C rating, so if that's a concern for you, it's probably worth checking with the official tool yourself.

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Related Links

• Official Site