Tohoku Hotels

Context: 10 holidays in Japan, 3-5 ryokans with "onsen" or hot springs per trip. I have a lot of experience!
The room I got wasn't fancy.

We did a one night stay here, opted for buffet for both breakfast and dinner. This place provided impeccable service and the food was great to try out all that Aomori has to offer!

I went for a day trip bath! The inside has a retro atmosphere. Day trip bathing is possible from 11:00 to 15:00. It was helpful that the opening hours were earlier than the surrounding hot springs.

First stay. It was a "Japanese-Western style room with sunroom and terrace open-air bath" type, but I was surprised at how spacious it was and got excited.

Finally made it back here after sixteen years. The price has doubled, but the food is much better. The hot springs are beautiful. Hopefully, I can make it back again.

Rustic ryokan in Sakunami onsen area. Great food and nice baths. Foods are buffets for both dinner and breakfast.
The outdoor baths near the river are open for limited time for women.

July 2025, 2 nights stay double room.

Great budget hotel. Stayed here for 1 night to get the first bus to Zao Onsen in the morning.
Provides yukata for sleeping, toothbrush, razor, comb. 3min walk from station and Zao Onsen bus stop.

A little walk from the bus stop but we didn’t mind it. It was nice to see some of the snow views. Lovely clean Onsen. Outdoor Onsen was great and intimate. Dinner buffet was really delicious.

Beautiful traditional-style rooms, with a stunning view.

Beautiful traditional-style rooms, with a stunning view.

I liked the food but the hot springs could be improved.

We visited the hotel in summer and at the time big typhoon was approaching to Iwate. So I was worried about weather. But fortunately we could see a rainbow.

Lovely place. They hosts were nice enough to tell us about the food ingredients before each dinner. Good music is plays from old records.

5/5. Our three man group, including my father, friend and myself, stayed in the corner room on the fourth floor from around September 24th-27th.

A short, straightforward walk from the station. The onsen bath was quite good. They had a lot of freebies. Apart from that it was your average business hotel.

Burning wood smell every common area.
Beware if you not not a fan to this smell.

Great staff who are friendly, helpful, and greet you sincerely. The cocktail bar is fantastic with a free flow of whiskey and juices for you to mix to your heart's content.

First use in 2024/12.
The quality of the spring water is good, and the unique aroma of red hot springs is especially nice.
(This was also the case with the other inn in Akayu that I used before.

As soon as I passed through the gate, they came to pick me up.
Everything in the hotel was clean and the hot springs were wonderful. I would love to hear from you again.

If you book this hotel you will be in the nowhere. Please don't take this the wrong way, I've been traveling around Japan for a month, but this area has been my favorite so far.

Loved staying here! The staff are so kind and friendly, especially the girl who arranged the check in, and the older gentleman who is the night porter. Both had such good manners and were polite.

Loved all the time I spent here. Charming place, great baths, the owners were lovely. Thank you so much!

I stayed at this charming vintage hotel that was founded back in 1987, and it instantly brought back so many memories!

We stayed in Sekkoku room from 17 to 20 Nov. It was an excellent stay. The semi-open in-room onsen was marvelous, with a wonderful view of the bay.

Stunning views of the bay from our room, and beautiful traditional room, futon, matting and decoration. The staff were attentive, and have translating app at reception, very useful.

We were impressed by the ryokan. They have the best traditional onsen and newly renovated rooms. We enjoyed the meals there.

I had an excellent experience at this ryokan.
I chose this ryokan because they allowed for single person stay, which can be hard to find.

I stayed at the Daiwa Roynet for about 10 days. It is a comfortable hotel, but the rooms are small, which is fairly typical for Japanese hotel rooms.

The picture may look aged but the hotel is fine. It's uo to date just like other room from the same hotel.

This is my favorite place I stayed while living in Japan. The owners are extremely nice people and were so accommodating to me. I arrived late but the host stayed up to make me rice balls and soup.

Thank you so much for your hospitality ☺️
This is definitely one of our top accommodation experiences. The ryokan owners are very friendly, English speaking, and the meals are just so good!

Good service. Many food and shops around. Room is spacious and clean. Love the complimentary coffee at the reception! Very sweet gesture.

Staff is very polite. Room is clean and comes with anything you will need including a fridge, tv, microwave, coffee maker, and sleep wear. It is also quite spacious.

Very close to the train station. Walking distance. 3 minutes by foot.
Nice hotel with a good onsen and spa.

New and clean. Friendly service. Quite new. Large rooms. Free parking. Superb value as a stopover if you’re on a road trip between Miyagi and Akita prefectures!

Stayed 5 nights in Le Vert Zao. Excellent service and very good location.

Great western Japanese style hybrid room, but our room (309) seemed to have some rust or something coming out of the faucets.

The kaiseki was so delicious! The food managed to be both luxurious and homey at the same time. The family who run the inn are so kind and helpful.

Stayed one night at Zangzan Onsen during the off-season — such a great experience!
The place was super cozy and relaxing, and the owners were really friendly and warm.