Overview

Ochiairo is a historic hot spring ryokan in Yugashima, Izu, founded in 1874. You stay in the mountains of Izu and Amagi, where two rivers meet and the sound of flowing water follows you through the property. The setting feels quiet, deep, and full of character, with forested slopes, river views, and old wooden architecture shaping the mood of your stay.

The ryokan is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property, so you spend the night inside a piece of living history. The main building, corridors, rooms, and staircases show careful craftsmanship, with details such as fine woodwork, Sukiya-style design, and decorative touches created by skilled artisans.

Ochiairo works well when you want a ryokan stay with history, natural hot springs, seasonal Izu cuisine, saunas, a Japanese garden, a riverside setting, a lounge, a library, and a sense of calm that builds slowly throughout your stay.

Accommodation

You choose from 16 rooms and one exclusive-use annex building. Each room has its own character, with Japanese design, tatami, wood details, garden views, river views, or mountain scenery depending on the room. Some rooms use beds, while others use futon bedding, so you can choose the sleeping style that suits you best.

Ukifune is a Japanese-Western room with beds and an open-air bath. In spring, cherry blossoms fall near the room and create a soft seasonal view. Yamazakura is a Japanese-style room with beds and an open-air bath, giving you a spacious place to enjoy the changing seasons.

Koubai and Tokonatsu are Japanese-Western rooms with both indoor and outdoor hot spring baths. Koubai features a Japanese quince floor pillar and carved plum blossom details, while Tokonatsu has a garden-facing main room and a design inspired by summer.

Aominawa is a Japanese-style room with futon bedding and a semi-open-air bath beside the Kano River. This room has a literary connection to writer Fumiko Hayashi, who stayed here when it was known as the “Chrysanthemum Room.”

Aoi, Sawarabi, Kiritsubo, Matsukaze, Yamabuki, Aofuji, Akane, Tsubaki, Tsuyukusa, Sumire, and Rindou each offer a different mix of room size, bed or futon sleeping, garden or river atmosphere, and natural hot spring bathing. Many rooms include indoor hot spring baths, so you can enjoy the water privately without leaving your room.

For a larger private stay, Annex Shakunage gives you an entire three-story building. This former residence of the founding family is also a registered cultural property. It includes three bedrooms, an open-air bath, a sauna, a living room, and a dining room, making it a strong choice when you want to stay together with family or friends while keeping plenty of space.

Room amenities include a minibar, humidifying air purifier, safe, hair dryer, soap, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush set, shaver, shower cap, comb, towels, bath towels, yukata, and slippers. All rooms are non-smoking, and Wi-Fi is available in every room.

Dining

Dining at Ochiairo focuses on seasonal ingredients from Izu and nearby areas. Each dish brings out the natural taste of the ingredients, with menus that change through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Dinner is served in the dining area, with two dinner times available: 17:30 and 19:30. A spring menu may include ingredients such as bamboo shoots, edible wild greens, clams, seaweed from Lake Hamana, seasonal vegetable tempura, horse mackerel sushi, fish of the day, Amagi Shamo chicken, abalone, Izu wakame seaweed, Amagi rice, and seasonal dessert. The menu changes based on season and ingredient supply.

Breakfast is also served in the dining area. You choose your breakfast time during dinner, with morning options at 7:30, 8:00, 9:00, and 9:30. This lets you start early for sightseeing or take the morning slowly after a bath.

If you have food allergies, contact the ryokan in advance. The kitchen can change ingredients where possible, but complete allergen removal may not always be possible because meals are prepared in the same kitchen.

Children’s meals, celebration desserts, bouquets, and special dishes can be arranged in advance.

Onsen and Wellness

Hot spring bathing sits at the heart of your stay. Ochiairo uses three hot spring sources: Otaki, Kamaishi, and Nishihiraizumi. The water is a calcium and sodium sulfate spring, described as hypotonic, weakly alkaline, and high temperature. The total flow rate is about 155 liters per minute.

You can enjoy three main bath areas: Tengu no Yu, Tsuki no Yu, and Hoshi no Yu.

Tengu no Yu has an open-air bath looking toward the Izu mountains and the Kano River, a steam-filled cave bath, and a sauna where hot spring water flows inside. From September 13, 2025, Tengu no Yu operates as a mixed-gender thermal spring where swimsuits or bathing suits are required.

Tsuki no Yu is a spacious indoor bath where sunlight filters through the trees. At the end of the passage, you find a tea-room-style sauna designed by Dai Matsuo. The space feels quiet, warm, and deeply Japanese.

Hoshi no Yu is an open-air bath surrounded by nature. You soak while listening to the stream and feeling the season around you. Hoshi no Yu and Tsuki no Yu switch between men and women depending on the time of day.

Bathing hours are 15:00 to 24:00 and 5:00 to 11:00. The public baths are not available from midnight to 5:00 for safety, and they may close between 11:00 and 15:00 for cleaning.

Sauna lovers have several spaces to enjoy. Ochiairo has five sauna experiences: the tea-room sauna at Tsuki no Yu, Hoshi Sauna, Tengu Sauna, the riverside barrel sauna, and the hearth sauna in Villa Shakunage. The cold bath uses natural river water, giving your body a refreshing reset after the heat.

Spa treatments are also available by advance reservation. You can choose body massage, facial care, or a combined treatment, with oils selected after consultation.

Guests with tattoos

For the most private bathing experience, choose a room with its own hot spring bath or Annex Shakunage with its private open-air bath.

Facilities

Ochiairo gives you many spaces to enjoy beyond your room. Facilities include hot spring baths, sauna spaces, a Japanese garden, bar lounge, library, riverside area, suspension bridge, shop, amusement room, spa treatment room, and grand hall.

The bar lounge faces the river and greenery. Coffee, wine, sake, sweets, and snacks prepared in the lounge are complimentary during your stay.

The library gives you a quiet place to read, with novels by well-known writers and nostalgic toys. The amusement room below the lounge has table games, board games, movies, and music, with views of the river and greenery.

The Japanese garden has a pond, carp, moss-covered stones, and trees that change with the seasons. You can also walk along the river, cross the suspension bridge, or browse the shop for Ochiairo original items and Izu souvenirs.

Shitan Hall is a 200㎡ grand hall inside a nationally registered cultural property. It can be used for banquets, meetings, exhibitions, and other events.

A wheelchair-accessible toilet is available near the front desk, and you can use an elevator to reach rooms on the second floor.

Activities

You can spend your whole stay inside Ochiairo without needing a full sightseeing plan. Start with a morning bath, enjoy breakfast, walk through the garden, read in the library, relax in the lounge, try the sauna, and end the day with seasonal dinner.

The cultural property tour is held daily at 10:00 and 17:00. During the tour, you learn about the building’s architecture, materials, craftsmanship, and history from the Meiji era onward. This helps you notice the fine details around the property as you move through the ryokan.

Outside the ryokan, you can explore Yugashima, Shuzenji, and the wider Izu area. The location works well for forest walks, river scenery, hot spring town strolls, and slow travel through the mountains.

Additional features

Ochiairo provides a shuttle pick-up service from Shuzenji Station, making arrival smooth even without a car. The ryokan has earned recognition in major guides, including a Michelin Key and selection in SAUNACHELIN, reflecting its quality in both hospitality and bathing culture.

You leave Ochiairo feeling restored rather than stimulated. The combination of history, thoughtful design, attentive service, and natural surroundings creates a stay that stays with you long after you return home.