Overview

Stay beside Sakuragaike Pond at Sakuragaike Kurgarden, a 17-room satoyama auberge and hot spring wellness spa in rural Toyama. From its hillside setting, you can look across the Tonami Plain or toward the wooded foothills of Nanto while enjoying regional cuisine, natural hot spring bathing, and a distinctive thermal pool experience.

The botanical interiors take inspiration from plants found across the surrounding countryside. Every room has its own colours and patterns, giving this small auberge a more personal feel. Gokayama and Shirakawa-go are also within easy reach, making this a convenient base for exploring the region’s UNESCO-listed thatched-roof villages.

Your time here can move at a slower pace. Begin with a basket-style Japanese breakfast, walk beside Sakuragaike Pond, explore the mountain villages, and return for dinner followed by a soak in the open-air hot spring or a session in the Vital Pool.

Accommodation

You can choose from four room categories. Eight rooms face the open Tonami Plain, while nine look toward the satoyama foothills and Mount Hakamagoshi. All 17 rooms are non-smoking and include Simmons semi-double beds, a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi, a washlet toilet, a refrigerator, an electric kettle, a tea set, and a humidifying air purifier.

The 28-square-metre Standard Twin Room faces the wooded foothills and includes two semi-double beds. An extra bed can be added when you need another sleeping space. A writing desk gives you a practical place to work or plan your journey.

The 37-square-metre Deluxe Twin Room looks across the Tonami Plain. Two semi-double beds form the main sleeping area, while an extra bed and sofa bed provide additional flexibility. This category also includes a capsule coffee machine, a 43-inch 4K smart television, and a Denon soundbar.

The 48-square-metre Deluxe Twin with Tatami Step-up combines two semi-double beds with a raised six-tatami area. Futons can be arranged on the tatami when you are travelling together. The nearly step-free interior, sliding bathroom door, spacious washing area, and flow bath support easier movement around the room.

The 56.5-square-metre Executive Room gives you a separate bedroom and living room. You can relax on the sofa without disturbing the sleeping area, while the bathroom includes a washing space and a separate toilet. Broad views across the Tonami Plain make this the most spacious choice for a quiet celebration or longer stay.

Your room also includes towels, samue loungewear, slippers, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and a hairdryer. THALGO skincare amenities are provided, with an expanded set in the Deluxe and higher room categories.

Dining

Dinner lets you choose between French cuisine and Japanese kaiseki, with both styles built around ingredients from Toyama’s fields, mountains, and sea.

At La Grasse, you can enjoy a French full-course dinner prepared with vegetables grown around the Tonami Plain, seafood landed in Toyama Bay, Nanto pork, and Japanese beef. Fish and meat form the main courses, while sauces and seasonal garnishes bring out the character of each ingredient.

For a more traditional meal, Satoyama Kaiseki Tsuki no Usagi presents the seasons of Toyama through handmade Japanese dishes. Fresh Toyama Bay seafood may appear as sashimi, while vegetables, regional preserved foods, local tofu, fish, and meat shape the remaining courses. Sake from Gokayama can accompany the meal.

Dessert comes from Patisserie Sakura Liaison. The pastry chef prepares sweets shortly before serving and uses ingredients such as locally grown strawberries and amazake from a long-established Nanto koji producer. You can add a message to your dessert when you arrange it in advance.

Breakfast is a basket-style Japanese meal served from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM. The selection changes with the season and may include grilled fish, Gokayama red turnip, local preserved vegetables, miso soup, fermented foods, brown rice from a nearby farm, and Nanto yoghurt. White rice replaces brown rice when the seasonal supply ends.

Dinner requires advance reservation. French and Japanese dinner service follow different weekly closing days, so your available cuisine may depend on the date of your stay. Food allergy requests must be arranged before arrival.

Onsen and Wellness

Sakuragaike Healthy Onsen uses water drawn from a private source near the pond. The weakly alkaline sodium-calcium chloride spring has a gentle feel and retains warmth well after bathing.

You can use separate indoor and open-air baths for men and women. The hot spring is associated with relief from fatigue, sensitivity to cold, nerve pain, joint discomfort, stiff shoulders, lower-back discomfort, minor cuts, poor peripheral circulation, and dry skin.

The baths remain open from 6:00 AM to 11:30 PM, apart from daily cleaning periods. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, cotton buds, and hairdryers are available in the bathing area.

The temperature-controlled Vital Pool uses the same natural hot spring water. Thirteen jet stations target areas from your feet and lower back to your shoulders and neck, allowing you to walk, stretch, and receive water massage without swimming. Most sections have a depth of around 110 centimetres, with water maintained at approximately 33°C or 36°C to create a gentle contrast between warmer and cooler zones.

You can also use a dry sauna and a low-temperature marble hammam. After your pool and sauna session, the relaxation room gives you space to cool down on a reclining chair. A sea-mist room uses fine seawater particles and soft blue light to create a calming setting for rest.

The Vital Pool, sauna, and hammam are open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with final entry at 8:30 PM. Weekday cleaning takes place around midday. Access is included with most accommodation plans, although selected plans may not include the pool. Swimwear is required, and a swimming cap is needed when your hair reaches the water.

Oil treatments, body treatments, and other Natural Therapy services are currently suspended.

Guests with Tattoos

You cannot use the shared indoor hot spring, open-air bath, Vital Pool, dry sauna, or hammam if you have tattoos.

Facilities

Sakuragaike Kurgarden includes Restaurant Johanare, the La Grasse French kitchen, Satoyama Kaiseki Tsuki no Usagi, Patisserie Sakura Liaison, separate indoor and open-air hot spring baths, the Vital Pool, a dry sauna, a hammam, changing areas, and wellness relaxation rooms. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the accommodation.

In your room, you have a refrigerator, kettle, tea set, air purifier with humidifying function, private bathroom, washlet toilet, and television. Deluxe and higher categories add a capsule coffee machine, 4K smart television, and soundbar.

You can arrange taxi bookings, parcel handling, laundry service, massage appointments, copying, and faxing through reception. Loan items include an iron, sewing kit, desk lamp, extension cord, phone charger, bottle opener, wine opener, thermometer, water pillow, and nail clippers.

The property also has spaces for meetings, celebrations, retreats, and group dining. Cherry Hall covers 154 square metres and supports events with up to 72 people. Two Japanese rooms provide smaller tatami settings for private meals, meetings, tea gatherings, or preparation spaces.

Activities

Walk around Sakuragaike Pond and enjoy the changing satoyama scenery without travelling far from your room. The surrounding area brings cherry blossoms in spring, rich greenery in summer, colourful leaves in autumn, and snow-covered countryside in winter.

Gokayama is around 15 minutes away by car. You can walk among UNESCO-listed gassho-zukuri houses in Ainokura and Suganuma, visit small folk museums, learn about traditional industries, and see how mountain communities adapted to deep winter snow.

Shirakawa-go is around 30 minutes away by car and gives you another opportunity to explore steep thatched roofs, farmhouses, viewpoints, and traditional village streets. You can also visit the woodcarving workshops of Inami or continue toward Kanazawa for Kenrokuen Garden, historic districts, museums, and craft culture.

Winter brings access to ski areas across Nanto and western Toyama. During warmer weather, you can enjoy countryside drives, walking routes, golf, cycling, and cultural events around Johana.

Additional Features

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM, and check-out is by 11:00 AM. You can continue using the Vital Pool after checking out when your accommodation plan includes access.

On-site parking is available, and the property stands close to the main road network for journeys toward Gokayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, and other parts of Toyama. Johana Station is around eight minutes away by car.