Overview
Shirasagiyu Tawaraya is a long-established ryokan in Yamanaka Onsen, a historic hot spring town with around 1,300 years of history. The inn stands beside Kakusenkei Gorge, where the Daishoji River, forested cliffs, and seasonal colors create one of the most beautiful settings in Kaga.
This ryokan has been connected to Yamanaka Onsen since the Kamakura period and has a history of around 800 years. It is also the only remaining inn from the original “Yumoto Twelve Inns,” which were linked to the revival of Yamanaka Onsen. You come here for a classic ryokan stay shaped by flowing hot spring water, riverside open-air baths, Kaga cuisine, and the quiet rhythm of the gorge.
Accommodation
Shirasagiyu Tawaraya has 43 rooms, with options that suit both traditional ryokan stays and more private hot spring stays. Many rooms are Japanese-style, with tatami flooring, futon bedding, warm wood details, and views toward Kakusenkei Gorge, the Daishoji River, the mountains, or a stone garden. You can choose a room facing the stream when scenery matters most, or a mountain-side room when you prefer a quieter, more compact space.
The stream-view Japanese rooms look down toward the Daishoji River and give you a strong sense of Yamanaka Onsen’s natural beauty. These rooms measure 12.5 tatami mats and include a bath and toilet, making them a good choice when you want a classic ryokan room with a view of Kakusenkei Gorge.
The mountain-view Japanese rooms also measure at least 12.5 tatami mats and look toward a stone garden and the mountain side of Kakusenkei. These rooms feel calm and simple, especially for a couple or a family stay. The larger Japanese rooms offer either a 15-tatami layout or two-room layouts with 10 and 7.5 tatami mats, giving you more space when you travel with family or friends.
For a more private stay, you can choose one of the special rooms with source-fed baths. The source-fed semi-open-air bath room opened in 2022 and looks toward a stone garden and the mountain side of Kakusenkei. It has a wide bath filled with 100% source hot spring water, giving you a private way to enjoy Yamanaka Onsen without leaving your room.
The stream-view special rooms opened in 2023 and give you a stronger sense of riverside luxury. One room type has a source-fed open-air bath, private sauna, water bath, terrace, and massage chair, so you can enjoy your own hot spring and sauna time as often as you like. Another room type has a source-fed open-air bath and a dining space where you can enjoy meals with a view of the gorge. These 2023 open-air bath room types also include access to a dedicated lounge with drinks, books, and reclining chairs.
A stream-view Western twin room with a source-fed open-air bath and sauna opened in October 2025. This room is designed for two people and includes a terrace, private sauna, water bath, and open-air bath overlooking Kakusenkei. It does not have a Japanese room, so it works well when you want the ryokan setting with a Western-style sleeping space.
The barrier-free Japanese-Western rooms face Kakusenkei and include a 10-tatami Japanese room, two semi-double beds, a shower, and a toilet designed for easier use. These rooms are limited in number and suit you well when comfort, space, and easier movement are important.
Rooms include free Wi-Fi, TV, an empty refrigerator, kettle, tea set, air conditioning and heating, hair dryer, washlet toilet, towels, bath towels, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hand soap, toothbrush set, brush and cotton items, razor, skincare items, and yukata. You can choose a colorful yukata in the lobby.
Dining
Dining at Shirasagiyu Tawaraya brings you into the food culture of Kaga. The area sits between Mount Hakusan and the Sea of Japan, so the kitchen draws from fresh seafood, Kaga vegetables, mountain ingredients, and local sake shaped by clear Hakusan water.
Dinner centers on Kaga Kaiseki, with several course styles depending on your plan. You can choose a seasonal Kaga Kaiseki course, a higher-grade Kikka Kaiseki, the inn’s top seasonal kaiseki course, or an original French full-course menu that uses local ingredients with French technique. In winter, crab becomes a major highlight, with plans featuring Kano crab, local crab, or generous snow crab courses served in different styles such as boiled, grilled, sashimi, hot pot, and rice porridge.
Additional dishes are also available depending on the season and your plan, including crab, nodoguro, wagyu steak, and Kano crab from early November to mid-March. Drinks include local sake from Kaga and selected wine, chosen to match the meal.
Breakfast is a Japanese set meal called “Kagoiri Musume,” served with Kaga flavors, vegetables, and freshly cooked rice. The rice is cooked in time for your meal, and breakfast also includes warm, gentle dishes suited to the morning. Tawaraya’s handmade Kaga bocha pudding is another local touch, made with roasted Kaga tea.
Meals are served either in the 5th-floor lobby restaurant overlooking the gorge or in the calmer 2nd-floor dining area. Dinner is served from 18:00 to 21:00, and breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:30, with last order at 9:00. Food allergy support may be possible for some ingredients when discussed at least two days in advance, but the kitchen does not change dishes for likes, dislikes, or vegetarian requests.
Onsen and Wellness
The hot spring is the heart of Shirasagiyu Tawaraya. The inn uses 100% source hot spring water, and the water is clear, smooth, and known for its abundant flow. The story of the “white heron bath” comes from the legend of a white heron healing its injured leg in the spring, a tale closely tied to the history of Yamanaka Onsen.
The main riverside open-air bath, Kakusen, sits close to the stream and is large enough for about 30 people. You can hear the sound of the water while you soak, and the bath also has an indoor section. Kakusen is used by men from 5:00 to 11:00 and by women from 15:00 to 24:00, with the baths switching between men and women from night to morning.
Kajika is another public bath facing Kakusenkei Gorge. From its open-air bath and indoor bath, you can enjoy the changing views of the gorge through the seasons. In November 2025, Kajika added a sauna, water bath, and semi-open-air bath area, making it a stronger choice if you want a full bath-and-sauna reset. Because a walking path sits across the river, you use bathing wear in this area. Kajika is used by women from 5:00 to 11:00 and by men from 15:00 to 24:00.
For privacy, you can reserve Kikuka, the private open-air bath facing Kakusenkei. This bath is available from 6:00 to 11:00 and from 15:00 to 24:00, and it is reserved in 45-minute sessions for an additional fee. Because it is first-come, first-served, you should reserve it in advance by phone.
The spring quality is a simple hot spring, classified as hypotonic, weakly alkaline, and high temperature. The listed benefits include relief for joint pain, lower back pain, sensitivity to cold, digestive concerns, diabetes, cuts, and stress.
Guests with Tattoos
Shirasagiyu Tawaraya has shared public hot spring baths. If you have tattoos, use the private Kikuka bath or choose a room with a private source-fed open-air or semi-open-air bath instead of the shared public baths.
Facilities
Shirasagiyu Tawaraya keeps the stay focused on the gorge, the baths, and the ryokan atmosphere. You can relax in the lobby, enjoy the free drink corner, browse the souvenir shop, and dine in spaces designed around seasonal views and Japanese warmth. The inn also has the Kakusen and Kajika public baths, the private Kikuka bath, dining areas, small banquet rooms, free Wi-Fi throughout the building, free parking, and a smoking space on the middle 6th floor.
The newer open-air bath room types also give you access to a dedicated lounge with free drinks, a library area, and reclining chairs. This lounge is only for the 2023 open-air bath room types, so it adds an extra layer of comfort when you choose one of those rooms.
The inn supports easier movement with wheelchair rental, rooms with Western-style toilets, handrails in the large public bath, a wheelchair-accessible toilet in the building, and three barrier-free Japanese-Western rooms that can be reserved in advance.
Activities
Shirasagiyu Tawaraya places you close to Yamanaka Onsen’s best walks and town experiences. Kakusenkei Gorge Promenade is about five minutes away on foot, and you can follow the river between Koorogi Bridge and Kurotani Bridge while enjoying the rocks, trees, and water of the gorge.
You can walk to Kiku no Yu and Yamanakaza in about five minutes. Kiku no Yu is the town’s public bath, while Yamanakaza offers a chance to experience local culture and performances depending on the date. Yuge Kaido, the main hot spring street, is about 10 minutes away on foot and gives you shops, cafés, local food, and craft browsing.
Ayatori Bridge is about five minutes away on foot and stands out with its curved red-purple design over the gorge. Koorogi Bridge is about 15 minutes away and is known for its all-hinoki wooden structure and classic onsen-town atmosphere. Kurotani Bridge is also about five minutes away and brings a heavier stone-bridge look that adds another mood to your walk.
You can also rent an electric bicycle for exploring the town more freely. Rental is available from 7:00 to 18:00 for an additional fee.
Additional Features
Check-in starts at 15:00, and check-out is by 11:00. If you plan to arrive after 18:00, you need to let the inn know in advance. Free parking is available, with space for 80 cars, and parking is handled on a first-come basis.
A free shuttle runs between JR Kaga Onsen Station and Tawaraya with advance reservation. Pick-up from Kaga Onsen Station is available at 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, and 18:00. Return service from the inn is available at 8:30, 9:45, and 10:45. If you want the return shuttle, you need to reserve it at the front desk by 20:00 the night before.
