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10 Best Ryokans in Kirishima

Kirishima is one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts, known as a serene escape in the lush mountains of Kagoshima. This volcanic wonderland is famous for its role in Japanese mythology and its stunning landscapes, misty forests, and crater lakes. Stay in a local ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) where you can rejuvenate, immerse yourself in Japanese hospitality, savor local delicacies, and unwind in soothing baths with breathtaking mountain views. 

 

1. Kirishima Kanko Hotel

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Kirishima Kanko Hotel is a sensory stay showcasing the very best of Kagoshima: views of the active stratovolcano Sakurajima, delicious local delicacies including Kagoshima shochu (distilled liquor), and five different hot spring baths to soak in. Guests can choose between Japanese and western-style rooms to retire to. 

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Kirishima Kanko Hotel is located within a small forest, 30 minutes by car from Kagoshima Airport, which gives the property the feeling of a nature retreat. Guests can book the room-only plan, opt for a buffet breakfast, or upgrade to include a seasonal dinner. 

 

2. Kirishima Hot Spring Village Kirishima Hotel

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The historic Kirishima Hot Spring Village Kirishima Hotel is around 150 years old and has long been known for its onsen (natural hot spring) baths, fed by Kirishima’s Sulfur Valley. It has four hot springs to try, each with different benefits such as beautifying the skin, promoting anti-aging, and alleviating fatigue. The most famous of its baths is a vast 82-foot-long (25-meter-long) pool, deep enough to cover your shoulders even when you stand. 

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The hotel has spacious western and Japanese-style rooms that fit all sizes of families. Breakfast is buffet-style, and dinner features black pork dishes such as shabu-shabu (hotpot). 

 

3. Kirishima Kokusai Hotel

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Kirishima Kokusai Hotel is a modern ryokan that balances traditional vibes with contemporary chic, providing an airy, aesthetic, and relaxing space. Its stunning outdoor bath area reopened in 2024 and offers guests mineral-rich mudpacks to elevate the hot spring experience even further. 

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The hotel houses a large variety of rooms, from Japanese to western, with premium options over 600 square feet (62 square meters) and featuring ensuite open-air baths. Kirishima Kokusai Hotel offers accommodation plans that include buffet breakfasts and dinners featuring many Japanese, western, and Chinese dishes.

 

4. Kirishima Seiryuso

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Surrounded by virgin forests and nuzzled against Kagoshima’s Amori River, Kirishima Seiryuso is located in Kurikawa Onsen, a 180-year-old hot spring. This serene space invites you to slow down and appreciate the surrounding nature. 

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The ryokan’s furniture is artfully placed to look out across the scenery, and rooms with outdoor natural hot spring baths nourish you with their mineral content and Kirishima’s fresh air. Dine on seasonal eats, including exquisite kuroge-wagyu beef, and choose between Japanese or Japanese-western fusion rooms during your stay. 

 

5. Sukinoyado Yakakutei

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Sukinoyado Yakakutei is an idyllic luxury hideaway with rooms in the main building and a detached annex, which provide ultimate privacy. No detail has been overlooked in this stunning, design-forward property, where traditional Japanese design meets modern elegance. 

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Its baths are fed by Hinatayama Onsen, which locals have used for more than 800 years to heal and beautify themselves. For dinner, indulge in a kaiseki (Japanese multicourse) dinner and breakfast using seasonal ingredients.  

 

6. Youyu-an

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Youyu-an is a charming ryokan known for its hot spring baths, abundant with waters sourced from Hinatayama Onsen. Hinatayama is said to be the oldest hot spring in Kagoshima and has been hailed for its skin-restorative properties. Youyu-an’s rooms are within the main building as well as in apartments, and each is individually decorated, so guests can pick a style that best suits them. Every room has a private outdoor bath, so guests can bathe as often as they like throughout their stay. The meals at Youyu-an use local and seasonal ingredients, with kaiseki for dinner and a Japanese set meal for breakfast.

 

7. Onsen Garden Yumoto-an Kiyohime

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Onsen Garden Yumoto-an Kiyohime is an exclusive ryokan with only a few rooms — each detached, individually designed, and equipped with an open-air hot spring bath. Rooms are distinctively Japanese and modern, with chic minimalist wooden accents. Bookings include breakfast and dinner, with a strong focus on Kagoshima’s specialty black pork shabu-shabu.

 

8. Iyashi no Sato Shoen Hanare

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Iyashi no Sato Shoen Hanare is a small, luxurious property that caters to just five groups per day, ensuring exceptional service. Each room has an open-air hot spring bath, inviting you to linger at the property and soak in the atmosphere of Kirishima. The kaiseki meals feature a fusion of western and Japanese cuisine prepared using seasonal vegetables, seafood, and pork. 

 

9. Kirishima Onsenkyo Kirishima Miyama Hotel

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Kirishima Onsenkyo Kirishima Miyama Hotel is a local favorite, just a 35-minute bus ride from Kagoshima Airport. It has Japanese and western-style guest rooms and five private hot springs, drawing from Kirishima's beautifying local hot spring waters. A highlight of this ryokan is the gourmet cuisine meticulously crafted by the hotel’s creative chefs. Breakfast is a selection of Japanese dishes, while dinner is a feast of Japanese and western cuisine.

10. Kirishima Onsen Hotel Kirishima Castle

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Located midway up the Kirishima mountain range, Kirishima Onsen Hotel Kirishima Castle is one of the largest hotels on this list. Its spacious Japanese or Japanese-western rooms are all south-facing, making them bright and airy and offering wonderful views. The hotel’s vast open-air hot spring bath, encircled by trees, is another way to enjoy the local scenery. The hotel also provides plans with an extensive breakfast and dinner buffet so you can enjoy Kagoshima’s best dishes. 

 

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