Destination
Shima Onsen is a small, near-pure hot-spring town deep in the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park in Gunma. Its landmark is Sekizenkan, founded in 1691 and reached across a red bridge. The inn says its Honkan is believed to be the oldest surviving wooden onsen-inn building in Japan, and it is often compared to the bathhouse in Spirited Away. The town is also known for "Shima Blue," the emerald water of Okushima Lake, and for spring water long counted among Japan's great therapeutic onsen. With around 34 inns, most of them traditional ryokan, it is a compact, photogenic base about three hours from Tokyo.
Looking for hotels in Shima? Compare 11 traditional ryokans and modern onsen hotels, then narrow the list with the filters below or sort it by price.
See our editors' top picks for ShimaEach link opens our Shima listing with that filter on. Bath, meal, tattoo and access filters count only what an inn states on its own official website — inns that say nothing are left out, so ask the inn if a detail matters to you.
11 ryokans in Shima
四万グランドホテル
A 99-room forest hotel with multiple hot-spring baths, buffet dining and a Hello Kitty theme floor.
from US$133 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$266 total for 2 guests
7.6/10 (2,530)四万やまぐち館
A large riverside ryokan on the Shima River with open-air baths reached through a signature steam corridor.
四万温泉 柏屋旅館
A river-facing ryokan with three free private open-air baths, explicitly tattoo-friendly and English-friendly.
from US$228 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$456 total for 2 guests
9.4/10 (1,240)時わすれの宿 佳元
An eight-room kaiseki ryokan where four rooms have their own private open-air onsen bath.
鍾寿館
A Meiji-era wooden inn for individual travelers, with free private baths and an on-site drinkable spring.
from US$232 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$464 total for 2 guests
9/10 (375)積善館
Founded in 1691 and often compared to the bathhouse in Spirited Away, Sekizenkan says its Honkan is believed to be the oldest surviving wooden onsen-inn building in Japan.
from US$344 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$688 total for 2 guests
9.5/10 (311)四万温泉 鹿覗きの湯 つるや
A ten-room inn whose signature "Shikanozoki no Yu" bath blends four source waters above a mountain valley.
from US$215 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$430 total for 2 guests
8/10 (262)湯元 四萬舘
A historic literary inn with seven free private open-air baths and a landmark painted-ceiling bath.
from US$130 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$260 total for 2 guests
8.6/10 (45)四万温泉 豊島屋
A 15-room riverside ryokan pouring 100% free-flowing spring water, with the widest booking coverage in Shima.
from US$298 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$596 total for 2 guests
9.1/10 (34)温泉三昧の宿 四万たむら
A 500-year-old heritage ryokan set in vast forest grounds, drawing on seven of its own hot-spring sources.
from US$147 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$294 total for 2 guests
8/10 (22)湯の宿 山ばと
A seven-room ravine ryokan with free reservable open-air baths and charcoal irori dining.
from US$281 · per person · per nightfrom ≈ US$562 total for 2 guests
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