Review: Yama No Chaya Ryokan, Hakone

For our visit to the mountain resort town of Hakone, we opted to stay at a ryokan named Yama No Chaya in search of an authentic Japanese experience.

Ryokans are Japanese-style inns where you can immerse yourself in traditional Japanese culture, and this would be our first time experiencing this unique accommodation style. 

For nearly 50 years, Yama No Chaya has been nestled among the rolling hills of Hakone, only an hour outside of Tokyo. The property is well-known for its onsens (natural spring baths) and cuisine, as well as for attracting visitors who come to see the fall leaves change colours.

Yama No Chaya – Booking

Our stay was booked through “The Ryokan Collection“, a booking portal that serves several prominent Japanese ryokan facilities.

I initially intended to reserve a room at Hakone Ginyu on the recommendation of a friend. However, it was fully booked on my preferred dates, and Yama No Chaya was among the best available alternatives.

For a ryokan, Yama No Chaya was quite reasonably priced. These types of stays can get rather pricey, so I felt like it would be best to start off modestly for my first ryokan experience. Plus, it looked like a very attractive property from the images.

A one-night stay for two guests, including breakfast and dinner, cost us ¥70,000 ($642 CAD).

Note that ryokans typically set prices based on the number of guests, so if you’re travelling solo, the price will likely be a bit cheaper than booking for two people.

At first glance, this might seem expensive for a one-night stay, but keep in mind that kaiseki-style multi-course breakfast and dinner are factored into the price. 

To complete our reservation viaTthe Ryokan Collection, we were asked whether we had any dietary requirements, and then asked to fill out a credit card authorization form. Once that was done, everything was booked and good to go.

Yama No Chaya – Location

You can reach Hakone via the Odakyu Electric Railway from Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station. The journey is about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on which train you take.

The regular and express commuter trains make various stops on the way out to Hakone, and there’s also a “Romancecar” which has forward-facing seats and better views from the windows. This express train can bring you there slightly faster, but is subject to an additional surcharge.

The town of Hakone is in a mountainous area renowned for…