Staying at a 360-Year-Old Japanese Ryokan

Matsuzakaya Honten: A centuries old sanctuary

A view of the main building. All photos by author

Nestled within the picturesque landscape of Ashinoyu, Hakone, Matsuzakaya Honten stands as a testament to time. This Japanese traditional hot spring inn has graciously welcomed guests since 1662. It has been depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige’s Edo period (1603–1868) ukiyo-e woodblock prints and has hosted numerous historical figures from the Meiji era (1868–1912). To this day, Matsuzakaya Honten continues to be appreciated by guests from all over the world, including members of Japan’s Imperial Family.

In November, during our honeymoon trip across Asia, my wife and I were fortunate enough to experience a one-night stay at this enchanting oasis. I highly recommend it to anyone planning on visiting the Hakone area.

Getting There and First Impressions

If you’re traveling to Hakone, most hotels and onsen inns are located along the Hakone loop — a transportation path circling the region with five different means of transport (train, cablecar, ropeway, boat, and bus). Matsuzakaya Honten is located along the bus path a couple stops north of the famous Hakone shrine. Taxis and Ubers are fairly limited except around Gora or the Hakone-Yumoto station, so unless you’ve rented a car (they offer free parking for guests), the best way to get here is by taking the bus to the Higashi Ashinoyu stop. The entrance is a three minute walk from the stop. *Note: These buses are smaller public transportation buses that go around countless mountain loops. It’s ideal to travel with an overnight bag or a carry on luggage. Larger luggages will block the bus walkway.

Immediately after getting off the bus we were blown away by the nature and serenity surrounding Matsuzakaya Honten. Upon walking onto the property, we were immediately greeted by the staff who offered to help with our bags. We were then led into an entrance sitting area to complete some check-in paperwork and were also offered tea and a light dessert. My wife and I purposely arrived a few hours prior to check-in because we wanted to drop off our bags and explore some sights in Hakone before spending the evening enjoying all that the ryokan had to offer. From the professionalism of the staff to the timeless Japanese aesthetics, we could already tell that we were in for an amazing experience.

Exploring the Grounds

After touring around the Hokone area and getting back to Matsuzakaya Honten, we were again greeted by the staff who let us know that our room was ready. The ryokan itself has 22 unique guest rooms offering either Japanese (traditional tatami mat flooring with mattresses on a slightly elevated platform) or Japanese-Western (tatami mat flooring with western style bed frame) rooms. Ten of these rooms have private open-air onsens. We opted to stay in a Japanese style room with a private onsen.

As we were led to our room, we were given a tour of Matsuzakaya Honten by a member of the staff. Wandering through the beautifully illuminated corridors, we explored various areas and rooms. This included a mini-museum that detailed the ryokan’s rich history. The curated exhibit unfolded a tapestry of the past — featuring artifacts, centuries-old writings chronicling the location, and artwork dating back to the ryokan’s origins.

In addition to the museum, there were a plethora of amenities and communal spaces — a bar (open during certain times of the day), various sitting areas, a help yourself refreshment area with many drink offerings (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and snacks included with the stay, a lounge with games, private onsens to reserve, as well as public onsens to enjoy.

When we arrived at our room, we were given a thorough run down of each part of the room and how to operate our private onsen. The room also included a stocked mini fridge with drinks which we were free to help ourselves to and two pajama options — a traditional Japanese yukata and a standard western pair of pajamas.

The Onsens

The main reason we opted to stay in this ryokan was to soak in a traditional Japanese onsen. While some rooms offer a private onsen (including ours), guests also have the option to reserve one of the five private onsens available, as well as enjoy the two public onsens.

A view from the second floor of our room, overlooking our private onsen below.

The two public onsens are separated into male and female. Each day, the gender designation for each room is switched so that guests have the opportunity to try both onsens during their stay. Each of them include changing areas with lockers and have both indoor and outdoor soaking areas.

The private onsens require a short but stunning walk to a separate building. After reserving a time with the staff, guests are given a key to one of the five rooms. All the rooms are equipped with a full bathroom, an indoor sitting area, and a private outdoor onsen.

The path to the reservable private onsens.

What makes the onsens at Matsuzakaya Honten special is that their onsens use 100% free-flowing natural hot spring waters that is constantly being fed from the source. These waters contain crystals of natural minerals which form an opaque flake known as “yunohana” — translating literally to “hot spring flower”. As advised by the staff, you can always tell if an onsen is using natural spring water because it will always contain yunohana. Natural spring water contains the three major water qualities known to enhance beautiful skin; sulfur, sulfate, and bicarbonate minerals. We definitely felt a new softness to our skin after soaking.

A shot of the private onsen we reserved.

The Food

Each stay at Matsuzakaya Honten includes a kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Both are offered at their restaurant with reserved times that you schedule upon check-in.

Infused with local and seasonal ingredients, the keiseki dinner captured the essence of the region. We enjoyed a symphony of 15 meticulously prepared dishes, all enriched with a delectable umami-ness and provided a comforting warmth that filled our bellies. The staff even went above and beyond to wish us a happy honeymoon on our dessert plate.

A few shots of the dinner that we devoured.

Breakfast was a traditional Japanese breakfast with many offerings of small dishes paired with rice and soup. It was a perfectly balanced meal that was not too hearty and showcased Matsuzakaya Honten’s commitment to freshness and seasonality.

Check-Out

Following breakfast, we took a final stroll on the grounds before we reluctantly checked out. The check-out process took place in the same entrance sitting area as check-in and was pretty straightforward. After doing some final paperwork, the attentive staff ensured we were well informed about the route to our next destination. We also received a set of incense sticks as a thoughtful parting gesture. They then accompanied us to the door and graciously offered to take a photo of us in front of Matsuzakaya Honten before bidding our heartfelt farewells.

Overall the one night stay cost us about $830 USD. Considering that this price included our ~800 square feet room with a large outdoor and private onsen, dinner and breakfast for two, various refreshments and snacks, as well as access to the various public and private onsens, I think that we got a steal. Our experience was nothing short of amazing. The impeccable kaiseki dinner alone could easily command a price exceeding $800 USD in a city like NYC.

Without a doubt, for anyone considering a stay in Hakone, Matsuzakaya Honten proves to be an outstanding choice. It delivers an unparalleled experience and continues to stand the test of time.