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February 17, 2026 update
Top 10 Onsen Ryokans 2026 – rankings of the most popular onsen ryokans across the whole country of Japan, and 8 regional editions
Photo: Dazaifu Tenmangu, Hakata Onsen
Selected Onsen Ryokan is a collection of the very best onsen ryokans in Japan. This page is the entrance to to 9 different rankings of the most popular onsen ryokans in Japan at Selected Onsen Ryokan in 2025. These include the national edition that features the most popular ryokans across the country, and 8 regional editions including ryokans in Hokkaido, Tohoku, the suburbs of Tokyo, Nagoya-Chubu-Hokuriku, Osaka-Kyoto-Kansai, Hiroshima-Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu and Okinawa. Please use this list as a reference when you pick up your favourite onsen ryokan.
Dedicated to your premium best onsen ryokan experience, Selected Onsen Ryokan introduces around 600 onsen ryokans with different special features throughout Japan. You can compare multiple booking sites to make reservations right from this website.
We offer particularly detailed information about onsen ryokans that provide guest rooms with private open-air baths (rotenburo), and onsen ryokans with rental hot spring baths for private use (kashikiri-buro). This website gives a lot of useful tips to people travelling in couples and families. If you are concerned about privacy and want to have a unique hot spring experience with someone special in a relaxed manner, this site is the best place to find the perfect onsen ryokan for you.
National Edition
Photo: Mt. Fuji 5th Station, Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchiko Onsen
Mt. Fuji (including the shores of Lake Kawaguchi) and Kyoto (such as Takao, Kameoka, and the shores of Lake Biwa) remain perennial favorites. Hakone and Minakami–Tanigawa, both celebrated hot spring destinations, have earned places in the top 10.
Hokkaido Edition
Photo: Toya National Park Silo Observation Deck, Lake Toya Onsen
Noboribetsu, known for the diverse hot springs that spring up within a single area, is immensely popular. Jozankei and Otaru near Sapporo, along with Yunokawa in Hakodate—also conveniently close to the airport—have made the top 10!
Tohoku Edition
Photo: Ouchi-juku, Aizuwakamatsu Onsen
As Fukushima takes the top spot as the most accessible gateway to Tohoku from Tokyo, several snow-drenched wonderlands and secluded mountain retreats—such as Zao, Ginzan, Hanamaki, and the Oirase-Hakkoda area—have also claimed their places in the top 10.
Tokyo suburbs Edition
Photo: Lake Yamanakako Hana no Miyako Park, Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchiko Onsen
The Mt. Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes area reigns supreme as the clear favorite. That said, Hakone—the largest hot spring resort area near Tokyo—and Kusatsu, renowned for the exceptional quality and therapeutic benefits of its waters, have also made the top 10.
Nagoya-Chubu-Hokuriku Edition
Photo: Gero Onsen
As the largest hot spring area in the Hokuriku region, Kaga has landed multiple spots in the top 10, including Yamashiro, Yamanaka, and Katayamazu! The mountain retreats of Okuhida, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go, along with the coastal areas of Ise and Shima, these regions also emerged as major fan favorites.
Osaka-Kyoto-Kansai Edition
Photo: Uzu no Oka Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall, Awaji Island (Sumoto) Onsen
The Kyoto area has achieved a clean sweep, completely dominating the top 10. Rather than busy city centers, there was a clear preference for quiet hot spring areas surrounded by nature, such as Takao and Kameoka, or Ogoto on the shores of Lake Biwa.
Hiroshima-Chugoku Edition
Photo: Mihonoseki, Kaike Onsen (Yonago)
Yunogo and Yuda, both historic hot spring towns, along with Kaike near Yonago Airport, have secured places in the top 10, while Miyajima (Itsukushima), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views, and the port town of Tomonoura remain popular.
Shikoku Edition
Photo: Iya Valley, Oboke-Iya Onsen
The top 10 also featured a diverse range of hot spring destinations, including the remote Oboke–Iya Valley, Dogo—one of Japan’s oldest hot spring resorts—and Kotohira, famed for Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san) and Sanuki udon.
Kyushu & Okinawa Edition
Photo: Tsukahara Onsen Kakono Izumi, Yufuin Onsen
Popularity was split between the intimate mountain retreats of Kurokawa and Aso, characterized by their charming small-scale ryokans, and the dynamic coastal city of Beppu, where everything from the hot springs to the ryokans are impressively large-scale. The areas near Hakata and Kirishima have also secured their spots in the top 10.
