Yama No Chaya

Had a lovely relaxing time here. It’s a small hike from the local station but worth it in every way. Surrounded by greenery in a quiet location. The food was delicious and varied and all the public and private baths were amazing. Tattoos are allowed in the public baths which is hard to find. The service and staff were very good too! Thank you, look forward to coming again.

We had an exceptional 3 nights at Yama no Chaya. A beautifully serene, traditional property with a level of service beyond all expectations. The staff were exceptional and the experience of being fed like a shogun by an amazing chef was unforgettable.

The property is located a short distance from Hakone-Yumoto, easily accessible by bus (though there is a short walk on a narrow footpath on the mountain road).

It is a good base, close enough to the town but well connected by train and bus to reach other key sights in the area.

Highly recommended

We've been to just four ryokan, and Yama No Chaya was the best of them. A bit better than Benkei in Arashiyama, and considerably better than Yaeikan in Hakone Yumoto and Yachiyo (don't bother with this one) in Kyoto. The service by all of the staff was amazing. I've never been to a place that treats you so much like a VIP. I honestly felt bad walking around the facility because they would stop what they're doing to greet you. I simply don't understand some of the reviews that claimed the staff members were rude. The room was split level, with the main lower floor arranged in a traditional Japanese style. Access to your private, open air bath and balcony was also from this level. The upper floor had a bedroom with two beds and access to an upper level balcony. The main room in the lower floor also served as a bedroom after dinner. Following the in-room dinner, the staff moved the table and set up futons for any guests not sleeping in the upstairs beds. Water temperature for the open air bath was perfect.

As for the food, it was among the best kaiseki dinners I've had. A kaiseki style, in-room dinner is one of the reasons why we stay at a ryokan and this one exceeded our expectations. Breakfast the next morning was a similar style and also very good.

Access to Yama No Chaya can be a bit tricky. If you have your own car, then no problem. However, we initially tried taking a cab from Hakone Yumoto. It was a busy weekend due to a holiday and the hanami season. At first we stood in line for one of the cabs. When the attendant asked where we were going, he said they only had minivans and that they couldn't go across the small bridge (Hakonetsuri Bridge) to the ryokan. He took us to another cab stand "for sedans". No one was in that line, and no cab, sedan or otherwise, showed up for 20 minutes. I then went to the bus lines. The bus to Hakone Machi goes past Tonosawa Onsen (where Yama No Chaya is located). I believe this was bus stand #2. We boarded that bus using our Suica card since we didn't have our Hakone Freepass yet. The bus was crowded but otherwise fine. The mistake I made was getting off at the "Tonosawa" bus stop. I found out later that there's a bus stop called "Kami Tonosawa" that's closer to the ryokan. Getting off closer to the ryokan makes a difference mainly because it's not the safest walk alongside a busy highway with little to no shoulder space to walk on.

Getting back to town after our ryokan stay was another aspect where the staff shined. When we checked in, they offered to call a cab for us the next day. However, because it was so busy, there were no cabs available to pick us up so one of the staff drove us in their ryokan van to Hakone-Yumoto Station free of charge.

If we're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to return to Yama No Chaya, we would make it a 2-night stay instead of just one.

One of the best experiences I’ve had in all vacations. In a lack of words, we were in cloud nine from the initial minute we arrived, till the last minute we left. It felt like we were transported back in time, to an era of luxury and comfort.

Staff was wonderful that made our stay enjoyable. We were served our in-room dinner and breakfast timely! The meals provided more than enough food that kept us full. We had a private onsen, which was beautiful and convenient. I especially enjoyed using the private onsen in the early morning with the sunrise shining through. We also was able to reserve one of the outdoor onsen, which was beautiful and clean. I appreciate how clean the room and the onsens was. The staff was friendly and even helped carry our luggage to the bus stop (across the bridge and just around the curved road) upon our check-out!

This was my first ryokan experience, and I was blown away. What an experience! From the minute we climbed up the ramp to the entrance, the staff (who speaks good English) was attentive to all of our needs.
Our room (Himeshara) was very large, with a simple yet beautiful decor, extremely comfortable beds and a sizeable private bath on the balcony.
The 5 baths on the property were stunning. All but one are shared in theory, but in practice, we were usually alone in them.
The meals were varied and excellent, both breakfast and dinner. Our dietary restrictions were taken into account.
Last but not least, the location is convenient to explore Hakone...but we did not want to leave this heaven for too long!

The experience does come at a price, but it was well worth it.

Great service by Rai! Love her presence during our stay, very helpful in everything! When we reached, they escorted us into our rooms, and checked us in. She went through the amenities, and all the timing changes for male/female onsen. Really enjoyed the stay here.

The only thing bad was the location of it, it was quite a narrow walk before reaching the bridge. But the view at the bridge was spectacular. Luckily, they could help us get taxi for us to get back to the station.

10 course dinner meal, some pickled sushi for supper, and a 5 course breakfast meal, we're definitely satisfied!

There's happy hour menu until 17:30, so do get them!

Impeccable service in a breathtaking setting! My partner and I stayed at Yama No Chaya for one night last week. We wanted to find an onsen ryokan that allows guests with tattoos (most don’t) and were so thrilled we ended up staying here!

Getting to Yama no Chaya from Tokyo is very simple—after taking the Romancecar train from Shinjuku Station to Hakone-Yamamoto Station, you can transfer to the Hakone Tozan line and take it one stop to Tonosawa Station. From there it’s a ~12min walk to Yama No Chaya. The walking path is a little steep, so I recommend packing lightly / not using a roller bag.

We stayed in the Sakura (standard) room (29,920 JPY per person per night), which is fairly spacious and has a beautiful view of the valley hillside. The finishings in the room and throughout the resort are all beautifully chosen—very traditional and tasteful ryokan decor (no shoes throughout the premises, shoji screen doors, wood paneling, etc). We loved the tatami mats in the room and found the Japanese futon beds to be very comfortable. We also enjoyed wearing the provided yukata throughout our stay.

The Sakura room does not have an in-room onsen (or bath/shower, period). But this wasn’t an issue at all—we were able to book the private onsen for 45m (there are only 8 booking slots per night and they are first come first served, so be sure to check-in right at 3pm), and we didn’t run into a single other guest while using the 3 other communal onsens. I assume most guests with in-room onsens stick to those, so the Sakura room ends up being a great deal—it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves!

The food at Yama No Chaya is spectacular. Meals are all served in-room, which feels very private and romantic. We opted for the upgraded meal plan (additional 3,360 JPY per person per night) which I highly recommend. Dinner took about 2h and consisted of ten courses, which were all stunningly prepared using seasonal Japanese ingredients, with many of the components being prepared in-house (tofu, soba, inari, etc). The presentation of each course was also immaculate with intricate attention to detail. We loved virtually everything we were served and enjoyed the opportunity to try a number of new foods, but less adventurous eaters may not be comfortable with everything on the menu. Breakfast was similarly elaborate, with ~15 dishes served over 45m. Needless to say we were stuffed! There is also an in-room minibar, on-site bar with happy hour deals, and a snack bar with cold drinks and frozen desserts.

But the real highlight of our stay was the service. From the moment we were greeted upon arriving at the resort to saying goodbye to the staff the next morning, the quality of service and care we received was truly special. Our in-room attendant, Hoshino-san, was absolutely wonderful! She went above and beyond throughout our stay to make us feel comfortable, from singing us happy birthday and offering a complimentary bottle of champagne to sharing information about the ingredients used in the meals to providing helpful recommendations on the best way to eat each course (note: get the fresh wasabi to eat with your wagyu) to chatting and trading stories. Hoshino-san made us feel so welcome, which we particularly appreciated as a gay couple, and we are so grateful to have met her. The other touches of service we received (e.g., tea and amazake service upon arriving, cold water for after the onsen, a midnight snack, a departing gift and hand warmers for exploring Hakone) were all superb and made our stay feel extremely luxurious.

Overall, for the quality of service you receive, the refined and traditional beauty of the resort, the stunning meal services, and the breathtaking setting, Yama No Chaya is an incredible value and we couldn’t recommend it more highly!

The staff were so kind and attentive. We loved the baths and all our meals. Would not recommend walking there from the station, the sidewalk narrows on a curvy mountain road. Our room bathroom did smell like cigarettes but otherwise everything was really nice!

This was without a doubt the most luxurious accommodations we had during our two weeks in Japan. The rooms were impeccable, with wonderful views of the hills around Hakone and stellar spring-fed hot baths on the patios.

The staffs attention to detail was impeccable - regardless of who was working they all knew our names and what room we were staying in. They were very accommodating to my wife's lactose intolerance, adjusting her meals to ensure she never had any issues.

The highlights of the stay were without a doubt the food and the onsen. Night one I had what was possibly the best Shabu Shabu I have ever experienced, and they consistently found ways to keep the meals interesting and varied. And let me say that there is A LOT of food included as part of the meal packages. We also had a ln opportunity both nights we stayed to reserve the private ones, and my wife is still talking about what a wonderful experience that was almost a week later.

The one thing I will add is that I wish the site had more directions for people taking public transport. It took us a while once we got off the bus to find our way. For anyone who reads this: if you get off at the Kami-Tonosawa stop and cross the road you will see a small suspension bridge. Do not cross the bridge. Instead, take the steps down to the left and you'll see a (somewhat overgrown) path that goes behind the buildings. This path runs parallel to the road, and you can walk up to the next bridge, at which point you'll see that sign for Yama no Chaya. We were determined to use public transport, but if you have luggage a short taxi ride is probably much easier.

Still, this did not change our opinions of the Ryokan - we absolutely loved it and will certainly return when we make our way back to Japan!

A relaxing stay in a ryokan - loved the private onsen in our room, our room attendant was very attentive, and the food was yummy. The fresh tofu was an unexpected highlight and I’m left searching for fresh tofu to eat!

Amazing location, they have rooms with their own onsen, can also book larger outdoor onsens for private use. Dinner and breakfast kaiseki are served in room and made up of countless delicious dishes. Service was perfect. Rejuvenating paradise.

Private onsen, viewing deck, phenomenal service, and dining options. The staff did a great job making our anniversary feel special. It's a little in the middle of nowhere but great for a day trip. The foot baths were very convenient for a last minute soak before checkout and right before bed.

Stayed for 2 nights in early Jan 2024. It’s a tranquil place, with very friendly staff. Food is high quality and always beautifully plated. Highlight is the in-room onsen, you can enjoy it at any time!

Our 1 night stay at the Yama no Chaya was honestly the best experience I had during our trip to Japan. The food, hotel and above all the service was amazing!! 10/10 100% will recommend to someone looking to go to Hakone. Nilesh? (Sorry if I misspelled his name) was super kind and so happy. He explained each step of the dinner and breakfast course and it was delicious. The staff also helped us with going to the station to make it for our Shinkansen train. Now that is a true hospitality! Will definitely be back.

Excellent ryokan experience. Fantastic food, hospitality and the onsen are wonderful. The staff are really excellent. Great location (easy to access via train or bus from Hakone, Odawara and Gora).

Only tip: don’t do the forest walk from the train station if you have any bags, mobility issues or aren’t up for an adventure

We had an absolutely amazing stay here that we will never forget. We booked the private onsen room for one night and it was amazing. The room had modern comforts but an old world feel to it. The dinner was wonderful and the staff was so attentive and responsive. I tried foods I never would have otherwise as part of the meal and that was wonderful. It is a little more challenging to get to since it is off the main road and requires crossing a small suspension bridge, but the trade off is you feel so secluded in the forest. Make sure to take advantage of the private booking for the private large onsen while you are there. The meals are very filling!

This was our second visit and we did it during the change of season. It was as beautiful if not
More than in September. The rooms are amazing, the staff is extremely accommodating and the food is incredible. I must say going with a child is not as wonderful as when we came alone but it was still an amazing experience. We will definitely keep coming back for years.

This place is really loving - location is beautiful and the food served is very good. I have to stay our room attendant Sapkota, really made this a 5 star experience. He is so good at his job and made us feel very comfortable! Thank you Sapkota!

What is paradise on earth if not Yama no chaya. Exquisite cuisine, perfect onsen and a feeling of total relaxation. Spent two nights there and enjoyed every single second of it. Just wished there was a fruit bar to get fresh fruit during the stay, which would've been a great addition. Of course some desserts included this during the stay, but more generally speaking.

Our hosts Haru and Takeshi were great. Some misunderstandings are bound to happen when there is a language barrier but that was not really an issue, and they were both dedicated and did a marvelous job of making us feel welcome.