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Yubara Onsen, in the mountains of Okayama Prefecture, is best known for Sunayu — a free, mixed-gender riverside bath ranked among Japan’s finest outdoor baths.
A short walk along the same river brings you to something entirely different: Gamelan, a small, exotic-feeling ryokan with a distinctly Balinese atmosphere, where every one of its six rooms comes with its own source-fed hot spring bath.
Why Gamelan stands out:
- Rooms styled with a Balinese, resort-like atmosphere — a rarity among Japanese ryokan
- Every room has its own 100% source-fed in-room bath, usable any time
- Elegant, French-influenced course cuisine, beautifully plated
- Free access to a sister property’s bath just down the road
- Just a short walk from Sunayu, one of Japan’s most famous outdoor baths
If a private soak on your own schedule matters more to you than a shared bath, Gamelan’s all-rooms-included approach is hard to beat.
Gamelan, Yubara Onsen
| Address | 114 Yubara Onsen, Maniwa-shi, Okayama 717-0402, Japan |
|---|---|
| Phone | +81-867-62-2920 (please confirm via the official website) |
| Official Website | [Official] Yubara Onsen Gamuran |
| Day-use Bathing | Not available — overnight guests only |
| Check-in / Check-out | 15:00 / By 11:00 |
| Credit Cards | Not accepted — cash payment only |
| Number of Rooms | 6 |
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Getting There from Tokyo — Access Guide
Yubara Onsen sits well inland from Okayama city, in the mountains near the Tottori border. It’s a genuine journey from Tokyo — expect the better part of a day — but the route itself is straightforward.
🚄 By Shinkansen + Bus (Recommended)
Take the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen “Nozomi” from Tokyo Station to Okayama Station (approx. 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes). From Okayama Station’s east exit, take the Chutetsu highway bus bound for Katsuyama (approx. 1 hour 50 minutes) to Katsuyama Chutetsu Bus Center, then transfer to the Maniwa City community bus “Maniwa-kun” (approx. 35 minutes) to the Yubara Onsen stop. Total travel time from Tokyo: approximately 6–6.5 hours. Bus connections are infrequent, so check timetables carefully before finalizing your schedule.
🚗 By Car
From Okayama, take the Okayama Expressway to the Chugoku Expressway, then the Yonago Expressway to Yubara IC (approx. 1 hour from Okayama city). Free parking is available in front of the ryokan.
| Route | Tokyo → Okayama Station → Katsuyama → Yubara Onsen |
|---|---|
| Shinkansen | Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen “Nozomi” to Okayama (~3h20–3h40) |
| From Okayama Station | Chutetsu highway bus to Katsuyama (~1h50) + community bus “Maniwa-kun” (~35 min) |
| JR Pass | ⚠️ Nozomi is not covered by the standard JR Pass (use Hikari/Sakura instead, adding time); the connecting buses are not JR services |
A Balinese-Style Ryokan on the Riverbank
Yubara’s biggest claim to fame is Sunayu, a free, mixed-gender outdoor bath built directly into the riverbed — ranked among the finest outdoor baths in Japan on the country’s informal “hot spring rankings.”
Bathing wraps and swimwear are commonly worn there, making it an approachable stop even for visitors unfamiliar with mixed bathing, and it’s well worth a short visit if you’re staying nearby.
Left: Gamelan’s stylish, modern exterior stands out among the mostly traditional-style inns nearby.
Right: The Asahi River, running right past the property.
Gamelan sits along the Asahi River in the heart of Yubara’s hot spring street, and its clean, contemporary exterior sets it apart from the more traditional wooden ryokan surrounding it. The street itself is lively during the day but turns quiet and pleasant for an evening stroll after dark.
Left: A statue of Yubara’s mascot, the giant salamander, greets guests at the entrance. Right: Balinese-style wood carvings carry the theme throughout the interior.
The Rooms — Six Individually Themed Suites
| Toilet | En suite (in-room) |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Available |
| Air Conditioning / Heating | Available |
| Wi-Fi | Available |
| Television | Available |
| Towels & Yukata | Provided |
Every room at Gamelan has its own distinct theme and layout — “Tenku” (“Sky”) with a rooftop open-air bath, “Byakuya” (“White Night”) with a canopy bed, the loft-style “Ruri,” and others, each different enough that repeat guests can pick a new room each visit.
I stayed in Tenku, the room with a private rooftop bath.
Left: The room is on the smaller side, but the compact layout has a cozy, well-considered feel. Right: A glass partition separates a stylish sitting area from the rest of the room.
Despite the Balinese branding, the room itself felt more understated than exotic — calm and comfortable rather than heavily themed, which made for a relaxing stay.
Air conditioning, a well-stocked refrigerator, and spotless plumbing round out a room that, while modest in size, left little to be desired.
The Hot Springs — Alkaline Water, One Bath Per Room
Because every room has its own bath, Gamelan has no communal bathhouse at all.
Five of the six rooms have an indoor tub; the sixth — Tenku, the room I stayed in — has a rooftop open-air bath instead.
Guests can also use the baths at Gamelan’s sister property, Yunokura Tsuruya, a short walk away, free of charge.
♨ A Gentle, Skin-Softening Alkaline Spring
An alkaline simple thermal spring like this one, with a pH around 9.0, is known in Japan as a “bihada-no-yu” (beauty-skin spring) — the alkaline water breaks down oils on the skin’s surface, leaving it feeling notably soft and smooth. It’s a gentle, low-mineral water well suited to a long, relaxed soak.
The Rooftop Open-Air Bath
Left: A narrow staircase from the room leads up to the rooftop bath — a genuinely exciting first climb. Right: The bath itself, refreshingly private and secluded from view.
Straight from the source, the water runs quite hot — close to 42°C by feel — so bathers who prefer it milder can simply add cold water.
It’s a good match for this gentle alkaline spring, which rewards a long, unhurried soak more than a quick hot dip.
The view isn’t expansive, but on a clear night the stars overhead make up for it — a quiet, private moment worth savoring.
Dining — Refined French-Style Course Cuisine
Meals are served in a dedicated dining room with the same Balinese-inflected atmosphere as the rest of the ryokan.
Both dinner and breakfast lean Western rather than Japanese — a departure from the typical ryokan kaiseki, and one that’s genuinely well executed.
Dinner
Left: A Mediterranean-style escabeche of marinated fish, bright and refreshingly acidic. Right: A flounder salad, part of a course sequence clearly designed to build the appetite gradually.
Left: Iberico pork and mountain yam, fried until crisp against the yam’s satisfying crunch. Right: A dish of tea‑scented duck paired with avocado and a balsamic reduction.
The course builds through a genuinely well-paced sequence of French-influenced dishes, each thoughtfully plated, before closing with a light miso soup and a palate-cleansing sherbet.
A local Yubara Onsen craft beer, served with its own onsen-branded coaster, made for a nice regional touch alongside the meal.
Breakfast
Left: A warming clam chowder to start the morning. Right: Freshly baked bread, served properly hot — soft inside and clearly made just before serving.
Breakfast keeps the Western theme going, with the fresh-baked bread as the clear highlight — genuinely one of the better hotel breakfast breads I’ve had, made all the better for arriving still warm.
A pot of black tea rounds out the meal nicely for anyone not particularly drawn to coffee.
Final Thoughts
Gamelan stands out in Yubara Onsen precisely because it doesn’t look or feel like anywhere else on the street — a private, source-fed bath in every room, genuinely elegant French-style cooking, and warm, attentive service from the staff throughout the stay.
It’s a small, distinctive ryokan that rewards travelers looking for something a little different from the standard Japanese hot spring experience.
Gamelan is ideal for visitors who:
- Want a private, source-fed bath available on their own schedule
- Are drawn to refined, French-influenced cuisine over a traditional kaiseki dinner
- Appreciate distinctive, individually themed rooms over a standard ryokan layout
- Plan to combine their stay with a visit to Sunayu, Yubara’s famous outdoor bath
Book early — with only six rooms and no two alike, this is a small ryokan that fills up fast.
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