Hotel Shiragiku
by the TopOfHotel team
Shiragiku is a classic in-town ryokan a 7-minute walk from the station, with 4 restaurants and free afternoon tea plus pudding every single night.
Shiragiku is a classic in-town ryokan a 7-minute walk from the station, with 4 restaurants and free afternoon tea plus pudding every single night.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Hotel Shiragiku has stood in Beppu since 1957 and carries a guest score of about 8.5/10. The white-and-pale-blue tower runs 8 floors, has been renovated several times, and is wrapped in a green Japanese garden. The lobby is wide and bright, with a marble floor and a Hinoki-wood counter, and staff in Japanese dress greet you with yuzu juice and dried persimmon. The standard Japanese Tatami Garden View room is 26 sqm and runs around $165 a night: eight tatami mats, a large futon laid out by staff after dinner, a kotatsu table and an antique tansu chest. The big window looks onto the garden, with a koi pond and a cherry tree that is striking in spring. Bathrooms have a separate tub and shower and a Toto Washlet, the linens are clean, towels are Imabari cotton, and there are two yukata per guest. Wi-Fi is fast and the smart TV carries NHK and Netflix.
Food and amenities
The thing that sets Shiragiku apart is the free afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge, open 14:00 to 17:00 with coffee, green, black and yuzu teas, lemonade, ice water and small cookies. From 21:00 to 22:30 the kitchen puts out a fresh pudding made with Kyushu milk, free and unlimited — reviewers admit to going back twice a night. Dinner at Kaisendou is a kaiseki buffet at roughly $43 a head: grilled Bungo beef, toriten (the local battered-and-fried chicken), fresh sushi, tempura, cold reimen Beppu noodles and a yuzu jelly to finish. Children are half price. With four restaurants and a bar on-site, you can stay put for every meal.
Location and getting there
Shiragiku sits in the middle of town, about a 7-minute walk — 550 metres — from JR Beppu Station's East Exit, an easy roll with luggage through the covered Beppu Ekimae shopping arcade lined with local shops and convenience stores. Takegawara Onsen, the original sand bath where you are buried in naturally heated sand, is 200 metres away, a 3-minute walk; the sand bath itself runs about $10 and is open 08:00 to 22:30. The 7 Hells of Beppu in the Kannawa district are roughly 5 km out, an easy bus or taxi day trip from this base.
Things to know before booking
The onsen sits on the first floor — one indoor bath and one outdoor rotenburo in the garden, with clear simple-alkaline water at about 41 degrees C, open 24 hours and split by gender. The rotenburo is best in the evening, with a bamboo wind chime sounding and the maple leaves turning if you visit in autumn. Standard rooms are small, from 25 sqm, so a family of four will feel tight in a base category and should size up. The building is from 1957: well kept and frequently refreshed, but not as sharp as the brand-new ryokans nearby. Rates also rise around 50% in peak weeks — cherry-blossom season and Golden Week — so lock those dates in early. Only the Premium Tatami Suite and above have an in-room bath.
Our take
Hotel Shiragiku is the best in-town ryokan in Beppu for a first visit: a 7-minute walk from the station, four restaurants, free afternoon tea and pudding every night, the Takegawara sand bath next door, and a real rotenburo in the garden. At a score of 8.5/10 and rooms from about $150, it is strong value for families and couples who travel mainly by train and want a classic ryokan right in the centre of town.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A 7-minute walk (550 m) from JR Beppu Station via the covered Ekimae shopping arcade — the best city-centre location of any ryokan in the group, and easy to reach with luggage straight off the train.
- Four restaurants under one roof: a kaiseki room, a buffet, a steakhouse and a bar, so you never have to leave the building for dinner or a late drink.
- Free afternoon tea, lemonade and ice water round the clock in the lobby, plus a fresh Kyushu-milk pudding handed out nightly from 21:00 to 22:30 — guests routinely go back for a second.
- An indoor onsen and an outdoor rotenburo set in the hotel's own Japanese garden, both running 24 hours, with a spa offering 60-minute massages for about $53.
- Takegawara Onsen — the original Beppu sand bath, where you are buried in naturally heated sand — sits 200 m away, a 3-minute walk from the front door.
- Standard rooms start at 25 sqm, noticeably smaller than the rooms at KAI Beppu or Suginoi, so a family of four will feel tight in a base category.
- The core building dates to 1957. It has been renovated many times and is well kept, but it does not feel as crisp or contemporary as the 2022 and 2023 openings nearby.
- Rates climb roughly 50% in peak season — cherry-blossom weeks in spring and Golden Week in late April to early May — so book those dates well ahead.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Beppu
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Beppu — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in BeppuAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- Ask for a Garden View room — it looks onto the koi pond and the cherry tree in the hotel's garden, and it costs the same as a city-view room.
- Catch the free afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge from 14:00 to 17:00, then come back for the free pudding between 21:00 and 22:30.
- Walk 3 minutes to Takegawara Onsen for the sand bath — about $10, open 08:00 to 22:30; bring a small towel for your face.
- Book the kaiseki buffet dinner (around $43 a head) for the grilled Bungo beef, toriten and fresh sashimi; kids are half price.