Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Mukaitaki continues its tradition of providing its guests with the quintessential Japanese ryokan experience. Upon passing through the entrance of Mukaitaki, one feels as though suddenly transported back through time to a more sophisticated yet uncomplicated era. At Mukaitaki, we strive every day to provide our guests with a wonderful and unique Japanese cultural experience. Each season brings beautiful scenic joys to experience, such as the winter candle flowers blooming nightly in the snowy winter garden. We always look forward to seeing the smiles of our guests and hearing about the good memories of their stay at Mukaitaki.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Mukaitaki is famous as the number one inn in the Tohoku region since ancient times, rather than being the representative of Aizu Higashiyama Onsen. It is a cultural property inn that is well maintained every day, and is a great inn with great hot springs, great food, and great customer service. The atmosphere of the Fox Bath is wonderful. The Saru Bath and the three private baths are also great. It is no wonder that this is a famous hot spring from the Edo period. The food is a variety of Aizu local dishes, and is enjoyable. The food is served in the rooms, and the atmosphere of the entire inn and the courtyard is very nice. This inn is great, including its history. I recommend it.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is an inn registered as a national cultural property. When he entered the room, however, he smelled with cigarettes, and was not crushed. I asked the inn to change the room, but it was not possible because it was full.
Despite being a National Registered Cultural Property, it feels very strange. I was worried that a cigarette fire would burn the building. But the hot springs are the best.
I was surprised by the volume of dinner. I felt the sweet boiled carp was heavy and left over. Naturally, the seasoning felt strongly in the Tohoku region.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I love everything. Hot springs, cuisines, services, all of them were perfect. And the night garden was marvelous(Look at the pic I uploaded). I highly recommend you visit and enjoy this traditional inn in winter.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mukaitaki is a magnificent old building set deep in a wooded valley at the southern end of the Higashiyama onsen district. The city tour loop bus from the station stops outside. It is a formal ryokan, traditional, with kaiseki meals served in your room. Rooms are accessed by steep and sometimes multiple stairways of polished hardwood. Service was friendly, but little English is spoken, and the meals were disappointing. 3 small onsen available - no rotemburo.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A distinctive traditional building set deep in the forested entrance to the Higashiyama onsen. No lift/elevator, and many rooms can be accessed only by flights of steep polished hardwood stairs. No rutemburo, meals served in your room. The city loop bus stops about 100m away.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had a great stay at Mukaitaki 2 weeks ago. I first chose this ryokan when I was looking around for an onsen to visit because I fell in love with its history and how gorgeous it looked on pictures. Despite of feeling trepidation about the fact that most of the rooms have no private shower room, I went ahead and made a reservation. This ryokan proved to be the highlight of my 2-week trip to Japan.
As other reviewers have said, Aizu-Wakamatsu is a bit out of the way. From Tokyo I took a Tohoku Yamabiko Shinkansen to Koriyama (about 1 and a half hour train ride), and then changed to a local train heading to Aizu Wakamatsu (about 1 hour 20 mins ride). The view along the way is marvelous! Mountain range and sweeping view of rice fields.. The tourist information office at Aizu-Wakamatsu provides a free-of-charge, same-day luggage delivery service for tourists staying at ryokan/hotel at Higashiyama onsen. This is a good service for tourists wanting to go sightseeing before checking-in into their accommodation. I gave the name and address of my accommodations to the staff, drop off my luggage with them and off I went sightseeing around town. For tourists on public transport, the classic town bus make a stop at Higashiyama onsen. Again, ask the staff at the tourist information office for the timetable. If in doubt over when to get off the bus, tell the bus driver where you're heading and they'll tell you when you've reached your stop.
When I reached Mukaitaki, they had staff waiting outside the ryokan ready to greet arriving guests. They ran over across the bridge greeting me by name! Obviously I was the only non-japanese guest staying over that night. But still, it's a very good service. Check-in was fast and efficient. My bag was already waiting for me, and a staff (Mr Sato) was assigned to show me to my room and explain the available facilities. I have to say that very limited English is spoken in this ryokan.
My room is beautiful, clean, comfortable with a very good view of the garden. Keeping in mind that this is a 100+ years old building, certain wear and tear are obvious, but it's well cared for. There is no lifts/escalators, so make sure to inform them beforehand if you have troubles with stairs. I believe they have some rooms on ground level.
The meals are made of ingredients that are historically available locally, so they are pretty simple and austere. I have to admit that some of the ryokan that I've stayed at before had more innovative and lavish food. However, despite of how they looked, those simple dishes sure were tasty. Some of the recipe had been handed down for more than a hundred years.
There are 3 private baths where you could lock the door for privacy, and 2 shared baths for every gender. I had fun trying out the different baths !
I would definitely recommend Mukaitaki to people interested in the hot spring culture, with a dash of history and fantastic service on the side. However, please keep in mind that this is a 140+ years old building and adjust your expectation accordingly. That being said, I enjoyed my stay very much and as I got back from my trip, all I could think of was that I wish I were back at Mukaitaiki.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2017
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aizuwakamatsu is a little off the beaten path for tourists in Japan but it is a very worthy destination as it is a significant historical site with a great museum on the grounds of a traditional/reconstructed shogun's castle which is definitely a highlight. The city is working hard to make tourism enjoyable and it starts with arrival at the train station. There is a tourism desk that gave us information on local buses dedicated to a route covering several local historical highlight locations and also took us to our destination at Higashiyama onsen resort area about 15 minutes from the station. The tourism staff also coordinated free delivery of our luggage to the Mukaitaki Inn--definitely didn't expect that! The stay at the ryokan was amazing...an experience in service that just doesn't exist anymore--every need is anticipated down to the smallest detail! Beautiful 140 year old traditional building built up the side of a mountain with a river flowing below. Gardens and koi ponds as well natural thermal onsen (hot bath) waters. Private dinner and breakfast served beautifully by the ultra polite staff-- almost had the feel of a traditional tea ceremony. Food was delicious and generous with an emphasis on local vegetables and fish. Rooms were comfortable with private toilet and sink and traditional futons. Only negative was the traditional pillow which is filled with some kind of grain--not soft at all--but not the end of the world! Baths were wonderful and private baths were available. If you want a wonderful old Japan experience with exquisite service that will blow you away, the Mukaitaki Inn is your place! English language website available is a plus.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2016
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here in early Feb 2010 .. very friendly and helpful staff .. beautiful room and traditional breakfast .. great onsen .. private onsen .. it was very cold .. minus 5 deg C outside .. a great magical experience in Japan for me.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The building is beautiful and well-maintained. We stayed in "Hagi" room and we had a nice view of the beautiful Japanese garden. The room is not huge but it is very comfortable. By the window, there are also arm chairs so you can also relax there if your legs get tired from sitting on the tatami mattress floor. My room did not have a bathroom but it was fine as there were three bathing places including one that can be used as a private bathroom. The toilet in the room is a modern western style (Washlet). There was also wife in the room.
The meals are served in the room and each meal used local ingredients and included some traditional dishes which were very enjoyable.
It must be also beautiful to visit there during cherry blossom season, autumn, and winter time (with snow). I'd love to visit there again.
After checking out, I thought I'd order ice cream but was told that it had to be served in the room, so in case you want to try some additional items they have, order while you are still in the room!
Read more
Date of stay: August 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed here for one night. It is a gorgeous traditional inn, all wood with shiny floors and well-kept tatami mats in the rooms. The landscaping outside with the mountains as a backdrop is breathtaking.
Even better than the beauty of the inn is the people who work there. Very kind and warm - they will do anything they can to make you feel welcome and special. I requested a special diet - I only eat vegetables and fish (no meat) and they were extremely accommodating. I felt very well taken care of.
The food is local to the region, and very delicious. It’s a little bit daunting to a Westerner at first, but if you embrace it you will have no regrets.
The baths were amazing in a minimal type of way. They are not made to be modern, but you can feel the history and the water leaves your skin very smooth.
10/10 experience. We will definitely return if we are ever in the area.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Are there any historical sites close to Aizu Higashiyama OnsenMukaitaki?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Sazaedo (1.9 miles), Aizu Old Samurai Residences (0.7 miles), and Place Where Byakkotai Members Committed Suicide (1.8 miles).
