Miyamoto no Yu

Miyamoto no Yu has a personality unlike any conventional ryokan. Its former sumo-wrestler innkeeper inspired an open-air bath shaped like a dohyo, paired with another bath faced in Chichibu stone. The designs are playful, but they are also rooted in the owner and landscape rather than an imported theme.

The alkaline Hannya no Yu spring feeds the alternating communal baths. Private ceramic and scenic baths look toward the Chichibu mountains, giving couples a quieter option alongside the sumo-ring experience.

Dinner is satoyama kaiseki served around an irori, using vegetables from the inn’s own farm and mountain ingredients from the region. Miyamoto no Yu suits travellers who want a memorable story, local produce and a warm country atmosphere. Its singularity comes from the improbable but convincing meeting of sumo, farming and hot-spring tradition.