Meitoya So
名湯舎 創38°10′ N 140°24′ ERyokan¥¥8,800, about CAD 79 or USD 56 (October 2026 rates)
Meitoya So suits couples and friends who want a modern non-smoking ryokan at a low price, and the trade-off is that the cheapest rooms may come without a bathroom of their own.
From
¥8,800a night
Jalan lists room-only stays from ¥8,800 a person when two share and dinner with breakfast from ¥10,450 a person, so this is one of the cheapest ways to eat dinner in a Zao ryokan.
Guests
2 guests
You book and pay on the booking site's own secure checkout, and we never see your card.
- Meals
- Set dinner with a choice of mains and a buffet breakfast
- Check-in
- In from 15:00, out by 10:00
- Onsen
- Shared and private baths
- Rooms
- 34
- Best for
- Couples, friends
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Meitoya So
¥8,800 a night
Meitoya So is part of the Takamiya group and stands at 48 Zao Onsen. Most of the 34 rooms are ten-tatami Japanese rooms, with three Japanese-Western rooms on top, and every one is non-smoking. Smokers get a cigar room off the lounge. The two-person Club Rooms and the plans where the inn picks your room may have no private bath, so check the plan before you book.
A big wooden indoor bath and a rough rock open-air bath both run Zao water straight from the source, 24 hours a day. The private half-open-air bath costs ¥2,200 for 50 minutes between 8:00 and 23:00. Dinner is a Zao beef and wagyu yaki-shabu set, or a set built around jingisukan or Kome-no-Musume pork shabu-shabu, and breakfast is a buffet.
The inn also runs the Yamagata Sake Museum, which stocks one sake from each of the prefecture's 49 breweries, and a few rare daiginjo make it to the dinner table. Staff collect guests from the Zao Onsen bus terminal by car in about five minutes. Your stay also covers the baths at the group's other Zao inns.
Highlights
- Every room is non-smoking
- Dinner can be jingisukan, the Zao lamb barbecue
- The inn's sake museum holds one bottle from each of Yamagata's 49 breweries
The essentials
- Kind
- Ryokan
- From
- ¥8,800 per person (2026), about CAD 79 or USD 56 (October 2026 rates)
- Price
- ¥
- Prices
- Jalan lists room-only stays from ¥8,800 a person when two share and dinner with breakfast from ¥10,450 a person, so this is one of the cheapest ways to eat dinner in a Zao ryokan.
- Meals
- Set dinner with a choice of mains and a buffet breakfast; room-only plans also sell
- Check-in
- 15:00, out by 10:00
- Rooms
- 34
- Amenities
- Onsen, Open air bath, Private bath, Drying room, Lounge, Free parking, Wi Fi
- Best for
- couples, friends, value
- Website
- Official site
- Ski-in ski-out
- No
- To the lifts
- The inn publishes no walking time to the lifts. Jalan lists paid ski and board rental.
- Boot room
- Yes
- Shuttle
- Free pick-up from the Zao Onsen bus terminal; call on arrival and a car comes in about five minutes.
- Baths
- Shared and private baths, fed by a hot spring
- Tattoo rule
- The inn's pages and its Jalan listing state no tattoo rule.
Worth knowing
- The Japanese site gives 21:00 as the last check-in and the English page says 18:00, so tell the inn if you will arrive after six.
- From December to March the Jalan listing asks drivers without four-wheel drive to call ahead because the hill to the inn is steep.
Quick answers about Meitoya Soよくある質問
How much does Meitoya So cost?
Prices at Meitoya So start at ¥8,800 per person (2026), about CAD 79 or USD 56 (October 2026 rates).
Are meals included at Meitoya So?
Meitoya So: Set dinner with a choice of mains and a buffet breakfast; room-only plans also sell.
What does Meitoya So have?
Meitoya So lists onsen, open air bath, private bath, drying room, lounge, free parking, wi fi.
Who is Meitoya So good for?
Meitoya So suits couples, friends, value.
Is Meitoya So ski-in ski-out?
No. Meitoya So sits away from the lifts, and free pick-up from the Zao Onsen bus terminal; call on arrival and a car comes in about five minutes.
Does Meitoya So have an onsen?
Yes. Meitoya So has shared and private baths fed by a hot spring.
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby食
Within 12 km
Sights nearby見どころ
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