Shuzenji, Japan
Asaba: A 1484 Shuzenji ryokan on the pond — lock Villa Tenko if anyone is under seven, and eat in the room between 18:00 and 19:00.
Asaba sits at 3450-1 Shuzenji, Izu-shi, Shizuoka, on a house the Asaba family has kept for over five centuries. The English homepage prints 1484: Yakuro Yukitada Asaba opened a lodging in front of the temple while serving as keeper as he established Soto Zen in Shuzenji. The Gekkeiden Noh stage was moved from Tokyo in the late Meiji period and now faces the pond. The Stay index names twelve rooms. There is no printed architect and no house-wide room-count sentence — twelve is the number of named cards.
Lock the child rule before you pay. Villa Tenko, 220 square metres, detached, prints children of any age and a maximum of six. The other eleven cards print the same line: children under 7 years old are not excepted; over-7 children are charged the adult rate. Read that as not accepted under seven. Occupancy and size sit on each modal: Hagoromo 126 and five; Moegi 152 and six; Asagi 111 and five; Hagi 109 and six; Ugetsu 90 on the card and 89 on the index, six, futon; Nadeshiko 97 and four; Dodan 80 and five; Kocho 52 on the card and 49 on the index, two; Matsukaze 71 and four; Fuji 61 and three; Yamabuki 49 and two. Check-in is 14:30, latest 18:00; check-out is 11:30.
Dinner and breakfast are included and served in the room. Dinner starts between 18:00 and 19:00. Breakfast starts between 08:00 and 09:00. A private server plates unless the group is large. Vegetarian or religious requests need three days’ notice. Wagyu shabu-shabu needs an advance reservation for two or more. There is no second restaurant. The Salon pours drinks and complimentary coffee and tea from 6:00 AM–11:30 AM and 2:30 PM–11:00 PM. Public indoor and outdoor baths — continuously flowing Shuzenji water, separate men’s and women’s except the private family bath — open 14:30–23:00 and 06:00–10:00. Hitotoki therapy hours are not printed on the public page; the menu is an image.
The house does not provide complimentary transport to Shuzenji Station. JR Odoriko to Shuzenji is about 120 minutes from Tokyo, then about seven minutes by cab. Shinkansen to Mishima plus the Izu Hakone line is the other printed path. Free valet parking for 15 cars. No smoking in rooms; a smoking area is printed. Book Asaba if you will name the room, accept in-room dinner at 18:00–19:00, and can keep under-sevens in Tenko or leave them at home. Skip it if you need a choice of restaurants, a printed Hitotoki timetable, a station pickup, or a western hotel for small children in a Superior. Ikyu is 4.76 from 56 reviews. Tripadvisor is 4.5 from 246.
First day
- If anyone is under seven, you need Villa Tenko. The other eleven cards do not accept children under seven.
- Arrive for 14:30 check-in; latest 18:00. Dinner starts between 18:00 and 19:00 in the room — do not plan a restaurant crawl.
- There is no complimentary pickup. Budget about seven minutes by cab from Shuzenji Station.
- Public baths open 14:30–23:00 and 06:00–10:00. Confirm Hitotoki when you reserve — hours are not printed on the public page.
What guests say
Hotel Flock Score
Outstanding
Based on 302 published ratings
Category breakdown
Guests Love
The pond after dark
Ikyu and Tripadvisor guests write about koi, lanterns and the Noh stage more than they write about the beds. That view is why the 4.5 Tripadvisor score exists.
Nakai, not a front desk
Reviewers name attendants and talk about being left alone. The 12-room scale is the service model, not a staffing boast.
A quiet, empty bath
Guests use the outdoor and indoor springs two or three times and often see nobody. The water, not a treatment menu, is the spa.
Guests Warn
The food is not always the headline
Long-time ryokan collectors on Tripadvisor say they have eaten better elsewhere. Ikyu guests who loved the cooking still mention repeated sweetfish courses.
This is a ryokan, not a western hotel
Futon, in-room dinner, a check-in window, and a child age rule. People who wanted a resort spa or a choice of restaurants bounce.
The overall score is a review-count-weighted average of named public platforms, normalized to /10. Category scores — including cleanliness and location — are Hotel Flock editorial readings of those reviews, not a platform's private formula. Hotel Flock is not affiliated with Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Trivago, or any other review site.
Awards & Recognition
Three MICHELIN Keys
Extraordinary stay — raised from Two Keys in Michelin’s global Keys programme
MICHELIN Guide
Relais & Châteaux
Member inn; badge on the official homepage
Relais & Châteaux
In the stay
- In-room dinner 18:00–19:00 and breakfast 08:00–09:00
- Public indoor and outdoor baths on the printed clock
- WiFi, valet parking, yukata, Western pajamas, and the printed amenity set
Usually extra
- –Market-price additions — abalone, Ise lobster, crab, matsutake, Wagyu shabu-shabu
- –Hitotoki treatments and Cultural Journey tickets
- –Taxis to Shuzenji or Mishima — the house does not transfer
Good to Know
- Villa Tenko takes children of any age. The other eleven rooms do not accept children under seven.
- Check-in 14:30, latest 18:00. Check-out 11:30.
- Dinner 18:00–19:00 and breakfast 08:00–09:00 in the room, included.
- Public baths 14:30–23:00 and 06:00–10:00. No complimentary station transfer.
- No smoking in rooms; a smoking area is printed. Free valet parking for 15 cars.
Editor's Note
Only Villa Tenko takes children of any age. The other eleven rooms do not take under-sevens; over-sevens pay the adult rate. Dinner is 18:00–19:00 in the room. Public baths 14:30–23:00 and 06:00–10:00. Check-in 14:30, latest 18:00. Kocho is 49 m² on the list and 52 m² on the card.
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Reviewed by Hotel Flock · Last updated August 2026