Review: Madoka no Mori Ryokan in Hakone
Nestled in the serene vicinity of Gora, Madoka no Mori ryokan offers a splendid experience with private onsen and exquisite cuisine. Our stay at this ryokan was the highlight of our visit to Hakone. Read about our experience at Madoka no Mori in this detailed review.
Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns known for providing service beyond standard hospitality. For international travelers visiting Japan, a stay in a ryokan is not just about accommodation; it’s also an immersive cultural experience. I think it is one the experiences that are worth the splurge in Japan.
When you are in Hakone, take the opportunity to experience a ryokan with hot springs. We chose Madoka no Mori (円かの杜) for our Hakone trip, and it did not disappoint. It is one of the best ryokan with private onsen in Hakone.
Location
- Address: 1320-862 Gora, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa (Google Maps)
- Reviews: 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor
Madoka no Mori ryokan is located in Gora, a small town with convenient access to popular Hakone sightseeing destinations such as the Hakone Open Air Museum and Hakone Ropeway. We prefer Gora over Hakone-Yumoto area because Gora is more serene with less car traffic. Gora’s higher elevation also means the landscape is more beautiful, in our opinion.
It takes just 5 minutes to get to Madoka no Mori from Gora station by taxi, and the ride costs under 1,000 yen. In addition, this ryokan is within walking distance from a local bus stop, Hakone Ropeway Sounzan station, and Kami-Gora cable car station.
Surrounded by lush greenery, the ryokan offers guests a quiet retreat. During our stay, all we could hear was the soothing melody of chirping birds and flowing water. We really loved how quiet it was!
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Arrival
When we arrived at Madoka no Mori ryokan, a staff promptly assisted us with our luggage and delivered it to our room. We were then warmly greeted by Megumi, our personal attendant. Her warm smile and respectful demeanor instantly made us feel welcomed.
Megumi led us to the cozy seating area, where she served us welcome tea and sweets. While we sat comfortably, enjoying our beverages, she took care of the check-in process.
Megumi’s attentiveness continued as she guided us to our room. She meticulously explained all in-room amenities and dinner arrangements before exiting our room. Later during our stay, Megumi was also the person who took us to the dining room and serve the meals.
Room & Private Onsen
We booked a 53 square meter room on the third floor. The room’s design reflects Japanese aesthetic principles with a pleasing neutral color palette, light-colored wood, and plenty of natural light. We think it has a perfect balance of modern and traditional elements with tatami mats, comfortable bed and amenities. Yukata and socks are also provided.
The highlight of the room was undeniably the open-air private onsen. Framed in a wooden tub, it is pretty spacious for one adult to soak. The water temperature was consistently good, and that combined with the peaceful view of the surrounding valley offered a relaxing onsen experience.
Facilities
The overall ambiance throughout the ryokan felt very quiet and private even though they were fully booked. Separate communal onsen for each gender are among the key features. This ryokan has both indoor and outdoor large public baths which draw water from private hot spring sources. The massage chairs near the public bath areas were also a nice touch. Additionally, there is a small lounge area in the lobby, a bar and a treatment room.
Madoka no Mori has a shuttle service to and from Gora station and Sounzan station that guests can request. We did not need to use it though.
Dining
I would be more than happy to return to this ryokan just for their food. Madoka no Mori offers kaiseki dinner (traditional Japanese multi-course meal) and Japanese breakfast, and both meals were excellent.
My initial concern when booking this ryokan was that dinner was not served in guest rooms which was the traditional practice. Instead, our meals were served in a private dining room in the dining section of the building. It turned out we were actually very happy with this setup. This arrangement allowed us to dine on a large dining table and enjoy meals served straight from the kitchen, freshly prepared.
Kaiseki Dinner
The kaiseki dinner at Madoka no Mori was delightful and memorable, featuring nine courses with seasonal and local ingredients prepared in various methods. Each dish was perfectly cooked and elegantly plated. We also loved Megumi’s sake recommendation. Here’s the dinner menu for May 2023. It is very handy to have a print out menu for the kaiseki dinner.
From the first course, we could tell that we were in good hands. The appetizer was a refreshing burst of flavors with crisp seasonal vegetables paired with succulent poached tiger shrimp. It was the perfect palate-starter, setting high expectations for the subsequent courses.
Following the appetizer was the suimono, a clear soup that is highly prized in any kaiseki meals. Suimono always piques my curiosity as I look forward to seeing the lacquer bowl that will be chosen and the ingredient combination that will be served. The steamy bowl filled with delicate fish fillet, soft egg custard, and a hint of yuzu in an umami broth totally satisfied our taste buds.
Sashimi and sushi were the next courses. I would say the sushi was the weakest link of the dinner, but I kinda expected it since this was not a sushi establishment.
Next was the delightful hassun course that was as visually impressive as it was delicious with a variety of ingredients such as abalone, unagi, tofu, fish, and simmered beef. It perfectly showcased traditional flavors as well as demonstrated some creative elements such as mascarpone cheese and yuba (tofu skin). I would have never thought of such a combination but it worked!
Another highlight of the dinner was the shabu shabu hot pot with Hida beef. For those unfamiliar with Hida beef, it is considered one of the highest quality varieties of beef in Japan, on par with the well-known Kobe beef. Hida beef has intense marbling, even more than Kobe beef.
As we dipped the thinly sliced meat into the simmering broth of the shabu shabu hot pot, the beef cooked almost instantly. Each bite was a moment of pure delight – the meat was extraordinarily buttery and flavorful.
Subsequent courses included soba wrapped in yuba, steamed rice paired with red miso soup, and tsukemono (pickles). Finally, our kaiseki dinner concluded with fresh fruits, offering a sweet and light end to the elaborate meal.
Breakfast
Breakfast was an elegant affair that followed the high standard set by the dinner. It was a very well-rounded and scrumptious traditional Japanese breakfast. We started with a refreshing salad, followed by rice (steamed rice or rice porridge) with clam miso soup, and grilled fish.
Small dishes were offered to complement the rice, such as mentaiko, tamagoyaki, simmered tofu, pickles and steamed vegetables. These added an assortment of flavors, colors and textures to the meal, making it substantial yet light and filling without being overly heavy.
You can read more about traditional Japanese breakfast here.
Service
We were satisfied with the service at Madoka no Mori. The staff demonstrated kindness and attentiveness, and a way of care that felt different from regular hotel service. The service had the right amount of warmth without being obtrusive at all.
Pricing
We paid 58,000 yen per person for our room, inclusive of dinner and breakfast. The excellent meals and serene ambiance made it a worthwhile experience for us. There are smaller and larger rooms at Madoka no Mori, each with different pricing. This ryokan is a sister property of Gora Hanaougi ryokan, but at a higher price range.
We booked with the ryokan through their website and paid in full at the time of booking. I like that it was quite easy to look up availability and make reservation on their website. Our reservation was made two months in advance and at that time, only two rooms were available. So if you plan to stay at a ryokan in Hakone, reserve as early as you can.
A Few Minus Points
A few minus points included small shower area with a rusted shower head and some mold on the balcony deck of the room. However, these were minor issues, given that the onsen tub was impeccably clean and the overall cleanliness of our room and the ryokan was up to mark.
Overall Impression
With its exquisite dining, private open-air onsen, comfortable room and large onsen public baths, Madoka no Mori provides an authentic ryokan experience that is simply memorable in Gora. A stay here will give guests an elegant and subtle sense of luxury, demonstrated by the artful simplicity and the focus on quality that encapsulate the essence of Japanese hospitality. If you’re planning a visit to Hakone, Madoka no Mori is definitely worth considering!
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Would you say that the room’s private air onsen is big enough to fit two adults or is it more for one person soaking at a time? I’m hoping to go for an anniversary trip but the ryokan’s private air onsens seem small for the rooms.
Hi Ann,
The private onsen in our room (Ebine room) was larger than it looked on the ryokan’s website. I think two adults with average form can fit inside the tub to soak, not super spacious to allow you to move around a lot but not cramped. Here’s another photo of the onsen bath from a different angle so you can see. It seems the size of the onsen may be different in different rooms. Perhaps you can try emailing them to inquire which room has the most spacious onsen? We were pretty happy with the onsen size in our room while the standing shower did feel small (some other rooms have a different bathroom configuration).
Thank you for the detailed review and for the pictures! My husband and I are actually considering this exact room category at MoM vs. what appears to be a fairly similar room setup at Gora Karaku so this was incredibly helpful.
Did you find that it was easy to get around to the various tourist areas from MoM? As in, did you have to take a taxi every time in order to avoid multiple public transportation transfers? And other than some mould and rust, was the room/deck relatively well-maintained? Some reviews have mentioned it being “run down”, which I am not sure if just their interpretation of the hotel being more traditional/older.
Hi Ally,
From Madoka no Mori, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to Sounzan station to take the Hakone Ropeway. The ryokan also has a shuttle to take you to and pick you up from Gora station (and probably some other places in Gora). I just looked at Google Maps, and Gora Karaku looks very close to Gora station. So I think its location is likely more convenient than MM. FYI, taxis can take quite some time to arrive in Gora if you plan to use them.
Aside from the rusty shower head and some mold on the deck, I found the room and the whole ryokan relatively well-maintained and clean. I didn’t have any moments when I felt like the place was run down. The property was opened around 8 years ago I think. One thing I didn’t like about the configuration of our room was the small triangle-shaped shower area.
I just looked at the photos of Gora Karaku on their website, and it looks much more modern than MoM. Even their Japanese-style rooms are pretty modern while MM is more traditional and perhaps… rustic compared to GK.
I don’t know if this is useful enough to help you make the decision. Let me know if I can help with any other questions :).
Hi, do they have a private onsen for rental outside of the room? I’m traveling with my son and we want a private onsen experience, but from your photos (and many photos I see), it appears that the in-room private onsen has no privacy from the person you’re rooming with.
Hi Star,
They don’t have a private onsen for rental outside the room. The onsen outside the room is communal for each gender. So for room Ebine which we stayed in, the shower area and both the balconies have a layer of shoji (translucent Japanese doors/dividers/screens with lattice frames) that you can slide out. We pulled them out before going to sleep, and in your case, I think you can pull them out for privacy.
I went through my old photos and found some that can show you how those dividers look (I mark them with a red rectangular):
– Here’s the screens for the shower area: photo 1.
– Here’s the screens for the balconies half slid out: photo 2
– Here’s the screens for the balconies fully slid out: photo 3
Photo 2 and 3 were taken from the balcony in the bedroom area, but the onsen balcony also has those screens.
I’m not sure about the settings in other rooms, but they seem to have those shoji as well from their photos on the website. The ryokan has English speaking staff, so I think you can email them to be sure.
Would you say the view was worth it from your onsen? Because what I imagine staying in a private onsen is it being in open air and overlooking mountains or lakes. I couldn’t find any pictures on their website of the actually view from the onsen/balcony.
Hi Victoria,
Hmm, the view from the onsen in our room was forest greenery with mountain ranges afar (I remember seeing some parts of the building complex too). It was very calming and relaxing, but I would not say it was breathtaking. If you stand at the balcony railing, the view is quite expansive but when you soak in the onsen, your view will be framed as in the first photo in my post. You can find more photos of the views on Google I think. Combined with the high quality meals and service, it was worth it for me.
If an impressive view is the priority, you can also take a look at Hakone Ginyu. From my research, that ryokan is well-known as having one of the best views in the area.
This is so helpful Sophie! Can you tell me if you know anything about Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU? The website is not so easy to navigate.
Thanks so much
tina
Hi Tina,
Sorry, I don’t have any specific insights other than that it seems to be a large property (150 rooms) and is connected to Yunessun. I found the amount of information on their website to be quite decent (I used the English version). Do you have any particular concerns about it?
Thank you for this very informative review. Would you know whether this Ryokan family friendly traveling with children ages 8-10? Thank you
Hi Cory,
Children can stay at this ryokan. I didn’t notice anything that could be potentially unsafe for kids, but I also didn’t see any child-specific facilities like a playroom.
There’s a short but somewhat steep slope to walk up to the ryokan. They can pick you up or drop you off at Gora Station or Sounzan Station though.
You may want to check with the ryokan if they have a kid-friendly version of the kaiseki dinner. My niece and nephew, who were around that age, didn’t enjoy the kaiseki meal we had in Kyoto (they’re only used to Western-style sushi rolls). On the plus side, the dining room is private for each room.
Before our stay, they sent us an email asking: “In order to prepare bedding and amenities for guests, please let us know the details of your group, such as gender and number of guests. If you are traveling with children in your party, please let us know their gender and age.” So I’d guess they are familiar with accommodating families with children.