Matsushima Ichinobo

A lovely modern ryokan with great bay views. The breakfast and dinner buffets were delicious, and snacks and drinks were included as well.

The room was spacious and very nice, but dinner had a limited buffet selection. The shrimp tempura coating was soggy instead of crisp, and the shrimp was undercooked. There were only two or three kinds of sashimi, and the fascia hadn’t been removed. Almost all the staff struggled to communicate because they only spoke Japanese, and the buffet menu cards had no English translations.

My wife Anna and I, from Australia, had a fantastic stay on 17-18 April 2025! Our bartenders, Ando-san and Sabi-san, were such lovely hosts and went above and beyond to serve us delicious drinks.

We stayed one night at Matsushima Ichinobo, from 11/2 to 11/3, in a Twin Room with garden view. The room was lovely, with a beautiful view of Matsushima bay in the morning. There were no face and moisturizer amenities in the room, so you need to use what’s provided at the public bath. The staff were kind and attentive. Dinner and breakfast were both order buffets, with guests dining together in a large room and ordering from a live kitchen. The food was excellent, with a wide choice of Japanese and western dishes, plus plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It’s best to arrive early to have time to try everything. It got crowded around 6:30pm, with lines. The public onsen baths can get busy because there are lots of guests. We tried both, and the morning view of Matsushima bay was excellent. The water felt slippery but refreshing, and cold milk was available to buy outside the baths. We enjoyed the live saxophone in the lounge, though we didn’t make it to the bar, spa, or glass museum. The floating garden could be better maintained, and the Wi-Fi was spotty throughout the hotel. It feels like a luxury hotel stay in Matsushima, though not like a traditional ryokan. I’d visit again for the food and bay view.