Where You Sleep Matters
Earth Hostel isn’t your ordinary hostel. It’s a wooden riverside house tucked into the mountains of Nikko, where the rooms are built with Japanese craftsmanship and the river is never more than a few steps away. Whether you are traveling solo, as a couple, or with friends — you will find a room here that feels like a genuine home in nature.
Our Rooms
5 rooms sleep up to 24 guests. Add the common room futons and we can welcome up to 32 — perfect for groups, events, or a full building hire. Every room has air conditioning (heating and cooling). Every bed has its own space. And every morning you wake up to the sound of Black River.
Annex Riverside Private Rooms
Our two Annex Riverside Private Rooms are the most intimate way to experience Earth Hostel. Separate from the main building and sitting directly beside the river, these rooms sleep up to 4 people and come with their own private toilet and sink. Step outside and you are immediately in the forest, with the sound of Black River filling the air.
These rooms are ideal for couples, small groups of friends, or anyone who wants a little more privacy while still enjoying the communal spirit of hostel life. Japanese-style sleeping with tatami sensibility — simple, clean, and grounded.
- Up to 4 guests per room
- Private toilet & sink
- Direct riverside setting
- A/C heating & cooling
8-Person Tatami Dorm
A spacious Japanese-style shared room with tatami flooring, traditional Shoji paper doors, and bunk beds. Sleeping on tatami — the woven rush mat that has been the foundation of Japanese interiors for centuries — is one of those small, quietly wonderful things that makes staying in Japan feel different. The 8-person dorm is a social space: great for meeting fellow travelers and sharing stories of the day’s adventures in Nikko. No snorers allowed unless they’re part of a group that reserved the whole room, Absolutely NO SNORERS allowed in the mixed rooms
- 8 beds — bunk style
- Tatami flooring & Shoji doors
- A/C heating & cooling
10-Person Tatami Dorm
The same beautiful Japanese aesthetic — tatami floors, bunk beds. No snorers allowed unless they’re part of a group that reserved the whole room, Absolutely NO SNORERS allowed in the mixed rooms
- 10 beds — bunk style
- Tatami flooring
- A/C heating & cooling
Shared Facilities
Showers — Former Onsen
The showers are housed in what was originally a natural hot spring (onsen) — two bathing areas inside the main building, now converted into comfortable shared showers. There is history in the walls here.
Common Room
Upstairs in the main building, the common room is a warm gathering place — somewhere to plan the next day’s hike, share a meal, or simply sit with a drink and listen to the river through the open windows.
Free Wi-Fi Everywhere
Dorm rooms, annex, common room, open air lounge, and even the beach. Staying connected is easy.
Good to Know
Check-in & Check-out
Check-in is from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Check-out is before 10:00 AM. Early check-in and late check-out are available for a fee (¥1,000/person for 2+ nights, ¥2,000 for single nights). Infants or babies 2 years old and under, no charge. Children 3-6 are half price ONLY with homepage reservations, not 3rd party booking sites.
No Curfew. No Lockout.
Come and go as you please. Earth Hostel has no curfew and no lockout. The open air lounge is yours to use at any hour — whether you are watching the stars at midnight or heading out before dawn to catch a mountain sunrise.
No Snorers in Mixed Dorms
We take this seriously — out of respect for fellow guests. If you know you snore, please book a private room. Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep in the mountains.
This is not your ordinary hostel. There are no souvenir shops, no city lights nearby. Only stars, trees, mountains — and a river that runs beneath your window all night long.
Your Basecamp for Nikko
Earth Hostel sits on the banks of Black River in the village of Okorogawa, in the southern mountains of Nikko. From here you can hike forest trails, rent a bike and cycle through the valley, swim in the river just steps from the front door, or hop on our free shuttle to explore Toshogu Shrine, Lake Chuzenji, and Kegon Falls.
The rooms are your place to rest. The rest of it — the river, the mountains, the stars, the lounge, the meals, the people you meet — that is why you came to Earth Hostel.
