Ayabe Onsen Nioukan

I’d come back to this onsen if I were hiking nearby. It makes a great base in the forest, close to trails, Komyoji Temple, Niomon Gate, and a remarkable Japanese horse chestnut tree. There are several baths, including a citrus bath that weekend, plus a steam sauna. You can look out toward the woods, though the privacy screen makes the view hard to see while you’re in the water. Two private soaking tubs were closed when I visited. I didn’t stay overnight, just used the baths and ate at the restaurant. The food was standard Japanese fare, and the signs mentioned local ingredients. I had a soba set with tempura, while my partner got a tonkatsu egg bowl. Both were good, but didn’t seem to showcase anything especially local, unless the tempura vegetables were from nearby.