Hanabi

We had a comfortable, spacious room in this old-fashioned ryokan, and the tatami gave it a lovely fresh, comforting smell. It was clean, furnished in a 70s-80s style, and the futons felt cozy and homey. The building has the feel of a traditional Japanese house or boarding house from the 70s, with thin walls and sliding doors between rooms. It was a full ryokan experience: yukata, onsen, tatami, futons, hospitality, and kaiseki dinner and breakfast. The elderly hosts were lovely. The gentleman knew a little basic English, while the woman spoke hardly any, but we managed to sort out practical things like meal times and bath hours despite the language gap. The washroom and sink are shared, but we had no trouble using them even with at least three other residents or groups around. Meals were served in a separate tatami room with similar 70s-80s furnishings. Breakfast was at 8am and dinner at 6:30pm. Both were simple, carefully made home-style Japanese food, and tasted as good as they looked. The baths are separated by gender and can be used at any hour. If I understood correctly, the hosts asked us not to use the shower after 10pm so the noise wouldn’t disturb others. The water was cloudy white with a clear sulfur smell, which didn’t bother us. It was quite hot, with fresh hot spring water continuously flowing in, though we could cool it somewhat by adding tap water. Very relaxing.

I won’t stay here again. The bathroom was shockingly dirty, with mushrooms growing on the walls and weeds on the window sills. The floor seemed not to have been cleaned in a long time. It triggered a relapse of my obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the unpleasant feeling on the soles of my feet still hasn’t gone away. The toilet area was filthy too: the urinal was bright yellow, and the bowl was covered in black mold. Seeing everything so dirty made me suspicious of everything, and I couldn’t eat. That night I had an unusual asthma attack, though I don’t know whether it was caused by the air conditioner or bedding. My nose kept running and was badly congested, so I couldn’t sleep at all. The sleep loss over the following days ruined my trip.

I was able to relax and unwind in the quiet bath, even though it wasn’t very large. I had it all to myself. The water was milky white and had only a faint sulfur smell. Thank you to the woman who kindly let me in even though I asked suddenly.

I went alone in April and chose the half-board plan. Dinner and breakfast were both generous, filling meals with a mild flavor, and I’d recommend trying them even though breakfast-only and room-only plans are also available. The inn is a little dated, and I’d been somewhat concerned by reviews mentioning cleanliness, but my room, the dining area, and baths were all fine. It didn’t seem fully booked, so I managed to reserve the smaller bath for private use and enjoyed the sulfur spring several times. The elderly landlady was kind and greeted the foreign tourists staying that day, which made for a relaxing atmosphere. There’s parking on site and buses are easy to access. I think it’s a good option for solo travelers or small groups of friends visiting Sengokuhara, Gora, or Miyagino.