Haruka-no-Yu Kaze-no-Toki

I can see why it would be considered one of Japan’s top hundred onsen ryokan.

I came for a day trip, and the price with meals included left me satisfied. Both the indoor and outdoor baths are great, and the atmosphere from the entrance through to the dining area is lovely. The building itself is really nice, which makes the state of the bathing area puzzling. The shower area is in such poor shape that it makes you wonder about bath maintenance too. The water pressure is laughably weak, and there’s dirt on the ceiling. If they repaired the partition board, replaced the shower head to improve the pressure, and cleaned the ceiling, it would be truly perfect.

I won’t be going back. I’d been looking forward to this stay because of the great reviews, despite the high price of the suite with its open-air bath. The bath itself was amazing, but the shower was outside beside it, so using it was cold. At dinner, a foreign staff member wearing a name tag and practicing Japanese helped me. There wasn’t a Japanese staff member sitting with me, though, so communication was difficult and I felt uneasy. I have an alcohol allergy and chose the seat they said had no alcohol, but the person who told me that did have some. They called another Japanese staff member and apologized. I shudder to think what might have happened if I’d eaten there. There also weren’t basic amenities like makeup remover, face wash, lotion, or milky lotion. The suite toilet had such weak water pressure that it took four flushes to get the toilet paper down.

After a long soak, we rested in the lobby’s enclosed area, where the chair was so relaxing we nearly fell asleep. Chairs and benches were set around the space, just right for taking a break after warming up in the baths. There were beautiful Hina dolls on display too. My husband and I came for a day trip on a very cold but clear day, and enjoyed the open-air baths. There were two outdoor baths for women, with views of the nearby mountains and trees, and, looking down, the flowing Toyosawa River. A cold gust came through now and then, but being in the bath felt comfortable and refreshing.