Atagawa Onsen Takami Hotel

I haven't stayed overnight, but I've used the day-use hot spring. The outdoor onsen is one of the few public mixed baths left in Japan. It's open 10 am to 4 pm and costs 700 yen. I've visited now and then, and sometimes nobody comes to the front desk, even after I ring the bell. The desk is on the top floor of this hotel built on a steep hill. Staff aren't very forthcoming with information, and I wouldn't count on English. Take off your shoes at the entrance and put on the standard awkward slippers. I love the open-air bath. It's not very hot, so you can soak for a long time without overheating, and one corner looks out toward the coast. The changing rooms and separate men's and women's baths are three floors down. They're old and a bit Steampunk-looking. Mineral deposits and puddles are on the floor, and the room near the outdoor baths is sometimes dark. I think they may be saving electricity during the day. In the mixed outdoor bath, you can wear a towel or go nude. It feels safe, and people have been respectful on my visits. Weekends and holidays get crowded. I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years and been to plenty of hot springs. If you're shy, staying overnight lets you reserve private time in the outdoor baths. There's a huge canopy of Bougainvillea overhead and you can hear birds nearby during the day. The shower by the outdoor pool can take about five minutes to get hot. For a proper wash with soap, I'd use the segregated baths upstairs from the rotenburo. Remember to bring what you need, since the outdoor pool is four floors down with no elevator. The stairs are rickety. The nicest toilet is near the entrance by the front desk, and it's the cleanest and most modern. There's one shared toilet near the separate baths, three floors down. Bring drinks and towels. I usually leave my wallet in the car and carry only enough cash for the bath. The sink water near the outdoor springs is probably fine, but looks a little questionable. The hotel is known for good meals if you stay overnight. For Western visitors, keep in mind this is an old, poorly maintained place, not a modern hotel, and you'll need to climb several flights of stairs to reach the bath.

The room with the open-air bath was lovely, with a view of the ocean and cherry blossoms during Kawazu cherry blossom season. There were five of us, including a baby, staying with a friend's family. The bath and shower both use hot spring water, which was the best part. The building exterior is old, and the stairs could be tough for anyone with weak legs. The food was average for both dinner and breakfast. Some dishes were too strongly seasoned, others too mild, and the balance felt off. It wasn't as tasty as people had led us to expect. After breakfast, we started packing away the futon straight away, though I wanted to sleep in a little before check-out. It would be nice if guests could take some hot spring mineral water home.

The building is undeniably old and not much to look at, and it can feel awkward asking about transportation. But the people who prepared our meals and laid out the futons were so kind and welcoming, including the elderly woman and man. The hot spring flows freely from the source, and our room had a great view. There were good and bad points, but in the end I thought it was good.

The food at both dinner and breakfast was mostly cold. White rice, miso soup or clear soup, and dishes cooked over solid fuel were exceptions, but grilled and boiled items were cold. There's more I could list, but I'll stop there. The room toilet wouldn't lock, and the shared toilet by the baths wouldn't lock either. The bath in the room was so dirty I couldn't use it. Maybe rooms with open-air baths are cleaner. There was also a half-eaten dessert from the previous guest in the fridge, which made it seem like the room hadn't been checked during cleaning. The open-air bath is generally mixed, with women-only hours from 6 to 8 pm and private bookings from 8 pm. After private sessions, it goes back to mixed bathing. The stairs down there are quite a thrill. There are no toilets in the open-air or indoor bath areas, just a shared one by the entrance to the baths, and that one didn't lock either. It's awful, and I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe someone with a morbid curiosity would enjoy it.