Yunosawa Kosen

A pleasant ryokan, a little aged, with cheerful, great people. The onsen was good and dinner was delicious. Thumbs up.

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I stopped by on Saturday, February 14, 2026, after visiting Tomoeya Kosen Ryokan in Hitachiota City for a bath. My next stop was Yunosawa Kosen in Hitachiomiya City, the only inn in Ibaraki Prefecture belonging to the "Society for Preserving Secret Hot Springs." Despite the "secret hot springs" label, it’s close to a prefectural road, so it’s accessible even if you’re not confident driving on steep mountain roads. I’d read online that day visits and overnight stays would both be suspended for renovations from Monday, March 2nd to Thursday, April 2nd, so I went before the work began. The adult bathing fee was 1,000 yen. The men’s bath was cypress that day, while the women’s was a rock bath. Both were spacious and relaxing, although the cypress scent wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped. I’m looking forward to seeing how the baths are after the renovations.

The inn itself is old, but the rooms have a quaint, comfortable feel. In winter there’s a kotatsu, and the air conditioning keeps the room warm enough. Dinner was plentiful and delicious, even without choosing one of the plans that include chicken hotpot or steak. For the taste and quantity at this price, I still give it five stars. It’s a rare hot spring inn because there aren’t hot springs on the nearby plains. The drive has a few narrow spots where two cars can’t pass, though campervans and compact buses are allowed. There’s a small dog on the property, so people with dog allergies should be careful. Day trips for the hot spring are also available. It seems tattoos are allowed in the bath in some places. The water is colorless and odorless, a little hot, and its temperature varies by time of day.