Sunaharai Onsen

A really nice neighborhood Onsen.

A good onsen.

It’s an easy place to stay when visiting Iida, and you can walk from Iida Station if you don’t mind the distance. The rooms aren’t luxurious and the facilities are quite old. Staff are polite and kind, especially the elderly woman serving meals, who gives the place a welcoming feel. The baths are also open to non-guests until late, so they can get crowded.

The place is showing its age and could be cleaner, but I still like this hot spring. The jet bath is the strongest I’ve ever tried and loosens up my whole body. I’m glad they have one of the few electric baths around, plus an open-air bath and sauna to enjoy at my own pace. The closing routine is the frustrating part. An older female staff member hurried me along ten minutes before the 10 p.m. closing, switched off the lights, then locked up and left right at 10. If they need to rush people, they shouldn’t say the bath closes at 10. When the older woman is at reception, though, it’s such a relaxing place.