Yakushikan

The next day I went from Nagano via the Obasute Switchback to Kami-Suwa, where I also bathed in the Senninburo (a bath for 1,000 people) at Katakurakan on the shore of Lake Suwa. The month before, I had stayed at Hishino Onsen Yakushikan. It's an old-fashioned building, but my room was spacious, had twin beds, and made for a comfortable stay. I also got to enjoy the hot springs at Tokiwakan, the other hotel, which you can reach by cable car.

The food was delicious and a little different from other places. Instead of rice, they serve Shinshu soba noodles, and breakfast includes soba galettes. They also provide snacks, and you can pick canned beer as a welcome drink. The cup noodles at dinner are an interesting touch. The inn feels old, but its cave-like corridors give it charm. Surrounded by nature, it's quiet and relaxing.

I was the only person in the bath that day, though I wonder if hotel guests come in at night. There's a limit of seven people for each side, men and women, set by how many baskets are available. You take a basket from the front desk and follow a long cave passage to the bath. The regular bath is on the top of the three levels; the second was a little cold, and the third was mostly water. I stopped in for a day spa. The bathing fee is 800 yen, with 200 yen off if you show a Takamine Mountain Park lift ticket. Since it's a lodging facility, payment is made at the front desk, where they accept various payment methods.

The old building has some mold, probably because of the location, and might disappoint you if you're not used to the countryside. If that doesn't bother you, it can feel like a trip back in time. The interior has an early Showa era feel, for better or worse, with quirky touches like anime posters set in Komoro, a big Getter Robo figure, a welcome drink, all-you-can-eat snacks, and free mini cup ramen late at night. I stayed at neighboring Yakushikan as a solo traveler before heading to the Tojiba Sauna in Tokiwakan. Dinner was a course of Italian food made with local ingredients and soba noodles. The pizza was simple and delicious. Breakfast had soba potage, a soba galette, other soba-based dishes, and a tasty seasonal fruit galette. The building's floating island bath stays open until 9:00 the next morning, so I recommend a quiet late-night soak on your own. The levels are upper (41°C), middle (32°C), and lower (14°C), with instructions at the entrance. Take your time, but watch your step because the path can get slippery when wet.