Gekko Onsen Kua Haimu

The bath and the food were good.

A nice place, with natural water and good food!!!

I’m a woman in my 50s who likes going to hot springs on my own around Fukushima Prefecture, and sometimes having soba noodle soup. I care about the spring water, an open-air bath, and whether the price and service feel balanced. Unless something out of the ordinary happens, I probably won’t come back. Earlier this year, I went to Gekko Onsen by myself. It’s easy to reach by car and close to the highway. The New Year holiday crowd was bigger than I expected, and the lot was full, but I found a space. I paid 800 yen for a two-hour ticket. The receptionist realized it was my first visit and was helpful, showing me the rest area. The alkaline water felt nicely slippery, though I think Mihoda Onsen has a thicker feel. I couldn’t tell whether the slippery floor in the washing area came from the spring water or dirt. They advertise it as a direct-flowing hot spring, but I’m not sure that’s the case. I also didn’t feel much warmer after soaking. There was an open-air bath. The smell was the biggest letdown. It had that distinct, unsanitary odor you often find in old public baths, and I didn’t like it. In the women’s changing room, a speaker controller had come off the wall and was dangling from the ceiling, with dust on it. I wonder if it’s been like that since the earthquake. While I was resting in the hallway in front of the rest area, I heard two staff members talking, and it sounded like they might have been arguing, lol. There were a lot of odd and interesting things about the place. For people nearby, it could be a useful facility. It stays open late, has a roomy rest area and somewhere to eat. If I lived close by, I might use it.

The in-room meal was mostly seafood, and everything tasted good. There was so much food I was completely full, and they included complimentary drinks too. I was staying for my university entrance exams. The bath was great and left my skin feeling really smooth, lol. One small snag: there were no slippers.