Chomeikan

The red water is said to be popular for therapeutic bathing, and I found it very soothing. There is plain water too, but I feel the red water works better. The water quality is nice if you can overlook the dirtiness. This is a lodging place that also allows day visitors to bathe for about ¥500 per person. I stayed there and saw a huge spider. The building is quite old, and the changing rooms by the large bath looked a little dirty, even though they probably clean them regularly. If you're interested in therapeutic bathing, give it a try for around ¥500.

For 400 yen, you can bathe at this old hot spring, which has both reddish, earth-colored water and clear, colorless white water. I thought both springs were good quality. There are lots of elderly visitors and no small children, so it feels peaceful for a soak. I also enjoy chatting with the older ladies and hearing their stories (*^^*).

Miyahara Onsen Chomeikan is a hot spring inn with two baths, and you can use both for 400 yen. They're fully separate, so you'll need to change clothes to go from one to the other. The red bath reminded me of Nagayu Onsen, though the water tastes a little salty if you sip it, which was different from what I expected. There are almost no bathing amenities. You could apparently stay overnight, but I'm not sure how appealing that would be. The inn is far from the hot spring town, so I'd recommend going by car.

Dinner was the best part of the stay for me. There was plenty to choose from, and the sashimi was fresh and satisfying. The red water in the men's bath (akayu) was rich and excellent, though lukewarm, so I could soak for a long time. Afterward I went to the hot water, which was good too. The red spring stuck to my skin, though, and turned the only amenity towel completely brown. The thickness of the water was incredible. No wonder they call it the best in Japan. We arrived on a Saturday for a family trip and were the only guests. The inn was established in 1914, but the first floor room was in bad shape: peeling wallpaper and women's hair scattered across the bathroom tiles. It didn't look cleaned. Maybe the older staff couldn't see it. Later, I checked a second-floor room before leaving and it was quite clean, so I don't understand why we were given a dirty one. The beds and other things were haphazardly placed, and the inn was dusty overall. The room had one outlet in an awkward spot, and all I had for amenities was a towel and a razor. The kids were rolling around on their futons while the adults talked. After about ten minutes, I checked on the children and their eyes were swollen and bloodshot. The adults had started sneezing nonstop too. It must have been house dust, and I felt down and went to bed early. The owner's personality is strong. On the way to the hot springs with just the men, I searched Chomeikan online and found a story about the owner entering the women's bath without permission. I contacted the women right away, but there was no signal, and it was too late. When I went into the men's bath, the owner came in with his pants zipper fully open, just as other reviews had said. I was relieved I'd checked, and thought the women must have already gone into their bath. At about 7:30 the next morning, I went out for fresh air and saw someone who had only come to use the bath. I asked the owner if they could bathe, and he said visitors could come in from 9am. There were banners on the main street and in front of the inn advertising the red and white baths from 7am, but they still turned people away. That's when I understood why we were the only ones at the inn on a weekend. What an aggressive business. I have a story to tell now, but I'll never stay at this inn again.