Izumiya

The inn was well kept throughout, and I had a pleasant stay. The owner and head hostess were kind and courteous, and the food was good quality. It’s excellent value for money. I also noticed the tableware at meals, and the Bizen ware displayed around the inn is lovely. By today’s standards, accessibility is limited, though that can be difficult to address at any hot spring facility.

We had a one-night package with two meals and onsen access for 16,000 yen, which felt like excellent value. The meals were delicious, and desserts and hot tea had been left in our room. We’re travelers from Taiwan and don’t speak much Japanese. The hotel is a little far from Yuhara Onsen, so we couldn’t enjoy the onsen itself, but there’s a public onsen less than a five-minute walk away. Parking was in front of the hotel. An elderly lady welcomed us; she spoke a little English, and we got by with gestures. Her hospitality made us feel very welcome. As we left, she said “Ki wo Tsukete” 😊.

We got a remarkably low price for an inn in the Yubara Onsen area, even during the busy Obon season. Ashi Onsen is along the Asahikawa River, about a ten-minute drive from Sunayu. The inn is just across the bridge. Its exterior looks a little dated, but inside it’s been renovated and is very clean. It’s a simple hot spring inn with excellent facilities, and the updated rooms make it suitable for business travelers too. The one drawback is that the hot springs are in a public bath a few minutes’ walk away, so your time there is limited. Still, with the food, rooms and price, I’d highly recommend it.

We stopped here on the way back from Kurayoshi City and had a warm, welcoming stay as a family of three. Ashi Onsen is one of the quieter resorts in the Yubara Onsen area. The food was simple and delicious, with wild vegetables and river fish, and we had a relaxing time. The toilets are shared, and you need to use the nearby Ashi Onsenkan for bathing, but neither felt too inconvenient. Local people use the hot spring facility. Apparently, they don’t build baths in their homes, and the family who owns the inn came to bathe there too. I’d like to visit next time during firefly season.