Chorakuen

Yunosuke's Inn Chorakuen serves kaiseki made with local ingredients, and the hot spring water is 100% natural, which is rare in Tamatsukuri Onsen. Its open-air bath is billed as Japan’s largest and has been certified by Nippon-Net since 2008, as of July 26, 2024.

Dinner and breakfast are included in the price, and tattoos are okay. The big hot spring is mixed gender, with swimsuits provided by the hotel. The hospitality was excellent. One of the best hot spring inns around, and you won’t be disappointed.

Getting here is a bit awkward because the shuttle bus runs on fixed times and stops at another hotel before coming here. Even so, the stay was fantastic. The mixed-gender onsen was great, and I really enjoyed it. The garden is nicer than some paid gardens in Kyoto.

The onsen hotel was excellent, with a beautiful garden, smooth hot spring water, and a clean, spacious room. The food was delicious too. The small town outside is scenic, especially during Sakura season. For this class of onsen resort, the price is lower than places near a big city, and getting around wasn’t much of a problem. A special thank you to Matsu San, a staff member who speaks good English and helped us get our bags back after they went missing for a short time. It turned out local people had found our bags left by the stream, picked them up, and handed them to the police station. The police returned them after we reported the loss two hours later. Without Matsu san’s help, communicating with the police might have taken much longer. This is an excellent choice if you’re planning to visit the onsen here.