Yakumo Onsen Yuai Kumanokan

The guest rooms are a little dated, though they were cleaned with great care and I enjoyed my stay. The Wi-Fi was nearly unusable, which is why I gave it four stars. The smoking area is outside, but the entrance closes after 10 p.m., so you can't go out then. On my first visit in June, I stayed two nights and had the plan with breakfast and dinner. Dinner was especially luxurious, and the chef and restaurant staff were so friendly and lovely. The hot springs were excellent, and the open-air bath was very clean. Locals use the baths too, so you may hear things you won't find in guidebooks. I'd recommend this place to anyone visiting Kumano Taisha Shrine. I'm planning another two-night stay in February. Depending on the room, it can feel a little nerve-racking to look out at Kumano Taisha Shrine at night from within the gods' sacred grounds. This is an inn I'll want to return to, and I definitely will.

The restaurant and lobby staff were both friendly and reassuring. I had the fried chicken set meal, which was crispy, tasty, and a generous portion. It might be too much if you don't have a big appetite. The white rice was good too. The hot springs were clean and pleasant to use.

I stopped by for a day trip and a soak. Tattoos and body piercings are allowed, I checked at reception. The price is reasonable, and there’s a roomy indoor bath as well as an open-air one where you can feel close to nature. A quick dip might help ease your travel fatigue.

The baths are reserved for overnight guests after 9 PM, so I got to enjoy the large indoor and open-air baths on my own. The water had a slight chlorine smell, but it wasn’t strong enough to bother me, and the temperature was just right for a long soak. Before heading in, I’d checked the water quality chart and seen that the water is recirculated with chlorine, which really took the wind out of my sails. The water was indeed circulating. My twin room was roomy and relaxing, but it smelled a bit musty, and I went through a whole bottle of Febreze, lol. Breakfast and dinner were both hearty and delicious. I chose this inn for my Shimane and Tottori hot springs trip because I wanted a ryokan in both prefectures with meals and a great spring. Everything else matched what I was looking for. Kumano Taisha Shrine, the Ichinomiya of Izumo Province, is right beside the inn, so it’s very quiet, though plenty of day visitors come. It’s a calcium-sodium sulfate spring. Day visits run 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with last check-in at 8:30 PM. Overnight guests can bathe from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, then again from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM.