Yumoto Choseikan

I came just for the bath and didn’t stay overnight. For ¥500, outside visitors can use the huge rotenburo, and I had it all to myself. The men’s pool is much bigger than the women’s, though. The reception area and the ryokan’s exterior look quite dark and worn. I’d probably just drop by to try the rotenburo.

The open-air bath is outstanding, full stop.

The hot spring water itself is pretty good and there’s plenty of it, which makes the other problems a real shame. The amenities are well stocked, but there’s only one hair dryer in the indoor bath and none in the rooms. The shampoo is a rinse-in type that left my hair dry and rough, so bring your own. I was looking forward to dinner since they’ve traditionally served it in the room. The grilled fish was cold and so hard I couldn’t cut it with chopsticks, so I had to pick it up and bite it. The tempura was room temperature with tiny pieces, and the rice was awful: hard and bad smelling. I don’t usually care much about rice, but this was unacceptable. The kettle only had hot water in it, with no way to make more. Breakfast was the best meal, though its rice was just as bad as dinner’s. The convenience store doesn’t stay open all day, and there are only two vending machines. The women’s open-air bath sits diagonally above the men’s, but a wall blocks the view. If you stand up to look out, you can see the men below. The advertised open-air view is from the men’s bath. For women, it’s basically an open-air bath with 80 steps. I didn’t see anyone using either bath during my stay. The indoor bath windows were fogged on the outside, too, so the view was obscured. The facility map shows the women’s indoor bath is half the size of the men’s. This old inn gives a clear impression that women are treated poorly. I was told the open-air bath could be used once it got light, so I went at 6:40 in the morning. There was so little water that it barely seemed warm enough to bathe in. I like hot baths, but this was too hot even for me, probably not even 35°C. I appreciate that they accept solo travelers and keep the old building clean. Still, there are plenty of other hot springs with good water quality.

It’s a lovely place to stop for a hot spring on the way back from skiing, and I highly recommend it to anyone passing through Mikuni Pass. The spring is fantastic, with abundant water flowing freely over the edges. Winters can be very cold here, and there aren’t many amenities. If you don’t handle the cold well or want better facilities, nearby Mantenhoshi no Yu may be the safer choice.