Kyukamura Nasu

Getting there by bus is possible, but I'd recommend driving. The staff were very welcoming and helpful, and the buffet had tasty food with lots of choices.

Nice place.

The staff were cheerful and welcoming, and the service makes me want to come back. The place is due to be demolished next month and reopen in the fall of the year after next. I stayed one night, hoping to check in before the temporary closure for reconstruction. The hot spring water comes from Daimaru Onsen and is heated and circulated. They seem to add chlorine when it's busy, which concerned me a little, though at night, with fewer guests, I barely noticed the smell. Dinner was a buffet with lots of Western dishes. The diced steak was especially good, and I went back for more steamed vegetables. The sashimi selection was broad, thickly cut, and fresh. I wondered if leftover rice from the previous day gets reused. Kyuka Mura's rice seems to have been getting better lately, so I was a little disappointed. The specialty soup dumplings at breakfast were overcooked and didn't look very nice, but they tasted good. The omelet was made fresh and seasoned just how I like it, so I had seconds.

The meals really make up for the building's shortcomings. There was a lavish strawberry tasting, loads of dishes and desserts, and best of all, you can take dessert back to your room. They're closing from July through August this year for renovation, so I'm looking forward to seeing it afterward. The building is old. The lobby is fairly clean, but the rooms and hallways have a strong Showa-era feel, with low ceilings, black-stained carpets, and an old-style toilet and sink in the Japanese room. The hot spring is said to use water from Daimaru Onsen, but it's recirculated, so I wasn't impressed with it.