Back Shiobara Kogen Hotel

The old fashioned Showa era building is about 50 years old, the manager told me, but it's magnificent. The furnishings and interior are clean, well kept, and full of atmosphere. Meals weren't extravagant, though they were better than I expected, and the large windows let you take in the greenery from the rooms. The setting is part of what makes this place special, along with the baths and the spring water. Most of the baths are new, and the private and public baths have lovely views of Okushiobara's broadleaf forest, including from indoors. I visited Shiobara Onsen for the first time in decades, and could lose track of time looking at the trees while soaking in the milky, sulfur scented water. A lovely spot if you want to relax in nature.

After golf at a nearby course, four of us stayed in two rooms. It's an older hotel, but very well maintained, quiet, and comfortable. The rooms are spacious and the toilets have bidet functions. There are private baths as well as indoor and outdoor ones, though the regular baths were enough for us. The meals were delicious and carefully prepared. At dinner, we especially liked the sashimi with wasabi, Nasu beef sukiyaki, and the fish dishes. Breakfast had plenty to enjoy too, including Nasu Kogen milk, an onsen egg, and pickles. The red miso soup called "Makigari-jiru" at dinner was hearty, and both the soup and rice were tasty. Green tea, hojicha, and coffee are free, and there's a good selection of sake. It cost 19,000 yen per person, plus alcohol. The staff were kind and helpful, and I'd like to come back.

I was happy with the service from the woman from Myanmar and the man from Nepal who waited on me in the restaurant. Thank you both, and thanks for the hospitality. I've been to Shiobara Onsen many times, though in Okushiobara I've only visited the public bath "Tera no Yu" a few times. I'd stayed at this inn once before, and came back for one night out of nostalgia. The whole hotel felt quiet, and seems especially suited to seniors. The sulfur springs are my favorite. I even used my towel to take some of that sulfur smell home, as I usually do. (⌒∇⌒) I wish I'd bought the yuzu miso from breakfast as a souvenir. I still regret leaving without it.

I came mainly for the hot springs and stayed in a Japanese-Western room in the annex with one other person. It's halfway up a mountain pass, so getting there without a car is difficult. I was there in February 2026. The old building is well kept, the rooms are old too but have renovated toilets, and the annex's combined Japanese-Western rooms could sleep six comfortably. I checked in shortly before 3 PM. There weren't any foreign guests, but most of the staff serving meals and dealing with customers were foreigners, while the front desk staff were mostly Japanese. They could communicate in Japanese, and I didn't see that as a problem. There are four private open-air baths, one indoors, available for 1,000 yen for 40 minutes. I asked for one at check-in, but the bath I wanted was said to be fully booked, so I rented a different one. I didn't see other guests around and the baths seemed open at other times, which left me wondering if it really had been fully booked. You can tell when a private bath is in use because you change into slippers to go there. The spring water was a little lukewarm after check-in and late at night, but hotter in the morning and before checkout. It reminded me of Manza, with excellent water and a distinctive sulfur smell. I went in five times, sometimes having the place to myself. It felt so refreshing I nearly didn't want to leave. Dinner was the Tochigi beef steak course. The steak came with truffle rock salt and wasabi, but the portion was a little small, so I asked for steak sauce and they brought some. Water, tea, and rice refills were self-service. The other dishes and breakfast were good in both quality and quantity. The room and the rest of the building were clean and tidy, the food was good, and it was quiet and relaxing. My main complaints: the private open-air bath was too small for two adults to stretch their legs out, and there was room for chairs in the spacious open-air bath area, as well as in the private bath area. We also had only one room key. I'd like to visit the hot springs again.