Ichie

The food wasn't bad, which made the rest of this stay even more of a shame. We were in a room with an open-air bath, but its temperature control wasn't working. The water was lukewarm when we first tried it, and in the morning the hot spring source only ran cold. The bath itself was cold too. We asked the front desk, but the night staff said they didn't know. We asked them to pass it on to an employee, but that message never got through. Before breakfast, we asked again and were only told they'd check. We couldn't use the bath that morning, so we checked out early and asked staff about it. They said it had been adjusted and hot water was now coming out. We got a brief “sorry,” but no proper apology before the end of our stay. I was left thinking, “So this is the level of this hotel.” There were also high school camps staying there, and it was extremely noisy.

The most pleasant part came later in the evening. The open-air bath finally got hot enough to enjoy, and after a light snowfall cleared, we could see the stars. The service attitude was also very impressive. Still, the stay had too many ups and downs to feel properly relaxing. We booked a Japanese-Western room with an open-air bath for one night. The room was clean and comfortable after its renovation a few years ago, but nobody showed us to it, they just explained things verbally. I was also disappointed there were no sweets on the table. The website listed body milk, cleanser, face wash, lotion, emulsion, a hairbrush, short socks, and slippers. None of those were provided. Slippers were in the bathroom, though I couldn't tell if those were the ones meant, or if it meant the slippers in the entrance hall for walking around the building. If the items were simply forgotten, that's a shame. If not, the website should be updated. I was looking forward to the bath, but the front desk said it would be hot and that we could cool it with cold water. It was only lukewarm, so I couldn't get in at first. The shower sign warned that it could take a while to heat up, but after a few minutes the water was still lukewarm and the flow was weak. That was a disappointing arrival. We ordered dinner with double the meat, but nobody explained the plan, so I can't tell if we actually got twice as much. The menu was pretty ordinary. Breakfast was a standard Japanese set meal; at a hot spring inn, I would have liked a detox option in the morning.

I've wanted to visit this inn for a long time, and I was very satisfied in the end. There was also a glamping area on the grounds, with lots of families enjoying it that day. I came in August 2025, on a day that was incredibly hot. Surprisingly, the inn was hot inside too, as if the air conditioning was overloaded, though the room itself had proper air conditioning and was comfortable. It's spacious enough that two futons can be laid out with plenty of room. They're usually put out around dinner, but I wanted to lie down earlier, so I asked them to set them up beforehand. The bath was a decent size. I took a photo because there was no “no photos” sign and nobody else was there, but the indoor air was so hot I couldn't really enjoy the water. The open-air bath came with plenty of wild animals, plus buzzing horseflies, lol. Meals were served in a dining hall alongside other guests. The food was already on the table and there was no menu, which was a little disappointing. They did accommodate my allergies, though, and I appreciated that. Breakfast was in the same hall, a typical hot spring inn meal, simply delicious.

The baths and shower were a letdown. The shower didn't work, and only lukewarm, nearly cold water came out. The indoor bath was cold enough to make me worry about catching a cold. The outdoor bath sounded a bit better, but only a few taps worked properly. It felt like the guests were being neglected. The food was just ordinary, neither good nor bad. That was a shame, since it had nothing special about it and left me wondering why I was eating there.