Motoyu Yunishikawakan Honkan

The mountain view was good, and the place has a shabby-chic feel. Staff were very nice. I liked the Japanese breakfast, especially the amazing half-boiled egg.

I went with two friends and found the price quite reasonable. The service was excellent, despite some negative reviews I’d read beforehand that had me a bit worried. The building is old but organized well, and it didn’t leave a bad impression. There’s a main building and a newer one, and rooms are reached by stairs, so elderly guests should keep that in mind. Our room was clean and had a bidet toilet, though some rooms don’t have toilets. We tried bear hotpot, my first wild-game dish. It was fairly light but had a surprising, distinct flavor. Salamander tempura was another unusual dining experience. The natural hot spring water felt a little thick, but soaking in it was very pleasant.

The bath is a natural 50-degree hot spring, flowing continuously. In the large bath, the water cools naturally as it flows along, while in the private baths you can add water to get the temperature where you like it, making good use of the spring water. It had a subtle sulfur smell and a thick feel, but was refreshing and very good. The inn sits on a slope in a hot spring town away from the station, with access to the third floor for people with mobility issues. I came hoping to try bear for the first time, along with unusual ingredients like deer, salamander, and carp. I’d expected bear meat to be tough because it’s omnivorous and from a carnivore, but it was tender and delicious, closer to beef with a slightly unusual aroma. The other dishes were excellent too, with lots of local cuisine.

The baths were the best part. They’re open around the clock, including the family baths, and the spring water was excellent. The staff were friendly, and I enjoyed the Japanese food made with local ingredients. The lodging has a lot of history. The peeling wallpaper and shared toilet had me concerned about the room beforehand, and the place felt more like a guesthouse than a hotel.