Awakura Onsen Motoyu

The quiet river and forests were what made this little town memorable, with no vending machines around and hardly any mainstream feel. The ryokan, onsen, food, and people who work and live there all added to the atmosphere. My girlfriend and I stayed in 2017 and were surprised by how far away it was and how small the town was. I’d really recommend visiting.

The egg sauna was great, and the bonfire meal was an extraordinary experience: wild game hot pot and offal udon cooked around the fire.

The slippers looked really dirty. Could they be replaced with new ones? My friends also found it too noisy to sleep well. And if the price is this low, could you explain that more clearly at check-in?

Motoyu’s bonfire setup is a big part of the stay. You chop and stack the wood, then light it yourself. There’s an instructional video, so it’s easy to follow, and you can add a dinner set and cook over the fire. It gets a bit hectic managing the ingredients, flames, and drifting smoke together, but it’s a memorable kind of cooking you don’t get in a modern kitchen very often. Be sure to plan an overnight stay. In the evening, Motoyu’s hot springs are there to enjoy, and if you can handle it, switching between hot and cold water leaves you feeling really warm.