Senninkaku

The warm feeling from the bath lasts a long time, and the water has a gentle texture. The temperature was just right for me. There are some carefully made ornaments as you enter Senninkaku, and the dim hallways give day visitors a fun sense of exploring the place as they arrive. If you’re coming in winter, you’ll need a four-wheel drive vehicle.

The water felt great, and I really liked the open-air bath too. I went to Senninkaku during the Obon break after a friend from the countryside recommended this hot spring in Nagano Prefecture. There’s a one-hour limit, so there isn’t much time to linger. In summer the horseflies were everywhere, and one bit me on the back, so I had to get out for a while. There was Fumakilla A in the changing room, but it didn’t help with the flies at all, and I didn’t go back into the outdoor bath after that. I was disappointed because I wanted to stay in it longer. I’ll give it another try in winter.

There were about 10 dead horseflies floating in the bath, and the changing room was pitch black because the lights had been switched off. They didn’t come on, which was a real problem for day visitors. I also felt like day-trippers weren’t treated as guests. This place claims to protect secret hot springs, but it was deserted and there didn’t seem to be any locals coming either. Would you pay to come here just to be tired after climbing the Alps? The one-hour limit is another downside. I wouldn’t recommend it. The water didn’t make the trip worthwhile. I know there are a lot of horseflies around, but more than 10 landed on me as soon as I parked, and several got into my car. I’d read that they sometimes lend out insecticide, so I politely asked if there was any near the baths. The owner snapped back, “Are you telling me to disinfect the entire Alps?” and sneered. There are hot springs in Tochigi with even more horseflies, so I couldn’t understand the reaction. I thought some insecticide would have been useful, and might have made the water and atmosphere more enjoyable, though I can’t say for sure. The Alps name alone shouldn’t be expected to make everything okay.

Stink bugs have apparently been unusually bad this year, and they kept finding their way into our room even with the windows shut. That was a bit of a nuisance. As a member of the Association for the Preservation of Old, Simple, and Unpretentious Hot Springs, I found the inn fairly ordinary. The open-air bath was too hot, and the rock bath between the indoor and outdoor baths was even hotter. Although the baths alternate between men and women, that rock bath is only available on one side, and everyone was saying it was too hot to get in.