Asahiso

The lobby had a cozy, old-fashioned coffee shop feel, and even on my own I could sense the lively atmosphere of a big group. I was also surprised by how good the coffee was. The place is large, but while I was there I only saw two people outside, along with a cute cat. It’s been operating for nearly 70 years, so the building is old, but it was clean and comfortable, clearly well cared for. There’s a mixed indoor bath and separate men’s and women’s baths on the outdoor rooftop. I heard the indoor bath is women-only at certain times in the evening. The inn was spotless, and the attentive hospitality had a warm Showa-era feel, just as other guests have mentioned.

We went as a family for an afternoon visit on a weekday in December. It was cold outside, so it was nice to have the heater on in the lobby where we met up after bathing. The underground giant rock bath was spacious, with spring water bubbling up, and we had the whole place to ourselves. The area where the water comes out gets quite hot, but you can move between the middle and the edge to find a temperature that suits you. There was also a women-only bath, though the giant rock bath was enough for us, so we didn’t try it.

The owners were very thoughtful, and I’d definitely visit again. We stayed with two meals included while jade-digging in Itoigawa. The food was standard ryokan fare without much local character, so next time I may stay in town and have dinner and breakfast there instead. The highlight was the dramatic large rock bath, which looked as though it had been built right into the rock face. Bathing is generally mixed, with women-only hours from 8-9pm. The place had a nice retro atmosphere. We skipped the open-air bath because there were so many stink bugs, which seem hard to avoid at ryokans around Itoigawa. The water was quite hot and smelled sulfurous, maybe? On the way back, the meeting of the Otokoro River and Hime River was spectacular.

My wife enjoyed being able to soak with someone else there, since she doesn’t like bathing alone. We were the only guests on our first visit, December 7, 2025. The outdoor bath was under maintenance, so we could only use the large rock bath, and it turned out to be mixed bathing. The showers seemed to use hot spring water. Body soap and shampoo were available, but there was no conditioner or hair dryer in the changing room. The bath itself was very nice, though the ceiling beams and pillars were rusted and falling apart, which made me wonder if the building had any earthquake resistance. It had an old Showa-era style.