Yamae Onsen Hotaru

I’d heard this place recommended, and it was busy even in the early afternoon, so it seems popular with locals. The water seemed to have a noticeable effect on my skin afterward, and I was happy with the range of baths. It’s a bit of a drive for me, but I think I’ll come back often. The outdoor bath was a comfortable temperature, though the view is mostly fence and tree branches. There are benches outside the water where you can sit. Inside, a few baths let you lie down for a bubble massage with your head above water, alongside a couple of more traditional tubs. There are both dry and steam saunas. Foam mats are available for sitting in the saunas or on benches indoors and out. I found the cold bath VERY cold, good for cooling my head but far too cold for me to get into or pour over the rest of my body. There are lots of showers to wash first, with either a bowl-filling tap or a shower head. Body soap and shampoo are provided, but bring your own towel. After entering, the ticket kiosk is on the right, and a little farther along on the right is the shoe room, since shoes come off at the entrance. In the changing area, there are free cubbies with baskets as well as 10-yen lockers, plus an electronic scale and a fan for drying off. I only had a short visit. An adult day-bath ticket was 450 yen.

We chose a room with its own bath, which opens onto a big little garden. The spring water was high quality and not too hot. The room was a comfortable size, not huge, but laid out efficiently with everything we needed. This little hot spring hotel made for a really enjoyable stay.

The room and toilet were clean, and the place was barrier-free. I liked the heated hallway floors. The open-air bath was pleasant, though cigarette smoke from the nearby smoking area could get strong when the wind blew the wrong way. Food was average, and there was no hot water in the bathroom.

The spring is sodium bicarbonate, and there’s a tiled slippery bath that’s said to produce negative ions and help circulation, stress, and lower back pain. With a walking bath, low-voltage electric bath, relaxing bath, outdoor bath, and sauna, it’s a good fit for locals who like long soaks and detoxing.