Tazawa Kogen Hotel

We came as a group of 40, and the friendly owners were remarkably patient with us. The cabins were comfortable, though that pillow stuffed with hard plastic beads was a strange choice.

The hot spring was great and the location worked well, but what made the place feel especially warm was the lovely owners.

The indoor and outdoor baths use natural hot spring water, with no circulation. It’s a little cloudy, with white bits floating in it, and has a sulfur and wax smell. I enjoyed the food, too. The facilities are old but manageable, and everything was clean. A very nice place to stay.

Dinner and breakfast were the highlight for me: both felt homemade, healthy, authentic, and delicious compared with the nearby hotels. We had a room on the third floor with a view of Tazawa lake, and on a clear day the sunset was gorgeous. The stairs are carpeted, which helped with carrying our luggage up since there’s no elevator. The manager gave us a ride from the JR station and carried our bags, and was always smiling, considerate, and helpful. Hoyuji-san and his wife were so warm and kind as well. The room was old but decent, the sulfur hot spring was high quality, and the cozy rotenburo was so quiet at night. If you’re lucky, you might catch the manager clearing snow off the roof. I hope to come back to Akita.