Shikaribetsukyo Kanno Onsen

I visited the onsen for the day and thought it was fabulous. The pools came in a range of temperatures. My favorite was the below-ground one, which felt almost like a grotto, with hot water coming from a source near the ceiling. In summer, it was open from 12:00 to 17:00.

The place is tucked deep in the forest, at the end of a road that only serves the onsen, so it's very quiet at night. It's been open since 1912, though that's fairly young by Japanese onsen standards. If you enjoy onsens, there are about 7-8 pools to try. The men's and women's sides switch in the evening, so you can use all of them in one night. The meals were tasty and similar to the standard food at homestays, but nothing especially unique.

The room was nice and spacious, though I hadn't expected it to have a toilet but no bathroom. I used the shared bath and onsen, which were beautiful, and really loved them. Staff were friendly and could speak English. The meals were good too, and I enjoyed my stay.

Tucked away in the mountains, this is a typical Japanese inn with comfortable beds and everything well kept. The food was okay. There are lots of hot spring baths at different temperatures, and some are reached by stairs only. It's a little uphill from the parking area to the entrance.