Shimizuya Ryokan

We got a little lost trying to find the parking lot, which was hard to spot. Once there, we enjoyed the billiards table by the entrance to the outdoor bath. We stayed for two days and one night. The inside and outside both have a retro Showa-era feel. The water is clear and colorless, and quite hot. Meals, whether you book breakfast only or breakfast and dinner, are simple Japanese fare. The hot spring is mixed gender but has a section for women. If you like a retro atmosphere, you might enjoy staying here.

A single-car Aizu Railway train goes by right below the inn about once an hour. The place has a pleasant rustic feel, and even the dining hall has chairs. Dinner is reasonably priced and very generous, with gently seasoned simmered vegetables, small side dishes and chawanmushi, or steamed egg custard. It's a family-friendly, Showa-style hot spring inn along a main road. The spring water is weakly alkaline, clear and colorless. There is one mixed-gender outdoor bath, with about two hours set aside for women. The indoor baths are separate for men and women.

You can use the five outdoor baths any time except while they're being cleaned. The staff are friendly, and there's a reasonable amount of freedom. The rooms have great views, and the food is good. I think you could enjoy staying in without going sightseeing. The billiards room in front of the outdoor baths is, well, weird and interesting (lol).

I was there in 2020, during an unusually warm winter, when Minami-Aizu had hardly any snow. I spent the night before going to Granty Hatori Lake the next day. Since it was Sunday, the inn was nearly empty, with only three other groups there. The indoor bath was extremely hot, and I had to adjust the temperature to make it bearable. I was looking forward to the outdoor bath, but only one tub had water and it was lukewarm. I could stay in for a long time, but getting out was painful in the cold. The other tubs were empty. Maybe they only open in summer?