Yunoyado Shimura

The proprietress is a big part of what makes Shimura special. She runs the place by herself and can seem a little gruff at first, but she's very kind once you get talking. I've become a fan, and I hope she takes care of herself. We'll come back. We were the only guests, and they were very accommodating, which we appreciated. Having a toilet in the room helped a lot. The building is old, but the food and hot springs were excellent, and we felt the stay was good value. The water is wonderfully slippery, with little sulfur smell. Soak in it more than once. The mountain vegetable dishes were simple and delicious, and the game fowl was incredibly tasty. You absolutely have to try it.

For 5,000 yen, I used the room-rest plan that included meals. The food and atmosphere were both perfect. I rated it 4 because the open-air bath was cold, though that made sense given the low temperature.

The proprietress calls it country cooking, but I doubt even high-end restaurants serve yamame trout like this. And the open-air bath is a must for anyone who loves secluded hot springs. The indoor bath feels just as you'd expect from Umegashima.

Dinner was full of mountain ingredients, and the tempura was especially good. Each mountain vegetable had its own flavor, with a rich green taste that really stayed with me. The tea leaf tempura was excellent too. We picked our own trout and ate it grilled over the hearth. The proprietress calls it country cooking, but her homemade food, which you can only get here, was so tasty we kept eating. Breakfast was plentiful as well. My room was a Japanese-style 8-tatami room with a toilet and sink. We could see a sea of clouds from the room. After the rain stopped, the clouds kept rising until the blue sky appeared. It was a dramatic, moving view. At night, there were eight guests in total. The white-haired proprietress seemed caring and kind. She used to run the inn with her husband and now manages it alone. Thinking of her preparing meals, cleaning, and looking after eight people is overwhelming. I noticed large pipes and metal plates outside my window, and empty bleach containers in the first-floor hallway. The grounds didn't seem to reflect her personality, which felt strange. The hot spring water worked well for me. It was thick and lukewarm, yet warmed me quickly and left me relaxed after bathing. The source water is cold and can freeze in winter if you're not careful. It's heated by a boiler, with no added water, so it's 100% source water. The proprietress warned that adding tap water would neutralize its effects. There are two indoor baths and one open-air bath. From the indoor bath, I could see greenery through the window and hear frogs croaking. Ferns hung from the open-air bath roof, and rain dripping from them made a picturesque scene. At this high altitude, I could see a sea of clouds from the open-air bath. It's open until 10:00 PM, with no morning bathing. The proprietress said she drains and cleans the bath every day, rather than just taking debris out. The building is old, but it was a lovely place to enjoy nature's gifts, and could be good for a hot spring cure. I hope the proprietress stays well and keeps the inn running for a long time. I'd like to visit again.