Hozanso

The place is a little worn, though it’s really not that bad. The staff were friendly, the food was amazing, and there’s a private outdoor onsen.

In March it was cold in Okuhida, but our room stayed warm and comfortable, and we were able to enjoy our climb up Mt. Fukuchi. We’re very grateful. The spacious private open-air bath had a generous flow of hot spring water, which impressed us. We returned after a few years because we’d loved the comfort of that bath and the delicious soba-gaki (buckwheat dumplings) on our previous stay. This time we ate dinner in the large hall instead of the soba restaurant. The tatami mats were relaxing, and the grilled trout with miso, chicken and fish hot pot, and rice porridge at the end were all delicious. We’d been looking forward to the soba-gaki, and it was very tasty again. We were very satisfied. Thank you. We stayed here the night before climbing Mt. Fukuchi, and hope to visit again.

Check-in is as early as 13:00, while check-out is at 9:30. Meals are served at fixed times, 18:00 and 7:30. The facilities are old, with minimal communication and amenities from arrival through departure. There are no bath towels provided. The private open-air bath is available whenever no one else is using it, and since there aren’t many overnight guests, we could use it without stress. The hot spring water has a slight sulfur smell when washing your face, though it feels like clear, ordinary water. There’s an indoor bath as well as an open-air bath. I wonder if the indoor bath is diluted. I don’t mind the basic setup myself, but don’t come expecting a traditional hot spring inn.

This is a minshuku, so you shouldn’t expect luxury or comfort. Still, the private open-air bath is bigger and more impressive than the ones at inns costing around 50,000 yen a night.