Tohoku Onsen

There are several baths with different temperatures, plus a cold bath and a pulse bath. The outdoor bath is lovely, with a nice garden around it, and it wasn’t too crowded. The front desk staff were super friendly, and entry was 330yen. It was a very relaxing visit.

The worst place I’ve ever stayed in Japan. The owner was rude and ignored us, and the hotel offered no help when the onsen and shower stayed closed for all three days of our stay, so we couldn’t bathe. One evening we found the hotel closed and had to call the police and neighbours to get inside. It took us 1.5 hours to reach the owner. Then music in our room woke us at 6am.

It’s an old facility, but the service was great. We booked the family bath, which had an onsen and shower room, a separate toilet and washing sink, and a living room with a TV where we could relax. This is the best natural onsen I’ve ever visited in Japan. I’ll definitely come back when I visit Aomori again!

The baths have seen better days, with peeling paint and missing tiles, but there’s a good range to try: a high-temperature bath, an outdoor bath, a jacuzzi, an odd electric pulse bath, and a cold plunge alongside the sauna. The water is a deep brown, very dark, and feels a bit oily. A few locals who bathe there every day assured me that’s how it’s meant to be. We found the service at Touhoku Onsen great, too. When staff heard we wanted to go to Nebuta, one of them brought printed train timetables to dinner for the trip between the onsen and Aomori. That was especially handy because our portable wifi wasn’t working up there. We stayed here because it was about as close to Aomori as we could get during the busy August holiday season, when we wanted to see the Nebuta Festival. It worked out really well. The trains after the festival were nearly empty when we boarded, so my worry that they’d be packed was unfounded. I’d happily do it the same way again. For transparency, my wife and I speak basic Japanese. The food was delicious, though the kids found the Japanese-style breakfast on our first morning a challenge. The lady noticed they weren’t keen on it and made something completely different for the second morning. That personal touch is what makes a place great for me. The dining area, though, felt more like a hospital dining room than a ryokan and didn’t have much atmosphere. If you’re using a JR Pass, keep in mind the Aoimori Line, which serves this place, isn’t covered. You’ll need to pay cash for tickets to and from Aomori or Hachinohe, the nearest Shinkansen stations. For a family of four, that cost adds up quickly. Portable wifi units also seem unreliable around here. Ours, from Kyushu Wifi Rental, only worked in Aomori and Hachinohe. It may have been the company’s service, since we’ve been offline more than online, to be honest. I’d recommend staying here for Nebuta if you can’t find somewhere closer to Aomori; the train trip isn’t much of a hardship. If you go, pick up a small folding chair at Daiso 100 yen shop, then get near the corner of the crossroads outside Nomura Securities company by about 5:30pm on a festival day. You’ll have the perfect viewing spot.