Matsunoyama Onsen Izumiya

We went with the two-meal option so we wouldn’t need to look for food outside. Dinner was a Japanese set meal with Matsunoyama’s Tanada-nabe rice paddy hot pot and local ingredients, including pork treated with hot spring water. Breakfast wasn’t full of surprises, but the large salted rice balls, just like the ones in the Onsen Musume character illustrations on display, made me smile. The collaboration plan is basically room-only, with meals as optional add-ons. I stayed one night at Matsunoyama Onsen using the Onsen Musume collaboration plan. You can choose your room freely, and various exhibits are placed in it on the day of your stay. I picked the most reasonably priced Western-style room, and it was still spacious enough to feel almost luxurious for a relaxing stay. The plan also includes a jigsaw puzzle for the room. Finishing it earns you a poster, but it’s quite hard and took about three hours, so leave enough time if you want to try it. There are three floors in the building. The large hall on the third floor is currently used for the Onsen Musume exhibition, where viewing and photography are allowed. Most movement during the stay is on the second floor, while meals are served in a private room on the first floor. There are five private baths, available to use whenever they’re free. When one is occupied, locking the key shows its status on a sign, so you can easily check at a glance. Since all the guest rooms are on the second floor, it was handy to see which baths were available as soon as I left my room. The baths include three open-air and two indoor options, each with a different water treatment system. I used the indoor Furuyu first, with its stone statue of Matsunoyama Tanada-mi. Photography of the statue was permitted, though this bath uses circulating filtration. The next morning I tried the open-air Motoyu, which uses free-flowing hot spring water. Its atmosphere and the soak itself were particularly impressive. I didn’t use the other three, but there’s a good variety of distinct baths. The spring water is high-temperature, hypertonic, and weakly alkaline, with a pH of 7.8. The analysis report calls it colorless, though it looked slightly cloudy and had a faint oily smell. There’s a water dispenser near the baths with free electrolyzed hydrogen water. No welcome drink, but they provide instant coffee and Doutor Coffee tea bags. The owner and staff were incredibly attentive, which made the stay very pleasant. It’s a bit pricey, especially Saturdays, when single occupancy costs about 10,000 yen extra, but I felt it was worth it and would like to visit again.

The five private hot springs meant we could relax together without worrying about anyone around us. I found this one especially charming and quiet among the Matsunoyama hot springs. The local ingredients in the cuisine made for a delicious meal. We had two comfortable, restful days with the family, and I appreciated the thoughtful care. I’d be happy to stay again if I get the chance.

We booked the room just the day before, and the inn was very quiet inside. It had a bed and was a lovely, comfortable place to stay. A colleague who also likes Matsunoyama Onsen came with me to Izumiya. There are five baths, all lockable from inside, with three open-air and two indoor options. You can tell from outside which ones are occupied. I liked the warmer indoor bath and the open-air bath with natural hot spring water, so I went to both. The food was mountain village cooking, not showy, but it brought out the ingredients’ flavors and was really delicious. There was more than I could finish. Dinner and breakfast were both good.

This is a good place to enjoy the hot springs at your own pace. There are five baths, each with its own character, and you can use them when they’re free. The rooms don’t have baths, but they do have a toilet and washroom, so it wasn’t inconvenient. The interior feels nostalgic and is very neat and tidy. The food is tasty local cuisine, with nutritious dishes that aren’t flashy. There was just the right amount, and we could take our time eating. The conversations when the food was served and the goodbyes as we left were really warm. This place suits people who want to enjoy the baths on their own time, more than those looking for attentive service.