Kakino Onsen Hasshoen Yumotokan

Dinner was great.

The seasonal meal in our private room was wonderful. There was plenty of matsutake, and the earthenware pot soup, Hida beef sukiyaki, and sashimi were all delicious. I was so full I didn't even ask for soup with my rice. The meal came to around 7,000 yen, and with a day-use bath costing 900 yen, it felt as though the bath itself was only about 300 yen. Great value and a very satisfying day. The proprietress brought the food and told us about famous people who used to come here. That was fun, thank you! We came for a day trip with lunch to celebrate my mother's birthday. Hasshoen sits at the very top of the hill among several hot spring inns that seem to have been busy in the past. I remembered visiting as a child, and the jungle-themed bath is famous. Apparently it still appears on TV and other media now and then. There were no other cars, and even before we went inside there was no sign of anyone, which made me uneasy. The facility was quite old and things weren't tidied up. We arrived at our reservation time, but no one was at the entrance or anywhere else. We went further inside and finally found an elderly woman who seemed to be in the kitchen. We called to her, and she kindly showed us to our room. She invited me to bathe before dinner, so I went. The walk there had quite an atmosphere… Despite the age of the building, it was meticulously clean. Repairs and additions in various places showed me how much they want to keep the hotel going. The jungle bath I remembered from childhood was apparently the men's bath. The women's bath downstairs didn't have quite the same jungle feel, but the water was excellent. There were signs about the hot spring's history and benefits, too. The water was incredibly smooth and just the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

The rooms were spacious, and the New Year holiday meals were delicious and quite filling. The sashimi was tasty, and there was plenty of delicious shabu-shabu meat, so it felt like a great deal. Since the hotel is in the mountains, it was quite cold, but the hot spring warmed me right up. I appreciated being able to bring my dog.

The meal was delicious and filling, and the 15,000 yen price included both dinner and breakfast. From the Nagoya side, National Route 363 has a lot of curves, so Prefectural Route 13 is recommended. After leaving the paved road, you climb a steep hill to the entrance near the top. Watch out if you're driving a low-slung vehicle. The large public bath is the only bath. The men's bath is a short walk from the changing room, along a dark route with steps and uneven ground, so take care. There are plants everywhere and the hot spring feels like a jungle. Kerosene heaters are set along the way, so it may be safe to use in winter. The water was mildly alkaline and lukewarm. The shower ran only briefly, so I had to press the button several times. The washing area uses hot spring water too, and the slimy feeling stayed even after showering. A very unusual hot spring.