Miharuen

People with tattoos can't use the onsen.

I booked the night before and found this inn to be great value. Locals even called it a hidden gem. It's been renovated from an older facility, possibly a health resort, and seems especially set up for families, with lots of services and events for kids. There are free drinks, satisfying food, and a breakfast buffet with a much wider selection than you'd get at a business hotel. The spring water was a bit lukewarm, perhaps for the children, but felt smooth and stayed warm on my skin after rinsing. It runs around the clock except during cleaning, and there's a shampoo bar and outdoor sauna. I didn't see an open-air bath. I was surprised by how many staff were in their teens and twenties. They were lively and friendly, and made me feel welcome. A really good inn for the area, especially if you're traveling with children.

I went for a day visit to the hot spring. The bath itself was fine, and its very alkaline water left my skin silky. Kame-no-Yu on the Soni Plateau is known for skin-softening water, but I think this one made mine even smoother. The alkalinity was so strong that I did wonder if it might affect my skin negatively. The facilities need better upkeep. About a third of the locker keys were broken, and the sliding door to the bath was hard to open and close because it was broken too. There are only a large hot spring bath and a regular-water jacuzzi, with no outdoor bath or sauna. There are 11 washing spots. Lockers were limited and nearly all occupied. Overnight guests use it too, and the 550 yen price makes it popular with older people in the neighborhood. It isn't really a tourist destination, and I assume Uda City runs it, so I found myself wondering who stays there. The restaurant is open only for lunch and shuts at 2 p.m.

The hot spring is great, the food's delicious, and the service is excellent. I keep returning. There are lots of families with kids, me included, and guest manners can be a bit poor depending on who's there. Still, the only trouble I noticed was in the children's room. Bath time and meals were fine, so maybe it depends on the time of day. I wouldn't call it especially bad. If I had to point to one thing, the kids would eat two dinners at once.