Masugataya

The food was high quality, and the employees were very professional. The staff member from Nepal stood out for his English. We really enjoyed our stay, with well-kept, pleasant onsens at any hour. The unusual gondola lift for our luggage was a big help.

Dinner includes local Yonezawa dishes, such as sweetly simmered fish, along with seasonal wild vegetables gathered nearby, Yonezawa beef shabu-shabu, and carp. Ubayu Onsen has been operating for 450 years, and this long-established inn has kept it going. The family head now is the 17th generation, tracing back to the first head, who was asked by a mountain witch to tend the bathhouse. The scenery is said to be the best in Yamagata Prefecture, and soaking in the open-air bath with that broad view is exceptional.

We switched to a small car in Fukushima because our RV was too big for the narrow road to this place. The drive is challenging, but should be all right if you take a small car and go slowly. The onsen is really good. Go on a weekday if you want to enjoy it by yourself.

The road here is narrow and steep, but the place itself is very nice. The open-air bath and food were great, and the linens and facilities were clean. The staff were nice too. The water is a hypotonic acid hot spring, with no circulation or chlorine. It’s not too hot, so you can stay in for a long time. It’s cloudy white and smells of hydrogen sulfide. The simmered coy fish in sweet soy sauce was excellent.