Hawaii Onsen Hagoromo

The open-air bath is right by the lake, and the water quality was excellent, just as you’d expect from Hawaii Onsen. But day-trippers crowded it, which made me uneasy, and many people left the washing area messy. I booked through a travel website, and the lobby had no charm at all. If you go expecting a typical hot spring inn, you’ll be disappointed. The rooms were small and dirty. Dinner was average, neither good nor bad, and I would have liked some dishes that felt more unique to the inn. It was the kind of food you can get anywhere. Breakfast was a buffet, with variety and taste only a little better than at a business hotel. It seems to be a resort run by the agricultural cooperative, so I guess they don’t need to try very hard to attract a certain number of guests.

The spring water is soft and not too hot, so it seems safe for families with small children. From the open-air bath you can see Lake Togo. In the large bath, the washing spaces are separated by partitions, with enough room for one person in each, so they’re easy to use. Shampoo, lotion, and a hair dryer are provided.

I come here for day trips often, and it’s a lovely place to relax in the warmth of the natural hot spring, with a view of Lake Togo. The indoor bath is around 40 degrees Celsius, not too hot, and easy to enjoy. The open-air bath may not be ready if you arrive at 1:00 PM. Sometimes you can wait about 30 minutes, until it’s half full, before getting in. The water comes straight from the source and is incredibly hot, so it takes some determination. Because of the current COVID-19 situation, guests have to get their temperature taken at the entrance and fill out a form with their name and temperature. Hair dryers can be rented at the front desk. Google says day-trip bathing starts at 11:00, but it isn’t available during the daytime until 1:00 PM, so keep that in mind. There’s also a vending machine for Daisen Farm’s White Rose Ice Cream, a Tottori specialty. To me, having it there alone adds a lot of points to the inn’s ranking.

After a filling meal, soaking in the open-air bath under the night sky was fantastic. You can’t see the ocean at night, but the view from the bath in the morning was wonderful. We were very satisfied with all the crab: a whole large one, crab sashimi, and tempura, in portions too generous for us to finish.