Rotenburo, Izumoyumura Onsen, Unnan City, Shimane Pref.

History of Izumo Yumura Onsen (出雲湯村温泉) in Shimane Prefecture dates back to 8th century but it's a very quiet small onsen area now. There are two onsen inns, a public bath house, and a natural soaking pond called just "rotenburo" (open-air bath) on the riverside. This pond is my favorite.

It's easy to find. There are steps to walk down to the river shore just 20-30 meters from the public bath house. You'll see small bubbles come up from the bottom sand in the pond. Yes, it's ideal temperature at around 40°C.

River Hii (pronounce HEE) and Izumo Yumura Onsen. If you get to the Izumo Ymura Onsen, the rotenburo is easy to find.

There is no changing room and other facilities. Closing optional. I couldn't find a notice to ban swim suites bathing, but I heard local people doesn't welcome visitors' swim suite bathing. I recommend you to visit in the night or early morning.

Close up of the roenburo. Onsen is gushing from the bottom sand.

 ◆Rotenburo, Izumo Yumura Onsen (出雲湯村温泉露天風呂）

Type: Gender mixed. Closing optional

Available hour: Anytime, anyday

Admission fee: Free

Equipment: Nothing

Geocode:  35.21821,132.90807

Access: Take a bus from Kisuki Station of JR Kisuki Line to Izumo Yumura Onsen. The bus and railway services are both sporadic. From the bus stop, it's a few minutes walk.

My rating (A - E): A

2009 Ryokan Rankings in five sectors

The Travel Economic News, the weekly newspaper focused in travel business released annual survey of "250 Best Ryokans" (without ranking) and each ranking in five sectors - cuisine, service, bath, establishment, and atmosphere. 250 ryokans are too many for me to make a list, and I made lists of top 10 rankings in each sector in 2009.

Subject of this survey isn't consumers, but professionals like travel agents and travel related organs, and they might have some business relationship with these ryokans and hotels. I feel the following rankings contain more big scale places compared to other ryokan rankings. Linked are Official websites in English.

◆Cuisine

1. Hotel Syusuien, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
2. Akan Yukunosato Tsuruga, Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido
3. Ibusuki Hakusuikan, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
4. Kagaya, Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref.
5. Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
6. Yufuin Tamanoyu, Yufuin Onsen, Oita Pref.
7. Otani Sanso, Nagato-yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Pref.
8. Suimeikan, Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref.
9. Inatori Ginsuiso, Inatori Onsen, Shizuoka Pref.
10. Nishimuraya Honkan, Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Pref.

◆Service

1. Akan Yukunosato Tsuruga, Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido
2. Kagaya, Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref.
3. Ibusuki Hakusuikan, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
4. Otani Sanso, Nagatoyumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Pref.
5. Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
6. Hotel Syusuien, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
7. Unzen Miyazaki Ryokan Unzen Onsen, Nagasaki Pref.
8. Inatori Ginsuiso, Inatori Onsen, Shizuoka Pref.
9. Nishimuraya Honkan, Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Pref.
10. Yufuin Tamanoyu, Yufuin Onsen, Oita Pref.

◆Bath

1. Ibusuki Hakusuikan, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
2. Akan Yukunosato Tsuruga, Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido
3. Kagaya, Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref.
4. Daiichi Takimotokan, Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido
5. Suimeikan, Gero Onsen Gifu Pref.
6. Otani Sanso, Nagato-yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Pref.
7. Yamamizuki, Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto Pref.
8. Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
9. Tsurunoyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsenkyo, Akita Pref.
10. Yukyonohibiki Yusai, Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto Pref.
    

◆Establishment

1. Kagaya, Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref.
2. Ibusuki Hakusuikan, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
3. Akan Yukunosato Tsuruga, Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido
4. Otani Sanso, Nagato-yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Pref.
5. Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
6. Shiratamanoyu Kahou, Tsukioka Onsen, Niigata Pref.
7. Suimeikan, Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref.
8. Arima Ground Hotel, Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref.
9. Dogokan, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
10. Yahataya, Bobata Onsen, Fukushima Pref.
    

◆Atmosphere

1. Ibusuki Hakusuikan, Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.
2. Akan Yukunosato Tsuruga, Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido
3. Yufuin Tamanoyu, Yufuin Onsen, Oita Pref.
4. Nishimuraya Honkan, Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Pref.
5. Yamatoya Honten, Dogo Onsen, Ehime Pref.
6. Otani Sanso, Nagato-yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Pref.
7. Yamamizuki, Kurokawa Onsen, Kumamoto Pref.
8. Myojinkan, Tobira Onsen, Nagano Pref.
9. Kagaya, Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref.
10. Tsurunoyu Onsen, Nyuto Onsenkyo, Akita Pref.

I can't label each prefecture because "The combined length of all the labels must be at most 200 characters".