Itou Onsen, Chitose City, Hokkaido

open-air bath for men turns bath for ladies for two hours from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM.

Update: Itou Onsen was acquired by KANAYA and scheduled to resume business in autumn 2014.

Itou Onsen (いとう温泉) is a ryokan or a Japanese inn just by the Lake Shikotsu (支笏湖), conveniently located just an hour drive from the New Chitose Airport (Sapporo Airport) in Hokkaido.

indoor bath for ladies.

There are gender separated indoor baths and open-air baths. The open-air baths are facing the lake and popular among soak addicts. The bath for men offers absolutely better view. If you stay overnight, men's bath and ladies' bath change from 6:00 AM till 8:00 AM. You can't use soaps and shampoos at the open-air baths, you have to wash your hair and body at the indoor bath. The hot springs are translucent and smooth without strong scent. Day visits welcomed.

typical ryokan guest room with tatami mat floor.

 ◆Itou Onsen (いとう温泉）

Type: Gender separated indoor baths and gender separated open-air baths

Address: Poropinai, Chitose City, Hokkaido

Location: 42.78224, 141.31291

Number of guest room: 11

Business hour of day-visit: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Holiday: Winter (mid November to late April)

Admission fee of day visit: ¥700 for adult,  ¥350 for child

Overnight stay: starts from ¥7,980 per head including dinner and breakfast

Access: sporadic bus service from the New Chitose Airport to the Lake Shikotsu Bus Terminal. From there, free shuttle service (advance booking necessary) for overnight staying guests. For day visit soakers, you need your own vehicles or motor boat charging ¥1300 one way takes you there.

Link:  official website of Itou Onsen

My rating (A - E): B

appearance of Itou Onsen.

we chose "Genghis Khan", Hokkaido's specialty, a kind  of mutton BBQ for dinner.

typical Japanese style breakfast.

open-air bath for ladies sits behind men's bath.

if you step forward  to the end of ladies' bath, you can see the lake.

Onsen Ryokan Ranking 2011 by Biglobe

Biglobe, one of the biggest portal site in Japan released "The Fourth Onsen Award" recently. 10,931 internet users voted this survey between Oct 5 and Nov 16. Ten most popular onsen ryokans/hotels among Japanese are:

1. Kagaya (Wakura Onsen, Ishikawa Pref)
2. Daiichi Takimotokan (Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido)
3. Suimeikan (Gero Onsen, Gifu Pref)
4. Suginoi Hotel (Kankaiji Onsen, Oita Pref)
5. Hotel Urashima (Nanki Katsuura Onsen, Wakayama Pref) Chinese site
6. Arima Grand Hotel (Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref)
7. Hyoe Koyokaku (Arima Onsen, Hyogo Pref)
8. Akan Yukyunosato Tsuruga (Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido)
9. Ibusuki Hakusuikan (Ibusuki Onsen, Kagoshima Pref)
10. Hotel Ichii (Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Pref)

I couldn't find websites in English for Hotel Urashima (5th) and Hotel Ichii (10th).

Link: Official Onsen Ryokan Ranking page (in Japanese only)

Yokikan, Ito Onsen, Shizuoka Pref.

Came back from Ito Onsen, Shizuoka Prefecture. My pick today is a ryokan named "Yokikan". A 30 meters long in-house cable car (see pictures on their official website) takes you to an open-air bath on upper floor. You can see the Ito town, the sea and others from the bath.

It's a mixed bath, but as for day visit, probably they will let you or your group to soak for yourself or yourselves when business is slow. If you stay overnight, it turns "ladies only bath" at 7:30PM to 9:00PM and 6:00AM to 7:30 AM.

There are gender separated indoor baths as well. If you also want to soak indoor bath, you have to pay another ¥1,000. Of course you can soak as much asu you want if you stay over night.

Limited express "Izu Odoriko" takes you to Ito directly from Tokyo Station taking less than 2 hours.



◆Yokikan, Ito Onsen, Shizuoka Pref. （伊東温泉陽気館）

Type: Gender mixed open-air bath, gender separated indoor baths

Address: 2-24 Suehiro-cho, Ito-shi, Shizuoka Pref.

Location:  34.966944, 139.090591

Access: About ten minutes walk from the Ito Station.

Business hour of day visit : 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Holiday: Busy season (new year, golden week, mid August)

Admission fee: ¥1,000 (including bath towel hire)

Link: Official website of Yokikan in English

My rating (A-E): B


Inside of their cable car.

Furusato Kanko Hotel, Furusato Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.

[update] Furusato Kanko Hotel filed for bankruptcy and Kagoshima District Court accepted their filings on Oct 2, 2012. The hotel was closed down end of Sep.

The mysterious Ryujin-buro (Dragon God Bath) is usually crowded during day time.

Furusato Onsen is located south of Sakurajima, an active volcanic island in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Pref, in Kyushu Island. Furusato Kanko Hotel is known for its Ryujin-buro, a scenic open-air mixed bath faced on Kinko Bay.

The word Ryujin stands for "Dragon God", and there is a shrine just beside the bath. You have to wear white Yukata (Kimono) to soak the bath regardless your gender (For the Quick Movie and Photo Gallery, see their official site). Because it's supposed to be rude to show your body to the god. Apart from onsen pools, it's one of the very rare "clothing necessary" onsens.


You'll see many small stone statue under roots of the Ficus wightiana. The tree is more than 200 years old.

Although the sodium hot spring is clorinated and circulated (hot spring water is being reused), I could recognize mild touch of the onse water. There are gender separated indoor baths, and private baths, too.

Please note "Ontake", the volcano in the Sakurajima Island is very active, minor explosion counts more than 700 times in a year recently, and sometimes they have to close the Ryujin-buro due to volcanic ash.


A view of the Sakurajima from Shiroyama Park, Central Kagoshima City. Furusato Onsen sits south (right side on the picture) of the island.


◆Furusato Kanko Hotel, Furusato Onsen, Kagoshima Pref.（古里温泉　ふるさと観光ホテル）

Type: Gender mixed open-air bath, gender separated indoor baths, private baths

Address: 1076-1 Furusato-cho, Kagoshima City, Kagosima Pref.

Location: 31.551774,130.656482

Access: Free hourly shuttle services (only in the afternoon on weekdays) from the Sakurajima Port Bus Terminal, taking 15 minutes one way.

Business hour of day visit: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Holiday: As for Ryujin-buro, usually unavailable up to 3:00 PM on every Monday and Thrsday, every Wednesday for indoor bath.

Admission fee: ¥1050 for Ryujin-buro and indoor bath including rental yukata, ¥530 for indoor bath only, ¥3150 for private bath (one hour)

Link: Official web-site (Japanese Only)

My rating (A-E): C


Hot spring for drinking located at lobby of the hotel.

Useful Site : Selected Onsen Ryokan

Kinki Nippon Tourist, the second biggest travel agent in Japan launched new web site "Selected Onsen Ryokan" (日式温泉旅館) in four languages, five types targeting visitors from Asian countries in early September.

You can search suitable ryokans for you by checking "Ryokans for families", "Ryokans for couples" "Ryokan providing local foodstuff" Ryokan in Japan's best 10 hot spring resorts" and etc. Check it out!

English
http://selected-ryokan.com/

Korean
http://kr.selected-ryokan.com/

Simplified Chinese (Mainland China)
http://rishiluguan.cn/

Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong)
http://onsen-ryokan.hk/

Traditional Chinese (Taiwan)
http://onsen-ryokan.tw/

Jizaikan, Tochiomata Onsen, Niigata Pref.

The Shita-no-yu is located just above the fountain head and the onsen water is fresh. I soaked myself two and half hours here.

There are three ryokans at Tochiomata Onsen(栃尾又温泉) in mountainous part of Niigata Pref. The Jizaikan(自在館) has longest history among them of more than 400 years. The Tochiomata Onsen itself was discovered about 1200 years ago.

The Jizaikan is recommendable for onsen beginners as the radium hot springs they supply aren't too hot at 35-40°C, and there are private baths you can share with your group or yourself. But at the same time, their bath sharing system is so complicated.


Guest room for solo traveler. While having supper at a dining room, they get Futon mat ready for sleep.

There are five baths altogether. The Uketsu-no-yu is private open-air-bath, available 40 minutes for each group. You need to book for its use at the front desk.

Two indoor baths, Usagi-no-yu & Tanuki-no-yu are also private baths during daytime, also 40 minute for each group, but turn to gender separated baths from 10PM through nights.


The private bath "Uketsu-no-yu" supplies newer hot springs. Available 5:00AM to 0:00AM for 40 minuites each time on booking basis.

Other two baths are communal baths. Guests of three ryokans of Tochiomata Onsen share these two baths, the Ue-no-yu (Upper bath), and the Shita-no-yu Lower bath). The Shita-no-yu is the best among the five, located just above fountainhead. It's open for ladies from 5:00AM to 3:00PM then for men from 3:30 PM to 11:PM. You can soak yourself in Ue-no-yu at other times. A few hours soaking is recommended. Onsen of Ue-no-yu and Shita-no-yu are drinkable.


Typical ryokan supper (left) and breakfast (right). Honestly I wasn't impressed.

They don't accept "soaking only" day visit. You have to stay overnight or choose "lunch and soak" course starting ¥2,725.

◆Jizaikan, Tochiomata Onsen (栃尾又温泉自在館）



Type: Four gender separated indoor baths (two of them turn private bath from late night till moring), one private open-air bath

Address: Kami-oritate, Uonuma-city, Niigata Pref.

Location: 37.185173, 139.086066

Business hour: check in 1:00PM check out 11:00AM

Room charge: Starts ¥11,280 per night per person (including supper and breakfast, all taxes) If you choose "lunch and soak" day visit plan, it costs ¥2,725 or ¥4,875 or ¥6,975 depending the lunch menu you choose. Advance booking necessary for both.


Tanuki-no-yu (left) and Usagi-no-yu (right). The Tanuki-no-yu is for mens and the Usagi-no-yu is for ladies from 10:30PM till 8:00AM. They are available as private bath from 8:20AM to 10:30PM.

Access: Free shuttle service from Urasa station of Joetsu Shinkansen line twice a day. Advance booking necessary. Regular route bus service is availavle from tte Koide Station of Joetsu Line. It takes about 30 minutes costing ¥400 one way.

Link: Official web site (in Japanese only)

My rating (A - E): B


Schejule chart for bath use (Hey! I'm not joking). From the top; Ue-no-yu, Shita-no-yu, Tanuki-no-yu, Usagi-no-yu, and Ukezu-no-yu. Orange shows ladies'bath, green is men's and light yellow is private bath. White shows unavailable time. All soakers are very punctual. (^^;

Yasuragi Ioujima, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Pref.

The smaller open-air bath. The floor stained chestnut brown with onsen ingredient.

If you come to Nagasaki, Kyushu Island, I recommend you to spare at least three hours to visit Yasuragi Ioujima(やすらぎ伊王島), Nagasaki Onsen in Ioujima(伊王島) off the coast of central Nagasaki City. You can enjoy an onsen soaking and short cruises.

Ioujima is a small island with 2.26km² area and nearly 900 people, once prospered after a coal mine opened in 1941. The coal mine closed in 1972 and resort development started in '80s. Yasuragi Ioujima is a big complex now accommodating maximum 420 guests per day.


The smaller Indoor bath. There are a sauna, too.

Its onsen was developed rather recently, and I didn't expect anything write home about, but the sodium hot springs were fresh and good, small bubbles sparkle on the surface of the water like soda water. Of course you can soak yourself watching the sea at the open-air bath. Two bath rooms are bit different, the left bath room is bigger. Mens' and ladies bath rooms change daily.

Apart from then onsen, you can rent a bicycle and get around the island. A beach located north is named "Costa del Sol". (^^;


The main building of Yasuragi Ioujima is believed to be Mediterranean style.

Just 20 minutes ferry ride from central Nagasaki City will takes you to the Ioujima, then it take only a few minutes walk to reach Yasuragi Ioujima. If you make a day visit, it costs only ¥980 including round trip ferry tickets, and onsen admission fee including a hand towel and a bath towel. You don't have to bring any bath goods.

There is a counter of Yasuragi Ioujima at the Ohato Pier (大波止埠頭) of Nagasaki Port (長崎港). Buy your ticket there. They will hand you one way ferry ticket and onsen admission ticket. Keep these and hand the ferry ticket when you get off the ferry. After arriving Ioujima, walk right along the sea or you can expect free shuttle service. You'll get return ferry ticket at the entrance of the onsen at Yasuragi Ioujima.

A bridge connecting Iojima and main land Kyushu is under construction.　[update] Now that the bridge has opened in March, 2011, you can visit Ioujima by bus. It serves only on weekdays. Check out the timetable and other info at tourist information center.


There are three pot baths for single use at the each open-air bath.

◆Yasuragi Ioujima, Nagasaki Onsen （長崎温泉やすらぎ伊王島）

Type: Gender separated indoor and open-air baths, swim suites bating prohibited

Address: 1-3277-7, Ioujima-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Location: 32.705890, 129.77857

Business hour: 6:00 PM to 0:00 AM

Holiday: None

Admission fee: ¥980 for day visit (round trip ferry ticket, a hand towel and a bath towel included. You have to return towels.)

Equipment:Complimentary soaps, shampoos, hair driers, skin lotions and others. There are a restaurant inside Yasuragi Ioujima.


The ferry "Cobalt Queen the second" arrived at the Ioujima.

Access: Take a ferry from Ohato Pier（大波止埠頭） of the Nagasaki Port（長崎港）. It's within walking distance from Nagasaki Station (about 15 minutes).

Ferry timetable:
From Nagasaki port (* not subject to day visit plan.)
5:50*
7:20
8:50
10:15
11:50
13:55
15:30
16:25
17:55
19:20
21:05*

From Ioujima
6:45
8:15
9:47
11:10
12:55
14:52
15:53
17:26
18:52
20:30
21:57

Note: You have to buy day visit tickets at the counter of Yasuragi Ioujima at the pier, because normal ferry ticket is ¥650 one way and day visit plan is special discount offer. If you don't enter the onsen at the Yasuragi Ioujima, you will be charged the balance of regular fare.

My rating (A-E): B


The Megami Ohashi or the Venus Wing and central Nagasaki City view from the ferry.

Shimizuya Ryokan, Yunokami Onsen, Fukushima Pref.

Typical Japanese style ryokan room. Kotatsu in the center of the room is an electric heater. While having dinner at a dining room, ryokan people prepare Futon, the Japanese style sleeping mats in the room. (photo: Feb 2010)

Spent last weekend at Shimizuya Ryokan(清水屋旅館) of snow covered Yunokami Onsen(湯野上温泉) in Fukushima Prefecture with my husband. He doesn't like onsen at all, but he is a train spotter and agreed with me to stay here because this ryokan sits right beside railway of Aizu Tetsudo.


I couldn't recognize more than one hundred years of its history from its appearance.

This is the oldest ryokan in Yunokami Onsen. I chose here as I often feel longer run ryokans tend to supply better hot springs. They started business in Meiji era in 1890.

It's a pity that original buildings were covered up by renovation and nothing tells its long history, and stained carpet and others show they need another massive renovation. If you want to stay at an up market ryokan, you'd better choose another place.


Rotenburo of the Shimizuya isn't so open because of the roof. The temperature of the hot springs is different in each bus tub.

Their rotenburo, open-air bath is gender mixed and ladies only time is set from 4:00PM to 6:00PM. There are four bath tubs and a big Sakura (cherry blossom) tree at rotenburo area. The transparent hot springs are smooth without strong scent, good for my husband and satisfactory for me. Indoor baths are gender separated, and ladies' bath is bigger.


Indoor bath for men. Ladies' bath is twice as big.

◆Shimizuya Ryokan, Yunokami Onsen
(湯野上温泉　清水屋旅館)

Type: Gender mixed open-air bath (Ladies only from 4:00PM till 6:00PM), gender separated indoor baths



Business hour: They accept day visit soaking from 10:00AM to 6:00PM. For overnight stay, advance booking is necessary, check in time is 3:00PM and check out time is 10:00AM.

Admission fee: ¥500 for day visit. Overnight stay starts from ¥8550 with dinner and breakfast per person. If you stay alone, extra charge necessary.

Equipment & Service: Complementary soaps and shampoos. For a overnight staying guest, a hand towel, a bath towel, a tooth brash and tooth paste, a Yukata (bathrobe and pajamas) are ready. I mean you don't have to bring anything special for overnight stay.


You can see the only one station building with miscanthus or straw thatched roof in Japan here at Yunokami Onsen.

Address: 762 Idaira Yunokami Simogo-machi, Minami Aizu-gun, Fukushima Pref.

Location: 37.296945,139.900085

Access:
If you have a Japan Rail Pass, go to Koriyama(郡山) with Tohoku Shinkansen from Ueno(上野) or Tokyo(東京) , then to Aizuwakamatsu(会津若松) with Banetsu-saisen line(磐越西線) and change trains to Aizu Tetsudo line(会津鉄道) at Aizuwakamatsu to Yunokamionsen(湯野上温泉). Japan Rail Pass doesn't cover Aizu Tetsudo, and you have to pay ¥820 extra one way.

If you don't have a Japan Rail Pass, taking Tobu line from Asakusa(浅草) through Shinfujiwara(新藤原) then to Yunokami Onsen is cheaper at ¥3760 one way without express fee.

Link: Map of Shimizuya in English (scale changeable)

My rating (A - E ): B for the onsen, C for the room


My husband satisfied with this scenery from the window of our room.

【Related post】Rotenburo at Yunokami Onsen, Fukushima Pref. Closed Down (May 14, 2009)

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".

Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma Pref.

The mixed gender open-air bath named "Kodakara no yu" in the midwinter, not in early Dec. (photo: courtesy of the Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen)

This onsen ryokan is everyone's favorite without a doubt. There are four big rotenburos or open-air baths along Takara-gawa, the River Takara. One of them is for ladies only, and other three are mixed gender baths. All of them are harmonized with surrounding nature and you don't have to choose season to visit　as you can enjoy any time of the year. I spent hours hopping the four baths and an indoor bath at my last visit in  March.


The Main building of the Osenkaku, Takaragawa Onsen in the midwinter.

It's a huge estate (at leaset for the Japanese). If you make a day visit, pay admission fee at the Takaragawa-sanso just besides the bus stop, put your valuables in a locker (¥100 necessary), walk through junks (you'll see) to the rotenburos. Changing rooms are gender separated, and ladies are allowed to rap their body with bath towels, it's easy for female first-timers to try the mixed bath here. You can rent a bath towel (¥100). If you need a hand towel, you have to buy it (¥200).


"Maka no yu", the biggest open-air bath in the night.

Kaniyu, Okukinu Onsenkyo, Tochigi Pref.

Daiichi Rotenburo, or the first open-air bath exclusively for ladies at Kaniyu. (photo: Nov. 2009)

I went hiking last Sunday to Okukinu Onsenkyo (奥鬼怒温泉郷） in Tochigi Prefecture. There are four onsens at Okukinu Onsenkyo; NIkkosawa, Teshirozawa, Hacchonoyu and Kaniyu. All of them but Teshirozawa accept day visit soaking and I visited all three. Kaniyu (加仁湯) is the biggest among them.

There are one rotenburo for ladies, many mixed gender rotenburos, gender separated indoor baths, and some private baths for overnight staying guests. They have five fountainheads.

Daikokuya, Kashi Onsen, Fukushima Pref.

Rotenburo for ladies of "Ebisu no yu". They say the best time to see beautifully colored leaves is around Oct. 20 every year. (photo: Oct.2009)

Kashi Onsen（甲子温泉） in Fukushima Prefecture, Tohoku Region has long history since first discovered in 1384. It was forgotten for long time, rediscovered in 1600 and the first ryokan was built in 1636.

There is still only one ryokan named Daikokuya（大黒屋） now. It had been under renovation for a while, and the newly rebuilt main building opened in late June this year. They used to close the ryokan from late Nov. to end of March, but it's going to open throughout the year from coming winter.


Newly built main building and annex buildings accommodate up to 60 persons.

There are two fountainheads, spouting 380 liters per minute together, both of them are transparent without strong scents, their touches are soft and smooth. One is 45.1°C and the other is 45.8°C at the fountainheads, around 40-41°C in the baths, perfect for long time soaking (at least for me).

A ryokan owner's son arrested for filming ladies' changing room

The Houkokukan and its ladies' indoor bath. (photo: June 2004)

The second son of the owner of the Houkokukan, a ryokan in Manza Onsen, Gunma Pref. was arrested for filming ladies' changing room of the ryokan on June 29, 2009.

A female guest noticed a small video camera set in a ventilation pipe near ceiling of the changing room and called the police. The police easily found the offender as he had filmed himself while setting the video camera (The camera wasn't wirelessly controlled).

According to some newspaper reports, he admitted he had filmed the changing room several times before. The ryokan has suspended its business after the scandal was reported widely. It is said to open again in late July.

The Houkokukan has more than 80 years of history and being popular among Japanese soak addicts including me.

[Update] The Hokokukan resumed its business on July 14, 2009.