Hoshi onsen, Chojukan.
0278-66-0005
Hoshi onsen was (said to) discovered over 1200 years ago by the holy man Kukai but the Chojukan was built in 1875 for overnight visitors. The contry style rustic inn is widely considered as the most beautiful onsen ryokan and most photographed ryokan in Japan. Its indoor wooden building bath is extremely famous for its beauty and elegant arch style window.
The bath is large size and has separate changing room for male and female but end up in the same place. It's a mixed bath but the onsen's darkness covers most of the privacy. The large tub is separated by chestnut wood log and the floor is covered by pebble stones.
One of the best indoor onsen I've ever visited is Hoshi onsen. The round windows reflects nature's colored rays into the hot spring water then ansenbles into something out of this world feeling. The round chestnut lumber in the middle serves as pillow to further relaxation.
Siriyaki onsen
Siriyaki onsen is locating near Kusatsu onsen. If you plan to visit Kusatsu, I highly recommend to visit Siriyaki. This place is one of the rare primitive hot springs in Japan and the water is just about right by naturally mixing with the cold river water and the hot springs in the middle of it. There's neither light nor any place to change cloth but when sun goes down, there's nothing to see unless you have moon light. Tel: (0279)95-5121 or (0279)95-3111 to locate the area through your GPS but if you want to stay a night; you may want to make a reservation because this is a small town. There are only 3 or so ryokans available and mostly young couples who'd like to enjoy tranquility are often come to this place.
Shiriyaki wintertime
Shima onsen's sekijenkan is oldest hot spring inn in Japan. The ryokan was opened in 1694 and ever since it's been providing heavely thermal water to all sorts of people continuously. Shima Onsen is situated along the valley of the Shima River where rows of inns line its tranquil streets.
The hot spring water here is said to be effective in the treatment aof as many as 40,000 (shima) ailments. The resort has thus played host to endless visitors seekign the benefit of the healing powers of its waters for as far back as 1,000 years. Shima has several community baths that can be walk around to visit. To get to the beautiful community baths along side of the shima river, I suggets you to obtain the town map from the tourism information office. Most of these comunity baths are mixed baths.
Sekijenkan Tel 0279-64-2101.
Tamura 0279-64-2111.
Yammaguchikan http://www.yamaguchikan.co.jp/
Shinsuikan
Shinsuikwan is a very beautiful Meiji style old ryokan in Kodama gun. To reach there from Tokyo,
you should take the Shinganshen bullet train then get off at Honjo station. From there, you can get a taxi to the Shinsukwan which is a traditional Japanese style ryokan. Normally, like most of the Japanese ryokan, the fee ($100 ~ $150) is including the dinner and use of their hot springs. Shinsukwan's onsen is well known for its slickness after the bath and amazingly it has two completely separate types of water is coexist in the same onsen. Direct opposit from the ryokan across the river, you can find another amazing onsen which is community bath in the town. For the day use, the fee is 800 yen. Shinsukan 0274-52-2641
Shinto shrine near Shinsuikan - Shinto is a Japanese religion that believes in gods reside in natural phenomena such as trees, mountains, rocks and waterfalls. It has no moral code, no sacred scriptures, nor particular philosophy. All Japanese are somewhat linked to both Budhism and Shintoism by nature and coexist deeply. Buddha was accepted as another Shinto god when introduced in 6th century by Korean across the straight and the two religions are cross crissing throughout Japanese life.
Shinsuikan's unique double tub. Each tub has its own different minerals.
Takaragawa Onsen
Takaragawa onsen is considered as one of the top 10 most beautiful onsen in Japan. Its large rotenburos are locating along side of the river and connected by bridge. Best time to enjoy the onsen is winter time especially when it snows but any season is good to visit the place. Both of these (above and below) pictures are taken during the summer time visits. Takaragawa is complete mixed bath onsen where all sorts of people (many foreigners) are roaming around with almost naked (nothing more than covering the private part) but when sun goes down, after all the day dippers gone back home, this place is becoming a lover's paradise. Takaragawa onsen 0278-75-2121
Oami Onsen
Oami Onsen, Tochigi-ken
Yumori Tanakaya ryokan. 0287-32-3232 http://www.tnky.jp/
Oami onsen is locating near Siobara onsen and it has one of most breath taking view all around the
natural hot springs. To reach here, you must find the ryokan which is in the middle of winding road so it's very easy to miss the ryokan. Once you find the parking spot, you must pay the fee at the attendant then descend down to the Hokigawa river using the stiff cliff pasage way with over 300 stairs. There are two large rotenburos completely mingled with the surrounding
nature and few more by the river. All except one rotenburo (which for women only) are mixed baths.
Down by the river, you can find a large concrete cave where the hot spring is coming out and the tempeture can be changed by letting the cold river coming in to the cave. When water gets too hat, you can swim in the cold river along with trouts. The ryokan is not so impressive looking from the outside
but it actually sits on top of the cliff so it has one of the best views in the area. The ryokan was first opened in 1890 and offers great Japanese food and hospitality, Best time to visit the area is late autumn when the entire valley is turning in to red forest but problem with that is there will be so many cars and people, you can't really enjoy the tranquility of the onsen.
Shiobara Onsen
Shiobara Motoyu Ooide-kan. 0287-32-2438
In Japan, there's a group called secret hot spring association. Their motive is to protect the good hot
springs from general public so it doesn't get spoiled. One of the secret hot spring is Motoyu in Okushiobara. There are three hot spring Japanese inns in the area. Gensen-kan" is famous for its rustic onsen settings (picture below) and the other is "Ooide-kan" (picture above) which is on the hill above Gensen kan. Ooidekan is also called as a "black hot spring (Sumi-no-yu)" because its ink like black water.
At the entrance, a sign says not to bring the towel in to the bath because it will dye black. There are rotenburo (open-air bath), and the mixed bathing of the famous black water hot spring and a separate women's bath. Gensen kan has one women's bath and one mixed bath. Tel 0287-32-3221.
Chichibu/Nagatoro