Bessho Onsen Stone Bath

It was my first time back in over 20 years. I remember there being large stones placed around the bath and a lot of mineral deposits floating around in the bath, making it slightly cloudy, but this time it was clear and colorless. What had completely faded from my memory was that the design makes use of the shape of the land, and when you open the sliding door at the entrance to the changing room and go down a few steps, you'll find lockers for changing clothes. 2/3 of the lockers are doorless, and 1/3 have free locks. Then, when you open the sliding door to the bathing area, you go down a few more steps, which might be exciting for children. There are four faucets in the washing area and one shower-only area, and five people can use the shower at a time. There was a sign that said "Please use the shower only for washing hair," so people were sharing the shower. I didn't use it because I washed my hair while filling a bucket with water from the faucet, but when I looked at the shower, I saw that it had a two-handle mixer tap with hot and cold water for easy temperature adjustment. The faucets had separate hot and cold water dispensers, the type you press for the hot water, typical of old-fashioned public baths, and the twist for the cold water. At first, I was so chilled that the hot water alone was too hot for me, so I had to add cold water, but after warming up in the bath, I was able to straighten my hair. In fact, it might have been a waste to add cold water. The hot water from the faucet smelled like a hot spring, so maybe it was. Thanks to that, even though I used the same shampoo and conditioner as usual when I took a hot spring bath last night, my hair this morning was smooth, fluffy, and soft, which is great! By the way, one thing worth mentioning about the washing area is that the bucket is placed at a height higher than the floor, which reduces the strain on the body when turning on the hot water and prevents the drainage water from getting into the bucket (which is usually provided in the bath), which I thought was very clean and nice. The water temperature in the bath felt neither too hot nor too lukewarm, just right for me as an adult and in the winter. There's a parking lot right in front so I'd like to bring my family next time. This time I was driving a minicar so I was able to park easily without any trouble, but our other car, a 1-box van that's about 4.7 metres long, requires us to choose a parking space, which is a disadvantage when it's crowded, so a minicar might be safer.

May 4, 2025 - I spent the night in my car at Roadside Station Ueda, Road and River Station Otogi no Sato (that's a long name! 💧). I woke up a little after 5 AM and wanted to take a morning bath! A Google Map search revealed it was less than a 20-minute drive and open from 6 AM! So I headed there. 😃 Of the three public baths, Ishi no Yu is the closest, with the parking lot right in front of it. When I went in, there were a few other people there, and many more came later, so it seemed like a lot of people were there early in the morning. 😃 Well, early morning hot springs are the best! ❗✨ Taking a relaxing bath at night is also great, though (lol). There's no shower, so after washing your hair, you collect hot water from the faucet and pour it into a bucket. The hot water is too hot if you just leave it at the faucet. 💧 Mix it with cold water before pouring it over your head. Well, this inconvenience is also one of the joys of a public bath, isn't it? ☺️ The water was refreshing! ✨ Oh, you can drink the hot spring water right in front of the building. As for the taste... please come and try it 🤭

From Ueda to Bessho Onsen I bought a round-trip ticket at Ueda Station, which included two admission tickets to two of the three outdoor baths (public baths). After a 30-minute train ride, I arrived at Bessho Onsen Station. It's a truly charming station. (*´▽｀*) To the stone bath. It's said to have been a secret hot spring for the Sanada clan during the Sengoku period. I'm so glad I found it. It was a little after noon, so it was quiet. Thank you. The water was great.

Local cozy onsen, also ¥150 (will soon be ¥200 from June 1, 2022) like the nearby Daishiyu, also bring your own soap. True to its name, I really liked its bath lined with rocks. There are also a few underwater jets that make it feel like a jacuzzi. The water with a strong sulfur smell and rich in minerals made me feel super refreshed after a soak. Pleasant to go even on an early summer day like when I went.

I've heard that fans of Sanada Yukimura shouldn't miss this bath, but the bath rules are quite complicated, so I recommend you read them carefully! Please note that the buckets and chairs seem to be put away after each bath, so it can be confusing! Also, if you don't bring your towel inside instead of leaving it there, regulars will complain.