Kojiro Onsen

It's about a 10-minute drive from National Route 160 onto Prefectural Route 196, past Yamakawa. The parking space in front of the store is not large, only large enough for 2-3 cars. Parking costs 600 yen. No shampoos or other amenities are provided. I visited shortly after opening on a weekend, but there weren't many customers. The bathroom has only two washing areas and a bathtub. The bathtub is rock-style, and although there was no hot spring analysis report, it appears to contain chloride spring water, iron, and carbonated water. There's a slight hint of sodium chloride. The temperature seems to be around 41-42°C. The color is earth-colored and the transparency is low. The water is quite warming. It has a light, smooth texture. As it's a chloride spring, it warms you up very well. It's a little hard to sweat in the summer, but it seemed to warm your body in the winter.

It's been a while since I've encountered a strong chloride spring. The hot water is flowing out in a gush. It's the type that will make you sweat nonstop if you're not careful! I thought to myself as I excitedly soaked in the water. The water temperature was just right, around 42 degrees. There are only two faucets and showers, but no soap. Please remember to bring your own. The changing room also has only a shelf for baskets. There is a hair dryer near the reception desk. There is nothing here, but it is comfortable and you don't have to worry about anything extra. I think bathing costs 600 yen in the afternoon. I thought that was a fair price to pay for soaking in such good water.

We visited in the snow. The bath was a ochre? Brown? color due to the oxidation of iron. The interior of the building is retro and charming. Some reviews say it might be a challenge for those with a germaphobia, but there's no mold and it seems to be well-cleaned. (We didn't use the restroom.) Please be careful on the way there in winter!! When accessing from the Himi side, the navigation system instructed us to take a narrow, old road (perhaps a residential road) that had never been plowed. Please refer to the map and follow the plowed road. While I don't know what the benefits are, this impressive hidden hot spring, found at the end of a snowy road, made for a very fond memory.

The place is a hidden gem, a so-called "secluded hot spring" nestled in nature. It's said to be a highly concentrated sodium chloride hot spring (chloride spring), but it's saltier than you'd imagine! But that's what makes it so good! The effects are also wonderful: heat retention (hot spring), moisturizing effect (beauty spring), calming effect (wound healing spring), pain relief—the ultimate hot spring. The price is 600 yen. You need to bring your own shampoo and conditioner. A local regular I met said, "Nothing has changed here in 50 years," and that was true, which was really nice. It seems to be in a snowy area, so if you're not used to snow, please avoid visiting in winter.

Unexpected discovery of a secret onsen. The building is very old-fashioned (and a little bit dark and spooky) but the hot spring is comfortable and warm. The water is a murky brown from iron mixed with oxygen. My friend said it tasted salty. The toilets are squatting type with no flush, so be careful, also the lights were dim. At this time, there was no soap or shampoo (because of COVID) and so I brought my own amenities and towel. The lady at the counter appeared out of the dark, so it surprised me. She was very kind and talked about the water to us. If you want to enjoy an onsen of the past, please visit here! I want to come again in winter.