Oku

Visited in August 2025. I stayed here in search of a good hot spring. It's located deep within Tsuchiyu Onsen. It can only be reached by driving down a narrow path. It feels like the very back of Tsuchiyu. The baths are alternated between men and women depending on the time of day. On this day, the men's bath was reserved for men at check-in, and the cave bath was reserved for men at 9:30 PM. Some important things to note when checking in included: Because there are a lot of horseflies, bathing in the cave bath should be done as far back as possible; and, because there have been frequent bear sightings, not leaving the building. The room was a traditional Japanese-style room. The toilet was shared. There was no elevator, so it was up to the stairs, which might be difficult for those with weak legs. But the bath itself...it was amazing. The hot spring water apparently gushes forth, and the tub is huge. The bath is about the size of a small swimming pool. It's about 1.2 meters deep at its deepest point. There was no one there, so I enjoyed it like a walking bath. Apparently, the hot spring water is hot, so they just add water. And then, dinner. The menu was healthy, centered around local mountain vegetables. The main dishes were grilled pork on a teppanyaki grill and grilled trout with soba noodles and miso. They went down well with beer. The portions were just right, and I was satisfied. Then, it was time for the evening cave bath. Since there was no one there, we were able to relax and enjoy it. While not as deep as the public bath, it was still spacious. Since it was night, there were no horseflies, so we were able to relax and enjoy it. There were also two small family baths. You can enter whenever they're available. The baths are filled with hot spring water directly from the source, so they're very hot, so you have to add water to reach your desired temperature. We ended up soaking for about an hour. Day-use bathing is open until around 9 PM, after which only overnight guests are allowed in. There were only four other groups, including us, that day, so we had the bath almost to ourselves. The next morning, we took another dip in the cave bath and then had breakfast. Breakfast was a simple, light Japanese set meal. I stayed with my child, and I appreciated the consideration given to our children. I bought some soba miso and smoked eggs as souvenirs. I paid in cash when I checked out. Please note that credit cards are not accepted. It was a great inn where I could enjoy the hot spring water for a long time.

March 3, 2026 I occasionally take day trips in between my hobby of "Michinoku solo trips and couple trips." On this day, we took a relaxing family bath from Nihonmatsu to Tsuchiyu, admiring the lingering snow, starting in the afternoon. Knowing that our trip would likely be affected by the weather, we headed to the secret hot spring without making a reservation. We were grateful to the receptionist for making the effort to adjust the temperature at our short notice. The family bath cost 3,000 yen for two people, and we were also able to use other baths, making it a very reasonable price. We enjoyed our favorite high-temperature bath in the family bath, but unfortunately, we ended up adding too much water while being tossed around by the hot spring deposits, making the temperature a little lower than we would like. Still, it wasn't unpleasant at all, and we thoroughly enjoyed a luxurious bath surrounded by abundant hot spring deposits, both black and white. On this day, the pattern was for the men to take the "Hantendake Cave Bath" and "Asunaro Bath," while the women took the "Minmenburo" bath. Here, there was no "yunohana" (hot spring mineral deposits) like in the "family bath," but time allowed for a luxurious bath-hopping experience. The much-anticipated "Hantendake Cave Bath" also offered a snow-viewing view, adding to the atmosphere. Contrary to its reputation as being on the hot side, the temperature on this day was moderate and comfortable, making it suitable for everyone. We enjoyed a relaxing bath while soaking in the atmosphere. The bath tub lavishly flows out from the free-flowing outlet, and its deeper design compared to regular bathtubs adds to its unique character. The "slimy" feel at the bottom of the water, which suggests its age, is more than just unpleasant; it's considered part of its "flavor." The "Asunaro Bath" is a compact tub, with a reasonable amount of free-flowing water, which gives it a fresh feel. The moderate temperature here allows for a long soak, but I was satisfied enough to get out before I got tired. Even after returning home to Sendai, my body was still warm and my mind and body were still in a warm state, making it a very meaningful visit.

I had some business in Fukushima's Numajiri Plateau, and stayed here on my way back. This inn is a member of the Association for the Preservation of Hidden Hot Springs. Located at the very back of the Tsuchiyu area, the road is a bit narrow, but that's not a problem. There's very little traffic to begin with, and it's an area where people are considerate of each other, so there's no need to worry. I checked in a little after 3 PM. It was also a time when they were open for day-use visitors. There were several locals and tourists, but it was a day for the men's public bath, so there were no problems whatsoever. It's a rustic inn, but perhaps the proprietress is excellent, as she works hard, making you forget the passage of time. The atmosphere inside the inn evokes a sense of wanderlust. Dinner and breakfast had a homemade feel; they weren't pretentious, but the taste was delicious and comforting. I also enjoyed the daily changing cave bath and the private bath. It's a hot spring inn I'd like to visit again sometime.

We chose this secluded hot spring inn because of its slogan of overflowing hot springs. It's located further inland from Tsuchiyu Onsen. Passing cars can be tricky, so it might be a challenge for inexperienced drivers. It has a long history, dating back over 400 years. It also offers day trips, and sees many day-trippers during the day. The hot springs, as advertised, are enormous, both in the semi-open-air cave bath and the multi-person bath. New hot spring water is constantly being poured in. They say they can't change the water every day, but with that much water being poured in, I think it's enough. We also tried the family bath, which is apparently straight from the source and extremely hot. As instructed, we filled it up with water, and it was quite thick. However, a large amount of mineral deposits settled, so it's a great choice for hot spring lovers. The food wasn't fancy, but everything was delicious, and we had a relaxing, comfortable time.

The website says, "The owner is unsociable. But in reality, he's just naive." However, I think his refusal to make eye contact or say anything when I greeted him is more of a lack of manners than naivety. The young owner was polite and courteous. I stayed overnight, and the cave bath was unsettling, with a constant stream of day-trippers. There were also several people lying on what looked like floating boards, which got in the way and prevented me from reaching the back of the spacious bath. Since this isn't a swimming pool, I wish they'd stop putting things like that in. The bath was deep, and there were raised steps around the bottom, but they were extremely slippery. I nearly slipped and fell, and the next person who went in really did slip and splashed all over, sinking headfirst into the water. It's understandable. After sticking their head out, they looked around vigorously and said, "Excuse me," which made me laugh a little.