塩原元湯

My wife and I are tourists from Hong Kong. We stayed for 2 nights. This was by far the best onsen experience for us. The hotel was well maintained, everything looked vintage but we could see that the owner and workers were doing their very best to keep everything in good shape. The room was comfortable, quiet and clean. The view was ok in winter, looking at the river. Futon and the mattress were soft with nice support. The food was absolutely fantastic. Beautifully presented and delicately cooked. I could only describe the seafood soup as sophisticated. The sukiyaki and shabushabu were excellent, with just the right taste. Not too sweet or salty. The fish was brilliant with a mind-boggling fragrance. Everything was fresh and made to an almost perfect detail. The onsen was splendid and magical. It heals. The Suminoyu was lukewarm but we could dip for a long time. The Shikanoyu was a lot warmer and we had to take breaks during each dip. Super comfortable onsen. We are experienced with mixed baths. The guests were nice. Ladies and gentlemen were polite. Sometimes different guests chat with each other. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. It was a pity that we couldn’t speak Japanese. Some old gentlemen tried their best English to talk with us and we tried our best with our Japanese vocabulary. The taste of the suminoyu was not bad while the shikanoyu tasted a lot stronger. A bit sour with a strong sulphur taste. All the staff was nice and helpful. They worked swiftly. The boss was a very nice lady. This was definitely a must-go onsen hotel in Japan.

I visited after learning about it on a TV program about hidden hot springs. The hot spring itself was very charming, and although it was a little warm for midwinter, I liked the temperature. The Goshiki no Yu is a sulfur spring with a slightly acidic pH. It feels nice on the skin and has a distinct sulfur smell. It's also nice that it's at a temperature that allows for long baths. I also wanted to try the Sumi no Yu. It wasn't jet black, but it was a color I'd never seen before, and the large black deposits that were attached made quite an impact. Unfortunately, I felt the water was too warm. Personally, I like to bathe in the water around 35°C in midsummer, so I'd like to try the Sumi no Yu again in the summer. The food was delicious, and I had a second rice cooker. However, the facilities are aging, so some of the temperature is understandable. With easy access from the city center, I think Oidekan's hot springs will attract many repeat visitors. I'd definitely like to visit again.

I visited for a day trip. I've visited many times before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a cold day, so the open-air bath was warm and I had to soak for quite a while to get warm. There was only one cheap body soap in the washing area. There were no hair dryers either. If you accidentally get your hair wet, you just have to go home. The waiting area between the men's and women's baths was cold. The bathing fee, which was around 500 yen, went down to 900 yen. I thought that was a significant cost-cutting measure. There are other places with better quality springs, so I will never visit this one again.

Visited here for a day onsen trip. The location is really nice as it has a feeling of being hidden in the mountain and has nice views from the outside baths. Generally the facilities in the baths could do with a bit of an upgrade, but the water itself is excellent. I was able to try several different types of water; hot black water, cool milky water and my favourite sulphuric water. It was very peaceful with few other people in the bath, but I visited end of January which is likely low season.

Men, don't get your hopes up about mixed bathing. The changing rooms are the same for men and women, so it's quite difficult for women to enter. The spring quality is good. However, there is a strong sulfur smell, so those who don't like it should stay away. The facilities are old and damaged. There is a washing area, but no shower.