Sukawa Kougen Onsen

Stayed on Thursday, October 2, 2025; climbed the mountain on Friday. When I called around summer, the only room available was a hot spring treatment room (around ¥7,000), so I requested a ryokan room if a cancellation occurred. Apparently, reservations generally fill up when reservations open in May. I had a cancellation two days in advance, so I moved. Considering the difference in price, I thought it was quite pricey (around ¥17,800 for dinner only), but the food was absolutely delicious. I've said it was delicious about 10 times. Reading reviews, I was surprised to see a number of negative comments. The room walls are thin, so I recommend earplugs if you're sensitive. I slept like a log thanks to the hot springs. They said you could park in the parking lot until you finished climbing. On Friday, when I descended the mountain, I noticed that Kurikoma Sanso was gradually vacant. It was empty when I climbed. I left at 5:30 and circled Mount Kurikoma. I thought I could easily hike for 6 hours, but for the cost, it would be better to go to the observation tower and do a round trip. I'll do that next time. Then, on the way back, I'd like to have some gelato and stop at a roadside station... that would be nice. Even so, this was a lot of people on a weekday. Considering the bears, I'd have preferred some warmth, so this was just right. It's the perfect season, as you'd expect. It looks like it'll be dangerous on weekends. The autumn leaves were spectacular. We were able to see the pond from Tenbo Iwato, so I recommend a round trip to Tenbo Iwato. The mountains of Tohoku are nice and gentle compared to the Alps. We brought 2.5L of water for two people, but it was too tight, so we should have brought about 3L. We couldn't refill. Speaking of which, there were so few signs along the way that we got lost at the beginning of the climb using the map we'd prepared in advance. We started the climb and found a sign for the steam bath further back. I think wearing this much warmer would save many people in the future... If I feel like it, I'll email the inn (probably not). You can get a paper map at the inn if you ask, so it's a good idea to get one just in case.

This is a hidden hot spring inn I've always wanted to stay at. It's closed during the winter, so I took the opportunity to stay here in early summer. I entered the mountain by car from the Ichinoseki side. The building's exterior is impressive, with a large parking lot across the street. There's also a visitor center, making it a great base for trekking and other activities. This time of year, I stayed in an 8-tatami room in the inn section. Unusually for a hidden hot spring inn, it had a TV and a toilet and sink. It was a nice, clean room. Sugawa no Yu is a highly acidic spring. At this time of year, there was almost no mineral deposits and it was colorless and transparent. The color of the bathtub made it appear a beautiful blue. I spoke to a previous guest and took a photo. The famous sacred spring water is so hot that I was warned at check-in. I think it felt around 45-46°C. Since the water temperature is close to the source, it must be very fresh, and it was extremely comfortable. The food, as you'd expect from a mountain inn, included local ingredients, and the grilled brand-name pork was delicious. The soups also had great broth. I think it was a trout? The salt-grilled river fish was a little undercooked and a little hard to eat. The male staff at the front desk and serving meals were quite eccentric, in a good way. I had a pleasant stay.

I've been wanting to visit a hot spring for several years, and finally made it. I rented a car from Ichinoseki Station. The high altitude meant a cool, refreshing breeze. Before checking in, I visited the hot spring source. 6,000 liters of hot water gushes forth every minute, and I was deeply moved by the earth's vitality. The guest room was a 10-tatami Japanese-style room, with a hot water kettle and a thermos of iced water. There seemed to be no refrigerator. First, I went to the large open-air bath, Dainichiyu. The pH is 2.2, so it doesn't sting my skin much, but be careful as it can be extremely painful if it gets in your eyes. The bath is large, so the water was 43°C near the outlet and 41°C near the drain. You can even swim (lol). For dinner, I had grilled pork on a teppanyaki grill, grilled salted sweetfish, and tempura. Everything was delicious. After dinner, I tried the inner bath (Reisen no Yu), but it was so hot at 46°C that I could only get up to my knees and had to leave. The large public bath, Sugawa no Yu, was a comfortable 42°C, which felt great. The next day, I tried to buy some souvenirs at the shop, but was disappointed to find out it was closed on Wednesdays. Anyway, the water was amazing and it was an incredibly comfortable hot spring.

This inn is a member of the "Association for the Preservation of Japan's Hidden Hot Springs," and it was one of the hot springs I'd always wanted to try. I also wanted to try the neighboring Kurikoma Sanso, but when I tried to buy tickets at the front desk of Sugawa Kogen Onsen, I found out there was a combined ticket for both! The combined ticket was 1400 yen, about 400 yen cheaper than going in separately. Sugawa Kogen Onsen has both an indoor and an outdoor bath, and you'd need to buy another ticket to use both, so I gave up on that idea... The bath is about half the size of a 25-meter swimming pool, so it's really big. However, for an open-air bath on top of a mountain like this, I would have liked a more impressive rock formation or a design that incorporated the natural surroundings... It's just concrete, like a real 25-meter pool, so it gets boring quickly. Plus, it was hot that day (though still manageable at an altitude of 1200m), and since I was bathing around noon, the lack of shade was tough! There was a small shadow cast on the wall, so I used that as my base and soaked in the water...

I traveled from the Kanto region to Sugawa Kogen Onsen, a hot spring resort on Mount Kurikoma, which is part of the Japan Association for the Preservation of Secret Hot Springs. Located at an altitude of 1,126m, the inn is situated in an open area deep in the mountains, accessible by car. This time, I visited for a day trip and enjoyed the open-air bath called Dainichiyu. I purchased a bathing ticket at the inn's reception. Since it was the 26th, I was able to enter for 100 yen less than usual. The hot spring source is highly acidic with a pH of 2.2, and 6,000 liters of 50-degree Celsius water gush out every minute, making it the 10th largest volume of hot spring water in Japan. The water flows out of the source like a waterfall, and the open-air bath is free-flowing with unheated, undiluted, and uncirculated spring water! The view was also great, it was fantastic. Unfortunately, I ran out of time to use the inn's indoor bath this time, but I would like to come back again.