Takaragawa Onsen

It’s really dirty!!! Maybe because it’s famous amongst foreigners and it’s old it definitely attracts lots of day visitors. I had considered staying here but after reviewing the photos decided not to and come to bath day trip instead. If this is your first Onsen trip, come during autumn it really is beautiful. But if you have an expectations for Onsen around Japan you will be disappointed. Although it’s beautiful, it’s filthy. I’ve been to old 200-300 year old ryokans before but their onsens are very clean. I thought maybe the amount of people coming makes it hard to clean - but if you look at the details in changing hut there’s spiderwebs gathering and grim everywhere. I felt gross changing and bathing in this environment. Also they did not tell people you must shower before bathing and there were a lot of foreign tourist guests (as well as Japanese). No photos allowed in Onsen area, mixed bathing everybody but kids are not covered up. The showers are Onsen water, kinda defeats the purpose of rinsing off. I felt really disappointed since the environment truly is beautiful especially in peak seasons, autumn snow etc but the standard is really really low… if you’re thinking of coming all the way for a day trip it’s not worth it. If you’re touring the surrounding areas or staying it might be okay. But for the price point etc the hotel is expensive because foreign tourists know about it.

Don't believe any bad review given to this place. It's a 20/10 experience. Extremely clean, super friendly staff and it's naturally a dreamy place for someone who wants connection with nature and a perfect escape from the city I came with my husband during summer and it was almost empty, perfect weather and we felt like the place was just for us. Food was exceptional, it was a very generous menu included in the one-night stay and it exceeded our expectations. We felt like it was a super high-end fine dining experience. We will come back as many times as it's possible

The setting is very nice, large baths, open air and in the middle flows a river. They have done a lot of renovations in the past few years but they still lack the small details, the changing rooms are damp and dirty smelling like a wet foot locker, the noren is brown on the inside and has probably never seen a wash machine, the baths are filled with decomposing leaves. And last time we went we were assaulted by horseflies, so much so that instead of feeling relaxed it was a very stressful experience, we had to run after less than 10minutes.

Location and rotenburos 5 stars Cleanliness 2.5 stars Service 3 stars Hospitality 3 stars Was here 7years ago, it was then a solid 5 star Ryokan. Today it is run by foreigners for foreigners. Stink bugs presence is obvious - one even fell on the dining table, spider web above dining place, room is quite old but acceptable, dinner service is rushed, and sounds of kitchen work and clashing of utensils/cutlery permeated the dinning hall competing with the background music for attention. However the rotenburos are still unrivalled.

Everything is so beautiful, the environment, the room, and the food 🥰 Such a cozy and relaxing place! The onsen is hot and perfect for soaking while watching the autumn leaves and the small river 🍂💧 It feels so peaceful and calm here. The only downside is the stink bugs 😅 there are quite a few of them in my room even though all the doors and windows are closed. But still, it’s a 5⭐ experience for me! 💖