Satonoyu Waraku

421. Satonoyu Waraku, Kurokawa Onsen (pt.2 — onsen and conclusion) 1. One bath (rotating by gender). A cave onsen. Clear water, slightly cloudy. Temperature 43. Breathing is comfortable. There are three steam cabinets. A really cool atmospheric place. 2. The other bath (rotating by gender). Outdoor stone bath with Kurokawa lanterns. Clear water with some white mineral deposits. Temperature 40-42, varies in different parts of the bath. 3. Private bath in the room, clear slightly whitish cloudy water. Temperature 44, there's a tap to dilute it. Breathing is fine, with a proper sulfurous onsen smell. An excellent place: high-quality service, delicious food, rotating powerful baths by gender, spacious room with a private bath. Recommended both for overnight stays and for higaeri (though the time slot and location are challenging).

421. Satonoyu Waraku, Kurokawa Onsen (pt.1 — general info and room) Stayed overnight. Located far from Kurokawa's center — about 30-40 minutes on foot. I booked dinner and breakfast, served in a separate area on the second floor at regular chairs. For breakfast you can choose Japanese or European. I got a double kaiseki — the food was great. The ryokan has a small number of rooms. Mine came with a bath in the room. Service quality is high, I liked it. At dinner, the chef stands at the counter nearby, the waiter relays feedback, and there's a response from the chef. The whole staff knows about the black towel achievement — when I showed my towel, they called several more people over to see. When I was leaving, I gifted a matryoshka doll as a present — they gave me a return gift of a Kumamon umbrella (it had just started snowing and I visually appeared to have no umbrella). After my stay, they asked on Booking if everything was to my satisfaction, and when I replied they also thanked me for the matryoshka. Onsen is available for higaeri usually from 10:00 to 14:00, with occasional weekday closures. Included in the Kurokawa tegata. They issue Toreco cards for the onsen. The ryokan has its own branded towels with a cat design. There's a daily rotation of the main baths between men and women.