Yukyonohibiki Yusai

412. Yukyonohibiki Yusai, Kurokawa Onsen Visited for higaeri. One of the few "concrete" ryokans in Kurokawa, located east of the central area. Higaeri is usually available from 15:00 to 21:00. Included in the Kurokawa tegata. This onsen was mentioned in a book I had been looking at in Arima Onsen just a week prior. Couldn't find a proper water composition sign — the staff only had a promotional one (they said a formal one should be hanging somewhere in the onsen, but I didn't see it). Officially, higaeri on their website gives access only to the Yawaragi zone, but there are known cases where staff allowed higaeri visitors into other zones too. Other zones with baths include two private baths and the Mahoroba zone. Mahoroba has two bath options that rotate by gender at specific hours: 1. a set with a simple indoor bath and an outdoor stone bath with a partial river/forest view, and 2. an atmospheric indoor bath with a view of bamboo through glass. When visiting the onsen, you arrive directly at the Yawaragi zone, but the Mahoroba zone is easy to miss since you have to walk separately to the side and downward. There are also rooms for overnight stays with private baths. 1. Yawaragi zone. Bath photos from the internet match reality. 1.1. Indoor bath with a human figure, clear water, temperature 41. It's a bit stuffy inside. 1.2. Outdoor bath with clear water, temperature 42. View of trees and the river, but to see the river you need to either sit up high/stand or be at the very edge of the bath. In daylight the onsen isn't impressive, but in the evening with subtle lighting it's perceived completely differently — really cool. 2. Mahoroba zone. Atmospheric indoor bath with a view of bamboo through glass, clear water, temperature 40-41. Breathing is tolerable. I visited in the evening — the bamboo view through glass looks powerful. It feels like a location from a video game. My rating of this place kept rising as I gathered more information and with each visit. In the end, it's debatable whether to choose a "concrete" hotel in Kurokawa, but the onsen offerings look very strong. If you book a room with an onsen, you can potentially visit 8 baths at this ryokan. My summary: - For an overnight stay, I'd still choose a different ryokan in Kurokawa; - If other options don't work or aren't available, this is still a worthy choice; - If not staying overnight, I strongly recommend visiting for higaeri in the evening.

A huge hotel; they allow higaeri access to all onsens. Showers everywhere; didn't ask about towels, but they seem to provide them. There are two rotenburo, several cypress baths indoors, and several regular ones. Both rotenburo are very pleasant, right by the river. One on the 1st floor is nicely decorated with wood and separated from the river by bamboo. In the evening there's cozy lighting that compensates for the limited visibility. The second is in a semi-basement (the one called Mahoroba in photos), made of stone; the river is more visible and closer, but the lighting isn't as great. This hotel had the highest concentration of old-timers, especially in the second rotenburo and the cypress baths. Didn't go to the private baths; saw one of them from outside - nothing special. Overall, I can recommend a visit.