Biwako Grand Hotel

This hotel sits right on Lake Biwa in Ogoto Onsen, with two separate bathing areas: one built around an open-air bath facing the lake, the other around a garden-style open-air bath, each with its own indoor bath, and a sauna as well. Guests describe watching the sun rise over the lake from the water as one of the best parts of a stay. Four private baths, done in stone, cypress and rock, are also available for a quieter soak, and one room category comes with its own in-room open-air bath fed by the same natural hot spring.