Yamabiko-so

245. Yamabiko-so, Izu A well-known abandoned school converted into a guesthouse with an onsen and a swimming pool filled with onsen water. Inside everything is very authentic and cool, time seems to have stopped. There were even guests with kids running in the hallway — full anime vibes. Visited for higaeri at 600 (listed hours 12:00–17:00, except Thu). They stamp the 60 Onsen of Shizuoka 24/25 booklet. The onsen inside the school is small. Two baths with clear water. The larger one is 42, the smaller one 38.5. A bit stuffy inside. And of course the star of the show — the swimming pool filled with onsen water with a great mountain view. There's a pipe running above it that feeds onsen water. Water temperature from the pipe is 38, while the pool water on the far end is 30. An incredibly unique and amazing place, highly recommended to visit. Located in the middle of nowhere — you really feel it and it adds to the charm while driving there. Really want to come back.

So there was this town called Neginobata, and it had its own small elementary school. The bubble burst, the kids who once studied there are now old, and there are no new kids. They closed the school, along with the post office. An entrepreneurial guy bought the land with the building, did a renovation, and set up his own school — with BBQ and an onsen! Now the classrooms have tatami rooms, there's BBQ outside, and the pool has an onsen. Very atmospheric. Stopped clocks on the wall, children's drawings, name plates on the rooms. I bet you can hear children's laughter in the corridors at night.