Hachimenzan Kanairo Onsenkan

Nine rotenburo (露天風呂) are dotted up a hillside garden, from a large mountain-view outdoor bath to a lie-down tub, a cypress tub, and a utaseyu (打たせ湯) that drops water onto your shoulders. A foot-pressure cave bath leads through to a rest area beyond it. Indoors there's a big communal tub with jets, a sauna, and a cold bath. The spring water itself is mild and alkaline, plain rather than mineral-heavy. Six private family baths, in stone, barrel, tub, and kettle styles, sit apart for couples or families. The bathhouse is at the foot of Mount Hachimen (八面山) in Nakatsu, sharing its grounds with a sister ryokan, and a few cats usually greet arrivals in the parking lot.