Sawatari Onsen Miyataya Ryokan

Miyataya is a ryokan in Sawatari Onsen, a small hot spring area in the Gunma mountains near Nakanojo. The onsen water comes directly from the source with no additives, and the bath is open day and night. Reviewers often note the water runs mild and lukewarm rather than hot, good for a long, easy soak. The large indoor bath has two tubs, a hotter one near a small waterfall feature and a cooler, wider one to ease into first. Just outside it is a roofed outdoor bath built with natural stone, ringed by trees that turn bright red in late October and early November. A few guests mention a faint kerosene smell drifting over from a nearby boiler, though it's said to be less noticeable in the private bath. For more privacy, there's a separate outdoor bath in the garden booked same day at the front desk (free, 40 minutes), and an indoor family bath open any time without reservation, handy with small children. Rooms face south toward the mountains, with Kazuma-yama (吾嬬山) visible on clear days. A wood stove keeps the entrance warm from autumn through winter, and meals are served in semi-private dining rooms rather than a shared hall. It's a quiet, old-fashioned inn, and guests can also use the neighborhood's communal bathhouse for free with a permit from the front desk.