Shoya Onsen(Hot Spring)

Shoya Onsen is a one-inn hot spring in the mountains above Saku, reached by a narrow road through cedar forest with nothing else around. There's no open-air bath, just two small indoor tubs, one with a window looking out over a stream and the trees beyond. The spring runs on the cool side, so guests tend to stay in a long while, and the water has a faint mineral edge that leaves the skin feeling smooth. The inn opened in 1885, when its founder, Masuno Sadahachi, found a spring nearby while out picking chestnuts and brought the water home to his sick mother, who recovered; that spring, later named Homeisui (宝命水), still flows just outside. A 2021 renovation brought the inn down to seven rooms, each served dinner and breakfast in its own private dining space, built around Saku carp, mountain vegetables and homemade miso.