Kami-suwa Onsen Hama no Yu

Hama no Yu is a large, old-fashioned ryokan on the shore of Lake Suwa. Baths are split by gender into indoor and outdoor sections, with a herbal bath alongside them and a reservation-only private bath for overnight guests, plus a sauna. Kami-suwa Onsen draws on hundreds of hot-spring outlets around the town, and the inn's water comes from that supply. The top-floor Premium Suite rooms have their own half-open-air onsen bath, with views over the lake and the Alps beyond it. The building itself is old and kept with real care: guests mention a koi pond and running water through the corridors, and kaiseki dinners served with attention to detail.