Hotel Kunitomi Annex

A hotel beside the Himekawa river in Itoigawa Onsen. The large bath has separate indoor and open-air baths for men and women, and the open-air bath looks out toward the river. The water is salty, smooth on the skin and has a slight mineral smell that bathers tend to either like or just notice. Men also get a Finnish-style sauna where you pour the water onto the stones yourself; there is no sauna for women. Day visitors can use the baths (higaeri nyuyoku, 日帰り入浴), and there is free parking. The building shows its age but is kept clean, and the feel is closer to a business hotel than a traditional ryokan.