EBISUYA

EBISUYA is a 30-room ryokan in Shirahone Onsen, a mountain hot spring village in Nagano near Kamikochi. The indoor bath and the outdoor rock bath (rotenburo) share the same milky white, faintly sulfurous spring water, kept flowing fresh, and there is also a private bath you can reserve for bathing alone. Guests often describe the water as mild rather than hot, easy to stay in for a long soak, and smooth on the skin afterward. Rooms are plain tatami rooms looking out over the mountains, and reviews consistently mention warm, attentive service from the staff and the ryokan's okami (女将), the proprietress.