Hotel New Hakuaki

This oceanfront hotel in Hitachinaka has an open-air bath that looks straight out over the Pacific. From late spring to early autumn you can watch the sunrise from it on clear mornings, and in the evening the twilight sky settles over the water. The indoor bath draws on the same self-sourced spring, so there is a warm option when the weather turns. Bathers describe the water as slippery and smooth on the skin. The baths are separated by gender, and the room called Shion (紫苑) has its own private open-air bath facing the sea. Day visitors can use the baths too, then rest and eat in the large hall afterward, and kids are welcome in the shared baths.