Yamabiko Ryokan

411. Yamabiko Ryokan, Kurokawa Onsen ★★ Visited for a day trip (higaeri), located west of the central area. There are two entrances - one from the outer car road, and another from the village side across the river. Usually, day trips are available from 8:30 to 21:00, but there may be a day off during the week. It is part of the Kurokawa tag. For day trips, only the outdoor baths (large or small) are accessible - they are different and alternate daily by gender. The daily Kurokawa map for day trips indicates which bath is available for which gender today. The ryokan has its own branded towels. For staying guests, 6 private baths and 1 indoor public bath are also available. The first available bath by gender is a truly large rotenburo (outdoor bath) made of stone. On one side, there is a view of trees, and on the other side, trees can be seen through a fence. The water is clear with a slightly cloudy white-green tint, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 43°C (hotter under the roof). There is also a shallow area on the far side. The second available bath by gender is a small bath partially made of stone. On one side, there is a view of trees, and on the other side, a fence. The water is clear with a slightly cloudy blue tint. The temperature ranges from 40.5 to 41.5°C depending on the spot. A great place for a day trip if visiting the large rotenburo, and an interesting place to stay to experience the full set (potentially up to 9 baths can be visited only at this ryokan when staying). 14.01.2025 15.01.2025

Stayed overnight. On the menu: two separate rotenburo (small and large, switching at midnight), men's and women's indoor baths, and 6 private baths. As someone mentioned here before, the view from the rotenburo isn't great - mostly trees, average by Kurokawa standards. No showers either. For higaeri you can skip. But if staying overnight, the lighting is nice, and combined with the steam from the water it makes the scene much more pleasant. Among the private baths, the interesting ones are a deep rotenburo (150 cm) and a bath with a river view from the window. Water in the private baths is cooler than in the shared ones, but the color and smell are the same everywhere. As a ryokan it's good - the food is delicious and served in private rooms. The room had a river view and was spacious. There's a cool bridge over the river. In short, I recommend it as an accommodation option; for higaeri it's not essential.