Takihara Onsen Hotaru no Yu

A town-run bath deep in the hills of Hirogawa, named for the fireflies (hotaru, 蛍) that come out along the stream beside it from late May into June. The men's and women's sides mirror each other: a large indoor bath with jet and bubble corners, a sauna with a cold plunge next to it, and an open-air bath looking onto a courtyard garden and a square of sky. The water is a weakly alkaline cold mineral spring. There is a rest room, a canteen cooking local vegetables and mountain greens (wild boar hotpot in winter), a farm stall beside the front desk, and nine guest rooms facing the river and garden if you want to stay the night.