Keishokan Sazanamitei

This ryokan sits above the harbor at Tomonoura, on the Seto Inland Sea, with two named indoor and open-air bath areas, Shimanami no Yu and Gekko no Yu. The water is a radium spring. A reservable private bath is also available for stay guests, and several room types come with their own open-air onsen tub looking out over the islands. Day trips are possible too, but only as a lunch package booked a few days ahead, with bathing in the large communal baths included free. Guests describe the harbor town outside as quiet and unhurried, old streets and a calm sea, and the baths themselves are as much about the view (islands, passing boats, the changing color of the water) as the water itself.