Yukisasa Hot Spring

The water at Yukisasa no Yu (雪ささの湯) runs clear at the source but turns a deep reddish-brown once it hits the air, leaving the baths dark and murky. It flows in fresh without recirculation, and the mineral concentration is high enough that white towels come out stained. There are two baths: an indoor tub that runs notably hot, and an open-air rotenburo (ろてんぶろ) that sits cooler in winter and doubles as a snow-view bath on snowy days. The setting is simple, on a national highway roadside, and the changing rooms are nothing special, but the water itself is the reason people come back. Tattoos are welcome, and the place fills up fast once the nearby ski slopes close for the day.