Yudanaka Onsen Tawaraya

A refined traditional ryokan in Yudanaka Onsen, Nagano. The stone-garden open-air bath (rotenburo, 露天風呂) is the centerpiece, it's mixed-gender, with short women-only windows in the evening and morning. The indoor bath is also available, and guests tend to speak warmly of how the staff explains everything, from yukata-tying to the etiquette of 100% natural spring water.