caffel Hinano Sato

This is a century-old ryokan (founded in 1906) that reopened in 2019 as caffel Hinano Sato, trading its traditional feel for a playful, cafe-style retreat on the Mikuma River. The indoor bath has big windows onto the river and its own open-air section, plus a proper loyly-style sauna where steam is thrown over hot stones, and the water itself is soft and gentle, the kind that leaves skin smooth rather than sharp or heavily mineral. A handful of room types come with their own private open-air tub, though there's no separate bookable bath for everyone else. Downstairs there's a foot bath looking over the river and sunset, an in-house cafe serving stylish meals, and lounge corners with hammocks and a manga nook, more suited to a lively trip with friends or family than a quiet traditional stay.