Lodge Yamaniso

Lodge Yamaniso is a small minshuku in Norikura Kogen with milky, sulfur-rich spring water. There are two gender-separated baths, indoor and outdoor (one built of cypress), fed straight from the source and open around the clock, plus a private bath you can reserve on your own. Guests compare the color to Shirahone Onsen's milky water, with mineral flakes floating in the bath at times. It's an old-fashioned, family-run inn, kept spotless by the elderly couple who run it, with tatami rooms and hearty dinners built from local ingredients like grilled iwana and horse sashimi. It's well placed for trips up Mount Norikura or over to Kamikochi.