Kissho Yamanaka

This ryokan in Yamanaka Onsen sits over the Daishoji river, and its open-air bath, Shirasagi no Yu, looks straight down into the gorge with an indoor section attached. There are two main bathing areas, each with its own sauna, and men's and women's swap between morning and night so guests can try both, one with a jet bath and one open-air. Three private baths, cypress, rock, and a barrier-free stone room, are free to book same-day for 50-minute slots, and some rooms have their own onsen tap. The water is a mild, gentle natural hot spring, plain and easy on the skin. Downstairs there's a foot bath by the lobby where you can sit with a coffee.