Saito Hotel

Saito Hotel sits above the Uchimura River at Kakeyu Onsen, a small mountain hot-spring town with a long history as a toji (湯治) destination for extended therapeutic stays. The large indoor bath and open-air rotenburo look out over the valley through the seasons, and there is also an indoor onsen pool and jet bath (swimsuit required) and reservable private baths for those who want the water to themselves. A free drinking fountain of the spring water sits at the hotel entrance. The water itself is clear and colorless, smooth on the skin rather than strongly scented or mineral-heavy, which is part of why repeat guests come back for stays of several days at a time.