Ogoto Onsen Biwako Ryokusuitei

Biwako Ryokusuitei is a ryokan on the shore of Lake Biwa at Ogoto Onsen, a short train ride from Kyoto. Most guest rooms come with their own open-air bath, filled with the inn's hot-spring water and kept warm around the clock, looking straight out over the lake. The shared bath hall has separate baths for men, Genji (源氏), and women, Yudate (湯立), the women's side built around a hollowed-out rock tub outdoors, next to a Nordic-style barrel sauna with self-service steam and a cold plunge. There's also a foot bath and hand bath in a small courtyard garden. The water is alkaline, clear, and known for leaving skin feeling smooth. Dinner centers on kaiseki-style courses built around Omi beef, a Shiga specialty.