Onogawa Onsen Azumaso

Azumaso is a ryokan on a hillside above Onogawa Onsen, near Yonezawa, with kakenagashi (掛け流し) hot-spring water. The main indoor bath sits behind large windows that look onto a garden through the seasons, and the tub is built on the deep side for a proper soak. Guests can also reserve a private bath, and two of the room types each have their own onsen tub: the Azuma rooms a semi-open-air one, the other type an indoor one. A footbath sits in the courtyard, and day bathers are welcome too. The inn has been taking in bathers since 1789, when Onogawa was a toji (湯治) retreat, and it still has a homely, unhurried feel. Rooms look out over either the Azuma mountains or the onsen town below.