Takayu Onsen Seishin Sanso

A simple inn on the slope above Takayu Onsen, reached by a steep, narrow lane from the main road. The bath is a single small indoor tub up a long flight of stairs from the front desk, with room for three or four adults at a time and one washing spot. The water is emerald green, smells of sulfur and feels slightly slippery, with fine flakes of yuno-hana (湯の花) floating in it. There is no rotenburo. The bathroom is old and weathered, and visitors like it for exactly that hidden-mountain-bath feel. Shampoo and body soap are provided, a hair dryer is not. Day visitors (higaeri nyuyoku, 日帰り入浴) are taken, and the quiet setting and the owner's cooking get a good word from guests.