Wakamatsuya

Wakamatsuya (和歌の宿 わかまつや) is a stay-only inn in Zao Onsen, and its baths run on the inn's own spring. There is a granite indoor bath, a rotenburo hollowed out of a single large stone, and two private family baths, Sanpo and Fubo, that guests can use at any hour without booking. The water smells of sulfur and can sting a little on broken skin, the way Zao water does, but it leaves skin smooth afterward. Men's and women's baths do not swap, and there is free parking right outside. The inn has ties to the poet Saito Mokichi, and the quiet, unhurried feel suits it. Guests mention meals served in private rooms rather than a buffet, and sweets and drinks set out in the lobby. A review notes the open-air bath's view is modest, since the baths were placed as close to the source as possible.