Semi Onsen Kishiro

Said to be among the oldest surviving ryokan in Yamagata, Kishiro is a rambling, multi-storey wooden building that has been receiving guests for generations. The centrepiece is a cavernous Roman-style communal bath called Sennin-buro (千人風呂), big enough for a crowd; there is also a mixed bath with separate women-only and men-only hours. The place is well past its prime and full of quirks, but the atmosphere of layered history is unlike anything modern.