Hozanso

Hozanso is a small ryokan in Beppu's Kannawa hot-spring district with six private baths: two rotenburo (open-air baths), two indoor baths, and two ganbanyoku (岩盤浴) rooms, heated bedrock rooms each paired with its own tub. Rooms in the main building come with their own open-air bath, and each room in the annex pairs with a private indoor bath. The alkaline sulfur water is known locally for a smooth, faintly slippery feel that leaves skin soft after bathing, and Hozanso holds one of Beppu's rare permits to drink the spring water. Meals can include jigokumushi (地獄蒸し), dishes steamed over the onsen's own vapor, with ingredients you steam yourself. It's a quiet, old-fashioned place with sea-view rooms and a resident cat or two padding around the halls.