Reisenji Onsen Izumiya Hotel

Izumiya is a six-room ryokan in Reisenji Onsen, a small hot-spring hamlet in the Nagano mountains that has only four inns and one shared bathhouse and no shops at all. The main bath has both an indoor tub and an open-air one; there's also a private bath (kashikiri, 貸切) and a family bath, though both are reserved for staying guests, and it's worth washing up in the main bath first since the private ones don't have shower fittings. Two separate springs feed the baths, kept flowing fresh from the source: one runs into the outdoor and family baths on the cool side, good for settling into a long soak, while the indoor tub blends both sources for a milder temperature. The water itself is clear and alkaline, soft on the skin, gentle enough that the inn recommends it even for babies. Reisenji's spring carries an old story: a wounded Heian-era warrior is said to have come here to recover after fighting an oni (鬼), and the area is registered today as a national health-resort spring. Izumiya belongs to the Association for the Preservation of Secret Hot Springs (日本秘湯を守る会), and its traditional two-room suites look out over the surrounding mountains.