Day-trip visit not allowed |
Number of baths | |||
| | | |
inside | 2 | 2 | - |
outside | 1 | 1 | 1 |
+ 3 family bath | |||
Spring information | |||
Water type : simple thermal | |||
Onsen in Tochigi-ken |
Ichiryuukaku honkan (Kawaji Onsen)Oomaru Onsen Ryokan (Nasu)Meotobuchi Onsen Hotel (Meotobuchi)Hatcho yu (Okukinu Onsen)Kani yu (Okukinu Onsen)Nikkozawa (Okukinu Onsen)Shirakaba (Arayu Onsen)Yumori Tanakaya (Oami Onsen)Fudo no yu (Shiobara)Hito no yado (Shiobara)Iwa no yu (Shiobara)Honke Bankyu Bankyu Ryokan (Yunishigawa)Kitanoyu Ryokan (Nasu)Momiji no Yu ()Yuppo no Sato (Shiobara)Azumaya (Shiobara)Warakuyuen (Shiobara) (Arayu Onsen) |
Other prefectures in Kanto |
| Gunma-kenKanagawa-kenSaitama-kenTokyo-to |
) A great November view from the mixed outside bath |
(explanation on symbols) |
Global rating :  | |
| Yunishigawa hot springs were discovered in 1573, when the Heike clan used the area as a hideaway after their defeat against the Genji. Since then, this rustic town retains its charm, featuring beautiful buildings, including the 380-years old Honke Bankyu Bankyu Ryokan. While the rooms and the baths are located on one shore of the river, guests have to cross a rope bridge to reach the old, beautiful dining rooms, where dinner featuring traditional food from the area is served around an irori (open hearths). Raw deer, wild boar, pheasant and river fishes can be served to guests. | |
Size :  | |
| Two inside bath are available for men, and two other for women. All are large and beautifully made by stones. But the most interesting baths are the rotenburo - one for men, one for women and, linking the two together, a mixed bath, all of modest size. | |
| View : | |
| Located just next to a river, all rotenburo offer a nice view on it, as well as on the opposite shore where the dinning rooms are located. The old bridge linking the shores is in full view from the bath. In autumn, the red leaves falling in the river provide an incredible atmosphere, while in winter, a huge frozen waterfall can be seen from the baths. | |
| Modesty : | |
| Extremely well-conceived, those baths have been built to protect the modesty of the guests: women and men have separated changing rooms with indoor baths. In the middle of the women's rotenburo and the men's one is located the mixed bath. The mixed bath can however be seen from a near-by bridge. | |
| Area : | |
| Located deep in the mountains, Yunishigawa is mostly known for its onsen. It also display an interesting open-air museum on the Honke culture and traditions. | |
| This ryokan is considered as one of the most famous in Japan. Indeed, it can be found in most books on ryokan or onsen. For this reason, when my family came from Europe to visit me in Japan, we decided to book a room there for a truly unique "onsen experience". And unique, it was. The food was absolutely gorgeous, starting from shika sashimi (raw deer) and continuing with many local dishes. It can however be difficult to eat not only for foreigners, but also for Japanese, as the taste is quite different from the usual japanese food... All the food was taken around a fireplace, where a soup was cooked at the end of the dinner. The ryokan itself is very beautiful, too, but at more than 20'000 yens per persons (and for 5 persons in the same room), it still is a very expensive experience. sanji |
) General view of the baths | ) A very rocky surrounding | |
) Men inside bath | ||
) Panorama of the village... and the baths | ||