Hot Spring Area in Tohoku × Stays Popular For Snow-View BathsHighly rated for rooms and amenities at Hotel·Ryokan - 14Page Number

Since I was staying with my child and we don’t eat large portions, we chose a restaurant where we could order dinner à la carte. The food was excellent, and we were truly impressed. The sashimi in particular was beautifully presented and delicious. The footbath was next to the smoking area, so the smell bothered us a bit, but everything else was great. The Accommodation staff, the baths, and the meals were all wonderful, and we would definitely like to stay again.

Because we’d mostly visited southern Onsen towns such as Zao, Akayu, and Kaminoyama, this year we decided to head north and went to Hijiori, Semi, and Ginzan. Hijiori had come up as an option before, but I had somehow assumed it was a remote, quiet, minor Onsen area. I was surprised to find it’s a rare Onsen town these days that still has real energy. While Zao and Akayu have largely turned into shuttered streets and feel like each place is operating separately for its own target guests, Hijiori Onsen has a welcoming style where the whole town hosts visitors together. The shops were lively too—I was truly moved to see that the best of the Showa-era Onsen town atmosphere still remains. I believe Yushin no Yado is family-run with additional staff; everyone was kind and warm in their service, so we felt at ease throughout our stay. And we were amazed by both the quantity and quality of the meals! It was so lavish I thought my stomach might burst—packed with mountain delicacies. I wished I had a bigger appetite. I felt bad leaving anything uneaten, and when I saw someone at a nearby table being served an enormous watermelon, I nearly despaired. However, they were clearly paying attention to how quickly we were eating; since I eat slowly, they switched mine to a smaller portion for me, which impressed me. As a couple who don’t drink alcohol much at all, strongly seasoned dishes meant to pair with drinks are delicious but make us need lots of water; if possible, it would be helpful to receive a pitcher of cold water once it’s clear we won’t be ordering beverages. The saltiness makes us thirsty—we end up drinking a lot of water and getting full before finishing the wonderful food. The private reserved Onsen in the annex offered as a guest perk had different water quality from the main bath area (which made it fun). It seems this Accommodation borrows the bathhouse of an older Ryokan that is no longer operating; because it didn’t lock properly from inside (no key), it made us nervous. Still, enjoying another type of spring water was great.

We stayed with two dogs. Some parts of the Facility feel a bit dated, but our Room had been renovated and was clean. The baths—both the indoor bath and the private open-air bath—had great water quality, temperature, and atmosphere, and we were able to fully enjoy Zao’s Onsen. We could also enjoy our meals together with our dogs and truly appreciated the warm hospitality.

The bath features an Onsen with ultrasonic baths, open-air baths, saunas, and more, providing a very relaxing experience. When my return train schedule was unexpectedly moved earlier, breakfast was originally from 7 AM but they kindly prepared it earlier so I could eat before leaving. Thank you very much. I would love to stay here again next time.

The hot spring bath with free-flowing source water was excellent. It would be nice to have air conditioning in the bath area. The meals were delicious.

I stayed here with my grandchild. At the very least, I think there should be a table tennis table.

First of all, the bath was great. Indeed, it feels a bit old, but the starry sky viewed from the spacious open-air bath was the best. The temperature is a bit low, but since the bathtub is shallow, I was able to enjoy the Onsen slowly. Dinner and breakfast were also delicious.