Matsukawa Onsen Kyounso — Hotel in Hachimantai

This was our first time staying at an onsen ryokan and Kyounso easily surpassed any expectations we had.

The staff is second to none (I was greeted by name on arrival). When we left for day trips a member of staff helped us by taking a map and hand annotating local attractions.

For guests who cannot understand Japanese, most of the building has signs in multiple languages, including English. Your room will have a binder with some info about onsen etiquette in case you are unfamiliar (like us).

The meals were some of the most impressive I have ever had. We stayed 3 nights and I don't think we ate the same thing twice.

The onsen itself is clean and relaxing. Given that it's open 24hr, it never felt crowded, and finding a corner to yourself when there are other guests is easy to...

In Japan you must go and try the Onsen, the hot spring bath. My Japanese sister drive us to one of the matsukawa hot spring in the mountain forest. (Mount Iwate) The scenery around the inn was fantastic with the remnants of the melting snow and the tall trees. We enjoyed the hot spring bath especially the outdoor open-air bath, while you immerse in the clean sulfur hot water, you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery form by the remnants of the melting snow and the tall trees. After the hot spring bath, we rest in the spacious and clean hall decorated with folk crafts. It was a wonderful hot spring experience in the forest that we will never forget. We felt so relaxing after the hot spring...

English follows Japanese

最高のロケーションに極上の泉質、清潔でリーズナブルなお部屋、そして感じのいいスタッフさんたち。

食事も「おいおい、これ全部出てくるの!?」と驚くボリュームに、「うまっ！」の連続。夫婦で「これは当たり宿だね」と大満足でした。

部屋の地熱暖房はサウナか!?ってくらい灼熱だけど、窓を開けて外の風を取り込んだり、扇風機でクールダウンすれば問題なし。これも温泉宿感があって良いと思います。

なにより良かったのは、夫婦でゆっくり混浴できたこと。湯けむりの中でのんびり話す時間って、なかなかないもんね。いい思い出になりました。

ただ、ひとつだけモヤっとポイント。クレジットカード対応の宿なのに、現地で追加した飲食代だけは「現金のみでお願いします」とのこと。けっこう頼んだのでキャッシュが足りるかヒヤリとしつつ、そもそもなんで？って焦って聞いてみたら、スタッフさんが「えっと、あの…その…」とシドロモドロ。こんなところで湯あたりしそうになりました。周囲にATMもないし勘弁してくれよ。

それさえ除けば、また来たい！と心から思える素敵なお宿でした。

The best location with superb hot spring quality, clean and reasonably priced rooms, and friendly staff.

The meals were served in such generous portions that we were astonished, thinking, "Wow, is all this really coming out!?" and every bite was delicious. My spouse and I were very satisfied, saying, "This place is a hit."

The geothermal heating in the room was so hot it felt like a sauna, but opening the windows to let in the outside air or cooling down with a fan made it comfortable. This added to the hot spring inn experience, which I found charming.

What we enjoyed the most was being able to relax and have a mixed bath together as a couple. It's rare to have the time to leisurely chat in the steamy atmosphere, and it became a wonderful memory for us.

However, there was one point that left us feeling a bit uneasy. Although the inn accepts credit cards, for some reason, the additional food and drinks we ordered on-site could only be paid in cash. We ordered quite a bit, so we were worried about whether we had enough cash. When we asked the staff why, they seemed flustered and couldn't give a clear answer. It was a moment that made us feel like we might get hot spring dizziness in a different way. There are no ATMs nearby, so I hope this can be improved.

Aside from that, it was a lovely inn that we would love to...