Ukawa Onsen, Yoshino no sato — Hotel in Kyotango

I stayed at this hotel for one night and had gotten the traditional Japanese style room. However if they are available, you can request a western style room. The room came with its own slippers and had a raised room with tatami mats and both a low table and a taller one in the little kitchenette. There was a closet that had the Futons and a personal care setup which included: hotel pajamas that you could walk around the common areas in, and a little blue bag that had a towel for the bathhouse. In the bathroom there was another amenity care bag that had a toothbrush/toothpaste, brush, face lotion, hair clip, and little toe separator as well.||||The reception area also has a restaurant to the right that you pay a head of time and reserve if you wish to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We reserved 3 breakfast sets that they make themselves and is Japanese style. I do not believe they take any modifications FYI. So be prepared to eat what is given to you, it is NOT a buffet style breakfast. Which I was fine with, but one of the people I was with didn't realize until too late.||||There is a little shopping area in the reception area as well where you can buy food for the room, gifts, and other miscellaneous items which was fun to look around and see. The area does close after 8 I believe, so buy a head of time.||||To the left of the reception area is where the entrance to the bathhouses are, the raised wooden platform is where you take off your shoes or slippers and walk to the entrance way. There are two areas: one with a blue cover (for men), the other with a purpleish color (for women). The rooms have baskets where you undress and and bring the towel with you to wash yourself and then join the others in one of the 3 hot water baths. Usually you will be naked in front of strangers, bathing suits are not permitted unless on specified days. Because of this, be sure you are comfortable with being around other people naked. Also as a side note, Japanese people do not feel comfortable around people who have tattoos, it is a cultural thing that indicated that the person is a criminal or is part of a criminal organization. If possible, try to plan a head and have the tattoo covered by a bandage or be sure the towel can cover the tattoo. The bathhouses tend to switch sides every day, so be sure you are going into the correct room. Also, men and women do not normally bathe together, you will have to reserve a private bath if they are available if you wish to bathe with a loved one.||||The common areas have seats, tables, and relaxing views of nature. In these areas alone is there free wi-fi. We could not get a strong enough signal in our rooms so be prepared for that a head of time. They promote being out and about instead of in the room...

I stayed at this hotel for one night and had gotten the traditional Japanese style room. However if they are available, you can request a western style room. The room came with its own slippers and had a raised room with tatami mats and both a low table and a taller one in the little kitchenette. There was a closet that had the Futons and a personal care setup which included: hotel pajamas that you could walk around the common areas in, and a little blue bag that had a towel for the bathhouse. In the bathroom there was another amenity care bag that had a toothbrush/toothpaste, brush, face lotion, hair clip, and little toe separator as well.||||The reception area also has a restaurant to the right that you pay a head of time and reserve if you wish to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We reserved 3 breakfast sets that they make themselves and is Japanese style. I do not believe they take any modifications FYI. So be prepared to eat what is given to you, it is NOT a buffet style breakfast. Which I was fine with, but one of the people I was with didn't realize until too late.||||There is a little shopping area in the reception area as well where you can buy food for the room, gifts, and other miscellaneous items which was fun to look around and see. The area does close after 8 I believe, so buy a head of time.||||To the left of the reception area is where the entrance to the bathhouses are, the raised wooden platform is where you take off your shoes or slippers and walk to the entrance way. There are two areas: one with a blue cover (for men), the other with a purpleish color (for women). The rooms have baskets where you undress and and bring the towel with you to wash yourself and then join the others in one of the 3 hot water baths. Usually you will be naked in front of strangers, bathing suits are not permitted unless on specified days. Because of this, be sure you are comfortable with being around other people naked. Also as a side note, Japanese people do not feel comfortable around people who have tattoos, it is a cultural thing that indicated that the person is a criminal or is part of a criminal organization. If possible, try to plan a head and have the tattoo covered by a bandage or be sure the towel can cover the tattoo. The bathhouses tend to switch sides every day, so be sure you are going into the correct room. Also, men and women do not normally bathe together, you will have to reserve a private bath if they are available if you wish to bathe with a loved one.||||The common areas have seats, tables, and relaxing views of nature. In these areas alone is there free wi-fi. We could not get a strong enough signal in our rooms so be prepared for that a head of time. They promote being out and about instead of in the room...

BEST ONSEN in JAPAN, without question. While I haven't been to every onsen in Japan, I do go out of my way to find hot springs and try them out. After years of traveling around Japan, going to onsen, I still haven't found one that rivals Ukawa Onsen. The architecture is stunning. The views are unparalleled. On one side you are overlooking the Sea of Japan and a small village. On the other you have a private bamboo forest. Both sides have indoor and outdoor baths, along with sauna, and two indoor baths (of different temperatures). The facility is on an amazing piece of property that has accommodations, lavender fields, e-bike rentals, and two restaurants. There is a relaxation area for reading or napping, and outdoor space for this as well. There is also a deck on the seaside with chairs and tables for you to eat or hang out. And the cost is so reasonable. For day-trippers, a visit will only run 600 yen. It's hard to find that kind of pricing, let alone for a location that is this stunning. It's best visited with a car, but there are buses that run consistently to and from the onsen as well. Oh, and another big plus is, outisde of the 6-week beach season in Japan, this onsen is rarely crowded. Highly...