Awanoyu — Hotel in Matsumoto

Came here only for the day outdoor hot spring. Some info said the outdoor hot spring is only open to visitors on weekends but I checked the calendar on the hotel website - it's actually open most weekdays so I called to confirm beforehand and it was open (本館 大野天風呂) even though we went there on a Monday. There's another outdoor one (外湯) that's not open though.||The 30-minute 松本電鉄 train from Matsumoto leaves for Shin-shimashima (新島々) at 7:16 from platform 7. Discount return tickets for the train+bus is 3500 yen and can be bought at the machines at Matsumoto Station. Bus from Shin-shimashima right outside the station leaves at 8:05. Very narrow and windy roads in the mountains past Norikura ski resort. Bus arrives right outside the hotel (Awanoyu = 泡の湯) around 9:30 but the outdoor hot spring for visitors opens from 10:30-13:30 so we were told to wait "outside" because it would get busy for check-out even though there was no one in the lobby and it was -5 degrees out. ||Visitors have to take a separate entrance than hotel guests (just down the road). It's 820 yen per person, plus 100 for the locker, 250 for the face towel, and 700 for the bath towel (all optional). The big mixed outdoor hot spring bath was beautiful in the snow, just like the amazingly gorgeous photos online. The water was not very hot and the floor was a bit slippery so be careful. ||Women wear towels to enter even though the water is opaque (I was a bit confused because it's not really written anywhere) - you can still see down your own chest though. There were more people just after it opened but barely anyone left after 12.||Bare minimum in the changing room - 1 hair dryer and some Q-tips but no lotion or anything else so bring your own. The whole place is kind of dated - I guess they don't really care to make an effort because the outdoor onsen is so famous and does look really nice.||On the women's side, there is a small but beautiful outdoor bath - the water is also not very hot (~38 degrees). There are 2 indoor baths, 1 lukewarm pumped with carbonated gas, the other hotter at 42 degrees. Nice wooden interior.||For women, there's a separate entrance to the mixed outdoor bath from the women's baths/changing room, so you've got to get dressed to walk over to the other entrance then undress again.||We spent 2 hours at the place altogether. There is a hot food vending machine and also drinks but visitors can't stay there past 2 pm.||You can walk 1 km downhill to the last bus stop, "Shirahone Onsen" (白骨温泉), where there is an info center with a heater and maps as well as a souvenir shop (closes early), a restaurant, and bathrooms nearby. There are some trails but not much else to do other than other onsen hotels.||The bus back to Shin-Shimasima with connecting train back to Matsumoto is at 3:45 pm, arriving Matsumoto at 5:52 pm. Schedules can be found on Alpico's website, in Japanese, but basically there are only 2 buses a day that goes to...

Awanoyu is a fantastic ryokan experience at an onsen. You probably are familiar with onsen already if you are looking at this review because Shirahone Onsen is hard to get to. There are buses from Matsumoto but we came in a rental car.||||Awanoyu is also a rare mixed gender bath. Shiraone (white bone) onsen features a very milky white color so in reality you can't see through the water but the ladies could were towels to cover themselves up more. So this is nice for couples who would otherwise be separated at the typical onsen resort.||||The hot spring source is direct and unfiltered so it is notably lukewarm. The main outdoor bath (rotenburo) is only about body temperature. The part with the fountains is a few degrees warmer so it is more comfortable there. I think this onsen is perfect for summer, but may be a bit on the chilly side during winter.||||The minerals could effect metal so our host recommended taking off all jewelry before bathing. I accidentally forgot to take off my ring in my second dip of the day but quickly realized it and removed the ring without any consequences besides actually looking cleaner.||||There is a smaller private rotenburo in the gender separated baths, but I don't see the point. It doesn't have the grandeur of the main community bath. Also next to the bathing stalls, the indoor baths were both colder and hotter than the main rotenburo.||||Otherwise our room, the service, and both the kaiseki dinner and breakfast were grand. I'm normally a more value conscious traveler but I splurge occasionally. Awanoyu is worth the money and I would consider returning again in the future.||||Note the very scenic Kamikochi is nearby although it is only reachable by bus. If we had another day we could have fit it...

We reach Awanoyu within 1,5 hours bus ride from Matsumoto Bus Station (just the front side of Matsumoto JR Station), the ryokan is located at Shirahone Onsen Town. If you're not driving, one of the best way to reach the ryokan is with bus (if you take train from Matsumoto Sta. you need to change to bus halfway there). You can purchase the Alpico Bus ticket (one way/round trip) through a ticket machine at Matsumoto Station. The bus stop is just in front of the Ryokan.||||The Ryokan building is relatively new (or newly renovated) and well kept, the rooms are decent as well. What we loved most about our room are the Kotatsu (heater table) as the peak winter can be so cold! The bath itself, is one of the most beautiful bath that I've been to in Japan (been to 3-4 other ryokans at Gunma and Fukuoka) the sulphur based water really gives beautiful blue/turquoise colour, especially during winter mornings. They said if you're bathing there for three straight days, you won't catch a cold for a whole year!||||Other things that I loved about the bath, is the entrance! The female and male has separate entrance, they provided bath robe (it's like a tube dress) for the females and they have pool entrance inside the changing room (on the outer changing hut area) so no need to hurry when entering the bath for fear being stared at (oh I know the feeling)||||The water temperature isn't as hot as most ryokan there is, but I kinda like it. I finally able to bath more than an hour straight without feeling too much heated.||||I gave a 4 stars rating due to the price, for the price they publish, I could get to another ryokan that has equally wonderful service but has more baths options (this Ryokan has only one...