Kuroyu Onsen — Hotel in Semboku

My sister and I chose Kuroyu as a key destination for our extended road trip around Tohoku this summer, staying there 3 days this July. We wanted to experience a historic/traditional onsen inn (which Kuroyu is) and we were hoping to use Kuroyu as a good basecamp for hiking (particularly Akita-Komagatake NP). Since we were road-tripping with our own rental car, we are not sure how easy it is to access Kuroyu by air/train/bus; driving down from Lake Towada, it seemed like a long, curvy and mountainous drive (over 2 hours from upper Hachimantai NP). The parking area is above the onsen/inn area, requiring a moderate haul of luggage down a semi-paved walkway hill (and then back up at check-out). We booked a western-style room with its own onsen bath (which was shared with one other unit in the western-style building). Having our own private onsen bath was quite a treat. We also booked breakfast and dinner; all were huge multi-dish Japanese-style meals, and sometimes daunting for someone (me) who is not a big fish fan. In retrospect, I should have booked just vegetarian (which is an option with a small extra cost). The staff did do some non-fish subs after I kept leaving whole uneaten river fish on my tray. The eating area is very casual and, in general, Kuroyu is a low-key place with lots of really nice people (not a snooty spa-like place with fancy everything). We particularly enjoyed meeting some tourists fishing the local rivers who were staying in the self-service "camping" style units; these had in-room firepits and the fishermen were cooking or smoking their river fish each night. There were also shared bathroom/tatami rooms but we didn't get to meet anyone staying in those. The onsen options at Kuroyu include a mixed gender bath (we were too chicken to use that... it seemed like mostly couples going in there), a men's only onsen area (indoor, outdoor), and a women's only onsen area (indoor, outdoor - which we used). There were also these natural massage onsen shower areas where natural water poured down a spout and you could sit under it and pressure-wash your back. The onsen do give off a sulfur smell; I am used to that from working in Yellowstone... but it is stronger than other onsen I have visited. Although our room was roomy (we had our own private toilet/sink) and the beds were heavenly, we were a little taken aback to learn there is no AC at Kuroyu. Being July, it was very hot and humid; we slept with the windows wide open (thankfully, they had screens) every night... did I mention sulfur? Although we were less than 20 minutes from the shuttle to Akita-Komagatake NP, the weather at Kuroyu when we were there was very bad: soaking rain and fog most of the time. The one day we did a 5-mile hike at Akita-Komagatake NP, there was a full mountain rescue fireman team pulling someone off who fell on the wet boardwalks. We also attempted to climb Mt. Nyuto (the trailhead proceeds out of Kuroyu) but it was a wet, jungly mess in July - the foliage/grass beyond thick below 5500 feet. We made it half-way up but decided to turn back and visit the samurai villages in Kakunodate (an hour away - but very worth it). Lastly, Kuroyu opens its onsen to the general public 10-4 and there were definitely big crowds most days at those times. Staying there overnight meant we could often enjoy the women's onsen virtually by ourselves. Even with the horrible weather, taking on outdoor bath in a downpour is one of the great lasting memories I will keep...

My sister and I chose Kuroyu as a key destination for our extended road trip around Tohoku this summer, staying there 3 days this July. We wanted to experience a historic/traditional onsen inn (which Kuroyu is) and we were hoping to use Kuroyu as a good basecamp for hiking (particularly Akita-Komagatake NP). Since we were road-tripping with our own rental car, we are not sure how easy it is to access Kuroyu by air/train/bus; driving down from Lake Towada, it seemed like a long, curvy and mountainous drive (over 2 hours from upper Hachimantai NP). The parking area is above the onsen/inn area, requiring a moderate haul of luggage down a semi-paved walkway hill (and then back up at check-out). We booked a western-style room with its own onsen bath (which was shared with one other unit in the western-style building). Having our own private onsen bath was quite a treat. We also booked breakfast and dinner; all were huge multi-dish Japanese-style meals, and sometimes daunting for someone (me) who is not a big fish fan. In retrospect, I should have booked just vegetarian (which is an option with a small extra cost). The staff did do some non-fish subs after I kept leaving whole uneaten river fish on my tray. The eating area is very casual and, in general, Kuroyu is a low-key place with lots of really nice people (not a snooty spa-like place with fancy everything). We particularly enjoyed meeting some tourists fishing the local rivers who were staying in the self-service "camping" style units; these had in-room firepits and the fishermen were cooking or smoking their river fish each night. There were also shared bathroom/tatami rooms but we didn't get to meet anyone staying in those. The onsen options at Kuroyu include a mixed gender bath (we were too chicken to use that... it seemed like mostly couples going in there), a men's only onsen area (indoor, outdoor), and a women's only onsen area (indoor, outdoor - which we used). There were also these natural massage onsen shower areas where natural water poured down a spout and you could sit under it and pressure-wash your back. The onsen do give off a sulfur smell; I am used to that from working in Yellowstone... but it is stronger than other onsen I have visited. Although our room was roomy (we had our own private toilet/sink) and the beds were heavenly, we were a little taken aback to learn there is no AC at Kuroyu. Being July, it was very hot and humid; we slept with the windows wide open (thankfully, they had screens) every night... did I mention sulfur? Although we were less than 20 minutes from the shuttle to Akita-Komagatake NP, the weather at Kuroyu when we were there was very bad: soaking rain and fog most of the time. The one day we did a 5-mile hike at Akita-Komagatake NP, there was a full mountain rescue fireman team pulling someone off who fell on the wet boardwalks. We also attempted to climb Mt. Nyuto (the trailhead proceeds out of Kuroyu) but it was a wet, jungly mess in July - the foliage/grass beyond thick below 5500 feet. We made it half-way up but decided to turn back and visit the samurai villages in Kakunodate (an hour away - but very worth it). Lastly, Kuroyu opens its onsen to the general public 10-4 and there were definitely big crowds most days at those times. Staying there overnight meant we could often enjoy the women's onsen virtually by ourselves. Even with the horrible weather, taking on outdoor bath in a downpour is one of the great lasting memories I will keep...

Kuroyu is traditional onsen with lovely river and woodland views. It consists of a series of small buildings, some with thatched roofs, which gives it a certain rustic charm. However it also means going outside to get from one place to another which was quite chilly, even in June. ||||The room was a standard tatami room with the usual facilities and had its own ensuite toilet (though no private bath or shower as is the norm at onsen). There are several baths both indoor and outdoor for both sexes, plus one mixed bath outside. It was quite cold at the washing/changing areas and the washing areas were really small. There was only room for 1-2 people to wash at a time. ||||The food was nice and they had several types of sake and local artisan beer to choose from. We had dinner in a private room and breakfast in the main dining room. If you would like a private room for dinner you will need to mention when booking. ||||There is a long, steep, uneven path leading down from the carpark to the onsen itself which was a bit of a struggle with our luggage. On our departure, staff appeared with an electric cart to transport our luggage back up the hill. Next time I would leave the luggage in the carpark and ask them to collect it. ||||The staff were very helpful and always concerned to with making sure we knew where to go and at what time meals were etc. Not sure if they speak much English though. There was no information in English. We speak Japanese so it was ok. ||||We were surprised to find wifi in the room. ||||The onsen is closed during the winter months as the road becomes inaccessible. We drove there and it was easy to find until the last section. We reached the main Nyuto onsen area where there was a large carpark and building. You turn right there and go through a gate onto a small road going through the woods. There was no sign at the turn and we had to ask for directions. If you go straight past the building and miss the right turn you will end up at another onsen, Taenoyu, after 5 minutes or so. It's right on the road by a bus stop. If you reach it, you've gone to far. ||||We enjoyed our stay at Koroyu and would be...