Natsuse Onsen Miyakowasure — Hotel in Semboku

Natsuse Onsen Miyakowasure is truly remote. Although technically situated in Semboku — home to both Lake Tazawa and the historic town of Kakunodate with its award-winning luxury ryokan, Wabizakura — it feels far removed from civilization. The drive from Kakunodate takes over 30 minutes, and Lake Tazawa is about 45 minutes away. A key factor is the 4km gravel road leading to the ryokan: narrow, winding, and flanked by steep embankments. As tempting as it is to admire the hypnotic beauty of the Kamishirochosei Reservoir and its surrounding landscape, keep your eyes on the road — there’s little margin for error. Miyakowasure's seclusion is absolute: the gravel road is a dead-end, beyond which lies only a dam and power station another 2km away.||The sense of serenity is immediate. Upon arrival, we stepped out of the car and were struck by the absence of buildings, power lines, or traffic noise. Just nature. Just peace.||For those less inclined to adventurous driving, Miyakowasure offers a shuttle service from both Kakunodate Station and Mori no Eki (which also provides free parking). This is highly recommended during winter, as the drive could be downright perilous — even with chains.||The name "Miyakowasure" draws from two inspirations: first, it's a reference to the purple tea flowers blooming in the central garden; second, it evokes the phrase "forget the capital," a nod to leaving behind the pace and politics of Kyoto in favor of deep tranquility.||The 10-room property is charming, with vibrant hydrangeas (in full bloom during our visit), sakura trees, and onsen fountains dotting the grounds. A short walking trail invites guests to explore the lush surroundings. The inner courtyard features a dry rock garden and additional sakura. I can only imagine the seasonal transformations — especially during cherry blossom and autumn foliage.||Indoors, however, things become a bit discordant. The combination of traditional Japanese architecture with flamboyant Edwardian furnishings is jarring. Sadly, this theme extends to the guest rooms.||We stayed in the Kihinshitsu (VIP Room) "Kusabue," the ryokan’s top accommodation. The layout included a carpeted Western-style living room, a tatami room, and a wash area with a single sink. The futon setup — where tables and chairs are pushed aside during dinner — is something we've never warmed to. A dedicated bedroom would be ideal. The living room, meanwhile, featured a chandelier, a glittery multi-colored lamp, and furniture that has clearly aged. It's evident the rooms haven't been renovated since the ryokan opened in 2005, and they're certainly showing it.||Fortunately, the onsen experience is where Miyakowasure shines. Each room boasts a gensen kakenagashi rotenburo — an open-air bath fed directly and continuously from the source. Nine rooms overlook the Tama River, while one offers only a mountain view. Kusabue is the sole room with both indoor and outdoor baths, a valuable amenity in colder months. The outdoor bath, crafted from Hinoki cedar, featured a traditional tub alongside a reclining onsen where you can lie with your body submerged and head above water. The view was enchanting: emerald-green forests, turquoise river water, and blooming hydrangeas. In-room onsen doesn't get much better than this.||We toured another room — Karakurenai — which is known for its river view and more accessible pricing. It's a single-room layout with futons and a noticeably smaller bath. While charming, it would feel cramped for us at this stage in life.||The communal bath, Togen-no-yu, is open 24 hours — a rare perk. Though indoors, the highlight is its construction from Hiba wood (a type of cypress from Aomori), and it features two baths with differing temperatures. There's also Natsuse-no-yukko, a private rental bath reservable during check-in. It's a sprawling open-air rock bath... but it's a jacuzzi. Fun as a novelty, sure — but we'd have been disheartened if our in-room bath were similarly outfitted.||Service was, overall, excellent — largely thanks to Maki Fujiwara, who acted as our hostess, dinner server, and breakfast server. She grew up near Lake Tazawa and exuded pride for her region. Her attentiveness, warmth, and detailed explanations made the dining experience memorable. Like the staff at Yamado, she even annotated our menu with hurigana, which we deeply appreciated. It's increasingly rare to have the same staff member assigned to both meals — Takefue and Shinsen are among the few other exceptions we've encountered.||Our only service hiccup occurred at check-in. The man who greeted us was robotic and inflexible. We were eager to reserve our desired private onsen slot, but he insisted on handling dinner and breakfast times first. For us, timing hinged on knowing whether the rental bath included its own shower and towels. If not, we'd need to shower in our room, change into yukata, and then walk over — time-consuming given Mrs. KI-NRT's arm was in a cast. Eventually, I had to intervene firmly and ask him to follow our lead. He relented, albeit reluctantly. To top it off, he failed to explain the welcome tea and sweet in any meaningful way.||Dining takes place in semi-private booths in the main restaurant, but we managed to snag the sole private room — a cozy alcove tucked inside the ryokan's lounge. Dinner was traditional, creative, and conversation-sparking. The Inaniwa Udon was a standout. A specialty of Akita Prefecture, it's one of Japan’s "big three" udon varieties: silky, thin, flat, and square-edged, made via a centuries-old hand-pulled technique and aged over several days. Ours was served cold, soup-style, alongside Hiraki Nameko — a type of mushroom aged longer than usual until its cap opened wide.||Dishes ranged from shark-fin with daikon (excellent), Purple Uni from Kessennuma (served on the shell), Akita beef stew, a Hinai Jidori (a local chicken) hot pot, and... salad. Yes, salad. Surprisingly simple — local greens, Iburi Gakko (smoked pickled daikon), and a magical dressing: savory, semi-sweet, and not at all sour.||The star of the meal was the Iwana Nanban-age — a white-spotted char, twice-fried (first low and slow, then flash-fried before serving) and dressed in a tangy Namba vinegar sauce. Crispy enough to eat head-to-tail, paired with white onions, the dish was sublime.||Breakfast held its own with three types of grilled fish, numerous pickled vegetables, and a dashi clear soup featuring four kinds of wild-foraged mushrooms. Another highlight.||Before we left, Maki shared that 8 out of 10 guests staying here at the same time were repeat visitors — a testament to the ryokan's appeal. While the facilities are aging and in need of renovation (and, in my opinion, an interior redesign), the exceptional onsen, tranquil surroundings, memorable cuisine, and heartfelt service make Miyakowasure...

This onsen ryokan is nestled in the mountains a bit south of Lake Tazawako. It's exquisite in every way. I stayed in many ryokan in rural Japan and Kyoto. This is right at the top. It may seem pricey but it is great value compared to other high-end ryokan in more frequented places. The website and other links show the premises. I especially note the food, like the best kaiseki. And each room has a private onsen. The outside bath is for mixed bathing, by reservation for privacy. The area is quite remote, and the environment is quiet. The service is superb as expected. There weren't English speaking staff when I was there, but as they said, they communicate from the heart. I'm planning to return this coming August. ||||With a bit of trepidation, I rented a car from Toyota at the Akita airport. I never drove in japan before this. It had a GPS with English option for the map and instructions. It worked perfectly. Even in this rural area, the road signs include English names, and the sign on the small road to the ryokan was clear in English. I recommend ordering the EZ pass system for tolls, so you don't have to stop. I also obtained the full insurance, luckily so because I scraped the side panel, and the Toyota staff took care of everything within minutes when I returned it to Aomori airport. No delays at all.||||We also stayed in Kuroyu ryokan in Nyucto onsen, a very different place...

We stayed in Taenoyu last year and had an excellent experience, so we thought we would try the sister ryokan this time and we had such a nice experience here. Even better than Taenoyu I would say.

We spent a night here in Jan 2024 after a strongish snowing day, in the Japanese style room with the bigger onsen bath (露天風呂付き客室2022リニューアル 大きな露天風呂＋和室). The in room onsen was so ridiculous good with a breathtaking view.

The service was absolutely top notch. The food was excellent and the serving staff was such a gem, keeping us engaged through out the meal despite our crappy Japanese.

And on the departing day when we arrived at the station by the shuttle bus, a member of the staff was already waiting for us outside the station with my phone charger that I didn't know i have left behind. I'm so grateful and appreciative of their amazing service.

Would absolutely recommend this to everyone and I will love to...