Nasu onsen Shikanoyu Hot Spring — Local services in Nasu

Years ago, a Japanese friend brought me here and I’m really glad he did because I got to understand how to enjoy this place without taking up too much space or bringing too much attention to myself. If you visit as a foreigner, be prepared to go with the flow. Give the older guys their space and be deferential. It makes a big difference. This place is extremely popular with locals and I am finally learning the rituals that make this place so special. Next time, I’ll bring a small towel for myself. This time, I remembered to pour water on my head 200 times, which was quite relaxing. There is no soap to wash yourself so it’s a good idea to use the toilet and wash your hands before going into the bathing area. There are no lockers on the inside, only baskets. Any valuables should be left in a locker near the door. Bring 100 yen coin for that. I also learned that if you’re coming by car you enter from the top and exit from the bottom. In other words you don’t go out the way you came in. I would love to bring some of my American friends here but I need to find out if tattoos are OK. Thankfully for me, I resisted the urge to get any tattoos when I was younger but I can’t say the same for a lot of my friends back home. Anyway, this place is totally worth the trip and I look forward to visiting again. It’s the deal of the century for only ¥300. The water inside is very special, coming directly from the mountain....

This onsen is great. There were six baths, each of different temperature ranging from about 40C to a scalding 48C. I tried them all, even the 48C bath. I could only withstand it for a few seconds--it was just too hot. But there's a bath for every preference and it was worth the unique experience of almost boiling myself. The water is sulphide, which, in my opinion, is the best water. You might get a discount if you're staying at one of the inns in the community. The only reason I don't give it five stars is that it was really crowded, which makes finding a spot in a comfortable bath a bit of...

Rustic, authentic, simple are a few choice words to describe this onsen. Not your modern, sleek styled spot for sure. But if you want to take what feels like a time slip back to the past, this is your onsen. Has a variety of soakers with different temperatures (indicated by digital readout - one visual, modern distraction that could've been done differently IMHO). As previously indicated, don't forget to bring a towel and I wish they had a somewhat different post-onsen shower setup but I guess that lends to the old-world authenticity of this...