Yugawa Onsen Takashige Ryokan

Located deep in the Ou Mountains of Nishiwaga Town, Iwate Prefecture, Takashige Ryokan sits at the very end of Yugawa Onsen, a hot spring town built on three abundant sources -- Deguchi-no-yu, Naka-no-yu, and Oku-no-yu -- that has long served as a toji (therapeutic bathing) retreat for visitors from Iwate and Akita. Said to have been founded in the mid-Taisho era, the inn has upheld the philosophy that hot springs contribute to human health, developing as a long-stay recuperative resort built around its rich thermal water and natural surroundings.

The inn's own source, Takashige-no-yu, discharges roughly 800 liters per minute at 78 degrees Celsius with a pH of 7.7, classifying it as a mildly alkaline, high-temperature spring. The water is a sodium chloride-sulfate type, prized for its deep, lasting warming effect. Run largely on a source-fed (kake-nagashi) basis, the baths let guests enjoy fresh, unadulterated mineral water straight from the inn's private source.

Eight baths in all -- four each for men and women -- include large indoor baths, open-air baths, the inn's celebrated 'Golden Bath' dating from the Showa era, whose gilded walls and lucky tile murals of Ebisu and Daikoku have delighted bathers for decades, and a sauna heated by the hot spring itself. Even the building's heating runs on geothermal water, and the modest, functional wooden architecture of this single standalone inn still reflects its roots as a traditional touji lodge. Day-use bathing costs 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for children, open 8:00-18:00 year-round, while overnight guests can choose between self-catering toji rooms and full-service ryokan stays, with meals built around local mountain ingredients.