Naruko Onsen Ryokan Sugawara

Ryokan Sugawara is a hot spring inn in the Shinyashiki district of Naruko Onsen in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, about a 10-minute walk from JR Naruko-Onsen Station. It draws on three of its own sources and offers indoor baths, an open-air bath, a sauna and four private baths that overnight guests can use free of charge. On some days the water takes on a blue tint, known as the Sugawara Blue.

The main source, Maten-no-yu B, is a sodium sulfate-chloride spring with an alkaline pH of 9.0 and a source temperature of 98.4 C. The water is cooled without dilution and flows freely from the source, with no heating, recirculation or disinfection.

Day-use bathing runs from 10:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00) and costs 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children per bath. The Uruoi-no-yu bath, which has a sauna, costs 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for children. Entry may be refused at busy times, so call ahead before visiting. There is no elevator, so moving between floors means using stairs.