Oigami Onsen Yumoto Rakuzenso

Rakuzenso is a hot spring inn proud of its own source, set in Oigami Onsen along the Katashina gorge in Numata City, Gunma. Oigami Onsen traces its origins to a legend of a battle between the serpent god of Nikko and the centipede god of Mount Akagi; the wounded Akagi god thrust an arrow into the ground here, hot water gushed forth, and with it he drove off his pursuer, giving rise to the name Oigami.

The water is a simple spring (neutral, hypotonic, high-temperature) that also carries the character of a weak sulfur and simple hydrogen sulfide spring. Drawn from a blend of the No. 8 and No. 10 sources at about 47.1 degrees Celsius, it is served 100 percent natural and free-flowing, with a smooth, skin-friendly quality long valued for skin ailments, atopic conditions, neuralgia and muscle pain.

The main indoor bath, called Iyashi no Yu, can be reserved for private use depending on availability. A small, homey ryokan of 16 rooms with a dining area and shop, it welcomes day bathers from 12:00 to 18:00 for 500 yen per adult.