Located in the village of Dorogawa, Tenkawa, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Hanaya Tokubei is the oldest inn in the Dorogawa Onsen district, boasting a heritage of over 500 years. Now in its 17th generation under proprietor Yoshiharu Hanatani, the inn has long served as a lodging for yamabushi mountain ascetics making pilgrimages to the sacred Mount Omine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is steeped in the legend of Goki (the rear demon), one of two supernatural servants of En no Gyoja, the founder of Shugendo mountain asceticism.

The spring water is classified as a simple hot spring (hypotonic, mildly alkaline, low-temperature) with a pH of 8.29, a source temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, and a flow rate of 140 liters per minute. The colorless, odorless water is gentle on the skin and unlikely to cause bathing fatigue. It is known for therapeutic benefits including neuralgia, muscle pain, joint pain, cold sensitivity, and fatigue recovery.

The inn features three bathing facilities: Zenki-no-Yu (indoor bath), Goki-no-Yu (semi-open-air bath overlooking a Japanese garden), and Zekuu-no-Yu (private reserved bath, 50 minutes for 2,500 yen), all available 24 hours. Limited to just six guest parties per day across eight rooms, the inn offers a tranquil retreat in a retro wooden building crafted from local Yoshino cedar, complemented by kaiseki cuisine served in private rooms using mountain and river ingredients.