Nozawa Onsen Ryokan Sakaya

Ryokan Sakaya stands in the heart of the Nozawa Onsen hot-spring town, close to the village's thirteen public bathhouses, and has been run by the same family for eighteen generations. Its men's bath, Takanoyu, is housed in a traditional yuya-zukuri bathhouse built by shrine carpenters, keeping a dim, atmospheric hush even in daylight.

The inn draws a sulfur-spring source that flows naturally from its own garden, adjusting the bathing temperature without adding water.

Bathing facilities include the men's bath Takanoyu and women's bath Tsukinoyu, an open-air bath called Tsukimi no Tani with an attached sauna and cold-water pool, a reservation-only private bath Matsunoyu, and a swimsuit-required mixed-gender open-air spa, Kamenoyu. The inn has 25 Japanese-style rooms and 4 Japanese-Western rooms. Check-in is at 3pm and check-out at 11am. Rates for one night with two meals run roughly from 18,000 to 25,000 yen per person depending on the plan. Free parking for 30 cars.