Yokokawa Onsen Motoyu Yamadaya Ryokan

Tucked into the mountains of Orihashi-cho in Hitachiota, Ibaraki, this is the sole inn of Yokokawa Onsen, a healing hot spring said to have been founded in 1753 (Horeki 3) and carrying over three hundred years of history. It sits near the famed Fukuroda Falls and the Ryujin Grand Suspension Bridge, known as a quiet retreat deep in the Okukuji countryside. In 2017 its roughly 250-year-old building was renovated by an architect, reborn as a serene inn with seven pure-Japanese-style rooms.

The water is an alkaline simple sulfur cold mineral spring, boasting a pH of 10.1, among the highest alkalinity in Ibaraki, and is prized as a beauty bath. As the source is a cold spring below 25C it is heated for bathing, yet retains its faint sulfur scent and silky, slippery feel on the skin. It is said to be effective for chronic skin conditions, neuralgia and poor circulation.

The bathhouse offers separate indoor baths for men and women overlooking a mountain stream. The inn is also renowned for its kaiseki cuisine featuring seasonal Okukuji produce, with overnight stays from around 16,500 yen with two meals. Day-trip bathing is currently suspended, so an overnight stay is the standard way to enjoy the spring.