Keikoku no Yado Nihiki no Oni

Nihiki no Oni is a secluded ryokan of detached cottages set deep within Kyusuikei, the gorge of the Naruko River in Kokonoe, Oita Prefecture. Kyusuikei stretches roughly two kilometers of virgin forest and sheer cliffs and is famed for its autumn foliage, giving the inn a quiet setting wrapped in greenery and the sound of the stream. Its rooms, each with a distinct character, are arranged along the ravine and some include private open-air baths.

The spring is a sodium-calcium-magnesium bicarbonate spring with a near-neutral pH of 6.9. Rich in metasilicic acid, this bicarbonate water leaves the skin smooth, and the inn serves it as pure free-flowing source water with no heating, no added water, and no filtration. It is said to help with nerve pain, muscle and joint pain, sensitivity to cold, fatigue recovery, and chronic skin conditions.

Bathing options include gender-separated scenic open-air baths as well as family and private baths, all commanding views of the gorge. Day-trip bathing costs 200 yen for ages six and up, and a private family bath is 1,000 yen per room for 60 minutes, open 11:00-16:00 (last entry 15:00), with irregular closing days. Overnight guests are served kaiseki cuisine centered on shabu-shabu of Oita wagyu beef. Parking for about 40 cars is available, along with a free shuttle from JR Bungo-Nakamura Station and the Kokonoe IC express bus stop.