Yunoami Onsen Shikanoyu Matsuya

Shikanoyu Matsuya is a single-inn hot spring tucked into the rural hills of Sekinami-cho, Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture, about 15 minutes by car from the Kitaibaraki IC on the Joban Expressway. Its name comes from a legend that a villager once saw a wounded deer healing itself in the spring, and so the water was called Shika-no-yu, the deer's bath. Known as a therapeutic bathing spot since the Edo period, it is now run as a homey inn welcoming only a few groups each day.

The spring's greatest draw is its iron-rich water, regarded as one of the finest ferruginous springs in Japan. The water quality is an iron-bearing sodium bicarbonate-chloride cold mineral spring; it emerges colorless but turns a distinctive reddish-brown as the iron oxidizes in the air. Because it is a neutral, hypotonic cold spring, the water is heated and served free-flowing, warming the body to its core and keeping bathers warm long after their bath.

There is a single retro indoor bath evoking the Taisho-era romance, its wall decorated with a tile painting of a deer that nods to the local legend. The bath alternates between men and women, allowing a quiet, almost private soak. Day-trip bathing costs 690 yen for adults, and overnight guests can enjoy fresh seafood dishes such as grilled kinki rockfish. Note: the official website states the inn is closed for the time being, so please confirm the latest operating status before visiting.