Hotaka Onsen-kyo Hinokiyu no Yado Shohaku

Hinokiyu no Yado Shohaku is a hot spring inn in Hotaka-Ariake, Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, part of the Hotaka Onsen-kyo area at the foot of the Northern Alps near Mt. Tsubakuro. It is about a 10-minute drive from JR Hotaka Station on the Oito Line.

The water is a blend of the Ariake Kosei Onsen source and the Kokumin Shukusha Ariakeso source, classified as alkaline simple hot spring (hypotonic alkaline high-temperature spring). The source temperature is 70.9 C and the bath is kept at about 43.0 C. The water is diluted because the source is so hot, then heated to a comfortable bathing temperature, and a circulation filter and chlorine-based disinfectant are used for hygiene, so it is not kake-nagashi (free-flowing) water.

The large bath is built entirely of Japanese cypress (hinoki), with one bath each for men and women and six showers per side. Day-use bathing is available on weekdays from 16:00 to 20:00 and on weekends and holidays from 14:00 to 20:00 (last admission). The fee is 500 yen for Nagano residents and 700 yen for visitors from outside the prefecture, with the same price for adults and children. All guest rooms are Japanese-style, and 18 parking spaces are free.