Kabeyu Onsen Ryokan Fukumotoya

Ryokan Fukumotoya is the only inn in Kabeyu Onsen, a small hot spring village in Kokonoe Town, Kusu District, Oita Prefecture. It is best known for its Kabeyu Natural Cave Bath, a mixed open-air bath tucked under a rock wall that overhangs the river. The inn was founded in 1907 and is a member of the Association of Secluded Hot Spring Inns of Japan (Nihon Hitou wo Mamoru Kai). The spring is said to have flowed on its own for more than 300 years, and travelers and itinerant merchants have used it since the early Meiji era.

The water is a simple hot spring (formerly classified as weakly alkaline hypotonic) with a source temperature of 39°C. The baths are a gentle 38 to 39°C, so you can soak for a long time, and the water is clear and soft, with tiny bubbles that cling to the skin. It is free-flowing from the source. Listed benefits include neuralgia, muscle and joint pain, poor circulation and fatigue, and the spring has long been regarded as good for stomach and skin complaints.

The inn has five baths: the mixed cave open-air bath, a women-only cave bath hand-chiseled by the former owner, two private baths, a communal bath, and a summer-only bath. Day visitors pay 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for children, with reception from 10:00 to 16:00 (the communal bath until 15:00). The inn is closed on irregular days. It has nine guest rooms, with check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 10:00.