The three main elements of a ryokan or hotel are facilities, food, and service. In addition to these, what makes a Japanese inn many times more appealing are the hot springs and baths.
In the coming season, soaking in a famous hot spring will relax your mind and body, helping you have a great year. In this 14th installment, we will introduce inns in Hyogo Prefecture, "Bath-Proud Inns: Kinki Edition 2."

Asanoya in Yumura Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture, owns five hot springs, which naturally produce 430 liters of hot water at 98.4 degrees per minute. These are used in the large public bath and all the guest rooms, so the saying "all you have to do is turn on the tap and it's natural hot spring" is true. It's rare to find a ryokan with hot springs in the guest room washrooms, so even if you're not a hot spring fan, it's something you'll want to experience at least once.

The large public bath and open-air bath, named "Hikoboshi" and "Orihime," are alternated between men and women. The large public bath is a spacious bathhouse with a refreshing cypress scent. The open-air bath is a space that blends boldness and sizzle, with an atmospheric thatched roof and a large waterwheel. If you go down from the open-air bath to the basement, you will find the geothermal low-temperature sauna "Yumechiyo-do," which uses geothermal energy.

The spring quality is sodium bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate spring. It is a "beauty bath" that makes the skin soft, white, and smooth.

Meals are served in a multi-course meal, carefully prepared by a chef using seasonal ingredients grown in the natural environment of the Sanin region. You can enjoy the colorful dishes with all your senses.

At Arayu (the source of the hot spring), the center of the hot spring town, you can experience making boiled eggs, called "Arayu eggs," in a hot spring tub. Why not enjoy this hot spring town, which is so full of attractions that you can't spend a whole day there?

Awaji International Hotel The Sunplaza in Sumoto Onsen Island, is a hotel with a spectacular ocean view from all rooms facing the sea. The sunrise on a clear day is impressive.

In addition to the existing large public bath, open-air bath, and private bath, two new facilities, the large observation bath "Yu-yu" and the "Nature Sauna," will open on the south side of the hotel (in a separate building within the garden) in 2023 and are currently attracting a lot of attention.

The large observation bath "Yu-yu" has a panoramic view of the Kitan Strait. You can enjoy bathing in an open-air bath while feeling the refreshing sea breeze blowing through the windows.

A nature sauna is a low-temperature, high-humidity sauna, which is different from a dry sauna, which is high-temperature and low-humidity. It is characterized by less damage to hair and skin compared to a dry sauna. If you feel that the temperature is not enough for you, you can raise the temperature by doing a loyly.

Furthermore, a barrel-shaped "barrel sauna" will open this August. The sauna is a private space that can be rented out exclusively, and is made of Finnish pine wood, which has excellent heat retention properties. A temperature-controlled cold bath is also included, further enhancing the environment for relaxation.

A nature sauna is a low-temperature, high-humidity sauna, which is different from a dry sauna, which is high-temperature and low-humidity. It is characterized by less damage to hair and skin compared to a dry sauna. If you feel that the temperature is not enough for you, you can raise the temperature by doing a loyly.

Furthermore, a barrel-shaped "barrel sauna" will open this August. The sauna is a private space that can be rented out exclusively, and is made of Finnish pine wood, which has excellent heat retention properties. A temperature-controlled cold bath is also included, further enhancing the environment for relaxation.