[Imperial Spring] Omaru Onsen Ryokan, Okunasu Onsen

What kind of hot springs does the Emperor enjoy, as the national symbol of Japan?

There are three resort villas that imperial families use.

Out of them, Nasu Villa in Tochigi Prefecture has hot spring in it.

In fact, the water is piped from a certain inn, and anyone can enjoy soaking.

Summary

High Quality Inn in the Mountains

Omaru Onsen Ryokan is located in the remotest part of Nasu Hot Springs.

You need to climb up a steep hill from the spa town, and will reach 4,200 feet up in the mountain.

Even in March, it was snowing.

The inn is over 200 years old, but beautifully renovated.

The lobby has elegance in the style of old folk houses.

Walk-ins are available from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and the fee is 1,000 yen.

Let’s go to the bathroom.

The indoor baths directly beside the dressing rooms are gender-separated.

It is impressive to see gallons of hot water without color, smell or taste, is being poured into tubs.

Hot spring river

Open-air baths beside the indoor baths are mixed baths, which are specialties of the inn.

It seems noteworthy that the inn that has the source of the emperor’s spring provides such baths.

Directly beside men’s indoor bath, there is an open-air tub, named Shirakaba No Yu, where is downstream of the Shiratsuchi River.

When you look in the direction of upstream, you will see other tubs named Ajisai No Yu. and Azami No Yu, and all of them are mixed bath (you can use complementary bath towels in the water.)

Unfortunately, I could not use tubs above Azami No Yu due to the heavy snow.

Looking into downstream from Ajisai No Yu

About 160 degrees F of hot springs are poured into the river all over the place, and you can find your favorite temperatures.

The nature of the spring lacks distinction, but massive amount of hot water completely washed out my gloomy feelings.

Summary

Pros

Plenty amount of water with gentle nature

Cons

Lack of a sense of openness at open-air baths between buildings and cliff

Related hot springs

It is only one-mile distance in a straight line.

Oruri Sanso, Nasu-takao Onsen, Tochigi, Japan

There is milky white water with many mineral deposits and hydrogen sulfide.

Actually, the main nature of springs around here is like this.

Indeed it is attractive, but you may get dizzy from the too concentrated water,

Then, please remember in which spring the national symbol of Japan enjoys soaking.