- People who want to enjoy the lukewarm water in the outdoor hot spring with a superb view
- People who want to enjoy a fulfilling stay (storytelling, karaoke snacks, ramen noodle shop, board games, etc. are all on the menu)
- Families with children
The view and hospitality are both excellent!
I can recommend this facility to a wide range of people, from one person staying alone to those with children.
Enjoy the smooth, beautiful skin of the Shima Onsen hot springs while listening to the blasting sound of the mountain stream 🎵.
【Facilities】Just like a town! Inside the facility for both adults and children to enjoy!
Located downstream from Shima Onsen, Yamaguchikan is a Japanese-style ryokan with a long history.
The inn is very spacious and has the atmosphere of a town. The front desk is on the fourth floor, and bathrooms are located on the second and third floors.
The hotel also has a restaurant which opens till late night, a karaoke bar and even a picture-story show by the famous Lady of the house!
【Bathrooms】The open-air baths are a sight to behold with the mountain stream right in front of you!
There are three bathrooms in total, with men and women switching at different times after 19:00.
(1) Odaimoku Open-air Bath
The most impressive open-air bath closest to the mountain stream.
Experience ultimate openness and a refreshing breeze full of negative ions!
However, this time, I could not enter the baths because we misunderstood the switching time between men and women. ※ Please note that the men’s and women’s baths change at 19:00.
I recommend that you take a bath before dinner.
(2) Shimagawa-no-yu open-air bath
On the floor above the open-air baths.
Here, too, you can see a mountain stream and a spectacular view. It is also lit up at night.
During the fall foliage season, it is enchantingly beautiful.
However, the water temperature is low, so it may be a little cold in winter.
There is an indoor hot spring with a bathtub of chi and two open-air baths outside as soon as you enter.
The indoor bath
It is spacious wooden bath which the temperature of the water is lukewarm, so you can relax in it.
A large open-air bath 41 ℃.
There is a hot water outlet in the place immediately after entering. When you stir it, the temperature of the hot water is moderate.
Above all, there are colorful precipitations of hot spring ingredients in the hot water outlet and the pillar at the back of the bath!
Gray, lava-like black, orange, yellow, white, and cream-colored.
The various colored precipitates are like a microcosm that is enchanting just to look at.
(As a hot spring fan, I am more excited than the spectacular mountain stream.)
It was a beautiful hot spring that made my skin feel plump.
A small open-air bath 39 ℃.
It is a spacious wooden bath that can accommodate about 20 people.
The temperature is warmer than the baths below.
(3) Yakushi no Yu
This bath had the best water for me personally!
There are two indoor bathtubs
The hot one is 44℃.
The lukewarm one is 41 ℃ (the water flows from the hot one).
A Yakushi-sama (Buddha statue of medicine) stands in front of you. Hot water is coming out of the hot water outlet of the PVC pipe below it.
This bathtub has the most solid overflow and good freshness.
It was the place where I felt the most hot spring power.
The crystals were white and green like coral reef type, and there were yellow, gray, and other colorful precipitates. Artistic.
The hot water is overflow.
The water is clear, colorless, tasteless, odorless, and slippery, and the skin feels tight. It is the feeling of a gypsum spring.
The temperature of the open-air bath is moderate, so it is good to warm up here first and then come back to wash your body during the winter season.
There are also guest rooms with hot spring baths and a drinking fountain!
If you stay in a guest room with a hot spring, you will have it all to yourself!
And best of all, there is a drinking fountain in the hotel where you can drink the hot spring water.
The water is hard like Evian and has a mild taste.
You should definitely try it!
Photography is not allowed in the bathrooms. The photo of the bathroom is taken from the official website: https://www.yamaguchikan.co.jp
【Hot water】Hot water for beautiful skin
The water is clear and colorless, and has an excellent effect on smooth, beautiful skin.
The fragrance is only faintly noticeable, and the water has no peculiarities, making it easy to get into the bath.
The water has a slight mineral taste in the mouth and leaves the skin moist after bathing.
It is suitable for a relaxing soak, as it does not make you feel hot even if you stay in for a long time.
Photography is not allowed in the bathrooms. The photo of the bathroom is taken from the official website: https://www.yamaguchikan.co.jp
【Staying overnight】The proprietress’s famous picture-story show! With a restaurant friendly to overnight stay with no meal!
The hotel also allows guests to check in from 2:30 p.m., which is also appreciated.
I usually wanted to go to the bath room while everyone else was eating dinner so I stayed with no meal, but it was no problem.
Because there is a restaurant in the hotel that is open until late!
When I checked in, we were given a 1,000 yen discount coupon for a meal, so I enjoyed the owner’s signature curry rice after the hot spring bath.
If you stay at the hotel, you should not miss the proprietress’s famous picture-story show from 7:00 p.m!
The inn’s attention to detail and hospitality is evident in every detail.
【Near by Attractions】Delicious craft beer from the shop next door!
Speaking of Shima Onsen! The Sekizenkan, famous for the movie “Spirited Away,” Lake Shima with its beautiful Shima blue color, and the public bathhouse where you can enter for free are just a few of the attractions in this hot spring resort.
There is a bus stop right in front of the ryokan, so you can take the bus and go for a walk.
Incidentally, the store next to the ryokan sells a wide variety of local craft beers, which are a bit different from the usual beers, and are excellent.
It is recommended to enjoy a small glass of beer after a hot spring bath!
I had the Sansho flavor, which was very tasty!
The slightly different beers will make great souvenirs.
Facility Data
Shima Yamaguchikan
Address：3876-1 Shima Kou, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma 377-0601
Day Use：Weekdays 12:00-17:00 (last admission 15:30), Saturdays and days before holidays 12:00-15:00 (last admission 13:30)
Holiday：No regular holidays
Fee ：1,000 yen/90 min
Spring Quality：Sodium calcium chloride and sulfate hot spring
Website：https://www.yamaguchikan.co.jp
（Date of visit 2024/11）
