Ochiairo

A registered-heritage Yugashima inn from 1874, now run as an all-inclusive luxury ryokan with celebrated saunas — but only three rooms have pure spring-water baths, and the 2025 switch to a swimsuit mixed bath splits guests

Founded in 1874 and named Ochiairo ('where the rivers meet') by Yamaoka Tesshū in 1881, the inn hosted writers from Kawabata Yasunari to Kajii Motojirō; its 1930s wooden main building and six other structures are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. Since 2019 it has been called おちあいろう (formerly Ochiairo Murakami), is part of the Plan・Do・See group, and has 16 rooms plus a three-storey villa; it holds one Michelin Key. Drinks at dinner and in the fireplace lounge are included. Japanese guests rate it 4.63 on Ikyu (95 reviews), 4.62 on Rakuten (30) and 4.6 on Relux (72). Two things to know before booking. First, every room has its own bath, but the official room pages show only three — Aominawa, Kōbai and Sawarabi — use 100% spring water; the rest have water added and are reheated. Second, since 13 September 2025 the Tengu-no-yu cave and river bath is a mixed bath worn with swimsuits or bath wear, and the former private bath is now a gender-rotated bath; 2026 reviewers either loved bathing as a family or disliked shared bath wear. The saunas (a tea-room sauna and the Tengu sauna, both Saunachelin picks) are a highlight. The criticism in 2025–2026 Ikyu reviews is mostly about value: food described as fine but not luxurious, forgotten drink orders, an untidy lounge and service that felt 'polite on the surface'. Two guests paid ¥188,000 and ¥250,000 for two with meals in late 2025.