Taenoyu

Nyuto's gentler, more polished alternative — two different springs, a riverside mixed bath with women-only time, and warm service, though the rooms are small and the layout confusing

Taenoyu opened in 1952 and has become the Nyuto inn people recommend to first-timers, especially women: it's more refined than its famously rustic neighbours, with local cooking, POLA amenities and staff that reviewers praise above all (4.77 for service across 30 reviews on one leading site, where it averages 4.63). Two springs feed eight tubs: the rust-tinged, acidic 'gold' water and a clear 'silver' simple spring. The riverside mixed bath beneath an artificial waterfall has a women-only hour for overnight guests and allows towel-wrapping, and there's a free private bath — though slots are only 30 minutes and fill quickly. Dinner is a choice of kiritanpo hotpot or Akita beef shabu-shabu with endless mushroom soup. The criticisms are consistent: rooms are small (futons only), the bathing zones swap and are confusing to navigate, the private-bath route passes the men's side, washing areas are cold in winter, and some baths are roofed and walled rather than truly open. A 2026 reviewer found it 'shabbier than expected', and others noticed dinners identical to its sister inns'. Day visitors crowd the baths from mid-morning. Book direct — it isn't on Agoda, and the cheapest plans on one Japanese site were about ¥51,000 for two with two meals.