法師温泉 Hoshi onsen

Noriko (from my Thursday night private class) took me to Hoshi onsen. Her husband's family runs the onsen. Built in 1875, Hoshi onsen is very well-known in Japan. It's one of those secret onsen places because it's up in the remote mountains of Gunma prefecture. Yet, it's almost fully booked every weekend. The ryokan is really beautiful.

The hotspring here is thought to grant you longevity. There are 3 baths here - indoor, outdoor and a HUGE indoor bath (used in a JR commercial a few years back). The interior of the bathhouses and the landscaping at the outdoor bath are really beautiful. Taking a bath here was truly fantastic.

(From left): Kimiko (who works at the ryokan) and Noriko took me for a walk around the ryokan.

This is truly the place to come if you want to escape from civilisation. The nearest village (15 mins away by car) has only 5 houses.