Kurhaus Ishibashi Ryokan

The entrance to the building is a magnificent Japanese-style inn, but the closer you get to the guest rooms, the more suspicious it becomes. If you like shabby hot spring inns, this is fine. The rooms appear to have been cleaned. The futons are made of rice crackers, so you can survive in winter with air conditioning and a fan heater. The building is poorly constructed, with doors tilted and gaping. It takes some skill to open and close them. The refrigerator is old, but it works. There was a toilet in the room, but it was cramped and seemed to have been forced into it, so an adult couldn't close the door when sitting down. The unit bath in the room has hot spring water, but it takes a long time to fill. The large public bath is open until 11pm, and I was told it opens around 7am. Despite being a spa house, it's not open 24 hours. The hot spring appears to be genuine. The cascading bath was a trickle, and the water pooling at the bottom was cold. The reclining bath was a little hot. The water was described as a mixed spring of Rendaiji Onsen, but I couldn't find a chemical list. The water is colorless and transparent, with no distinctive smell, but hot spring ingredients can be seen on the edge of the bath. There are no restaurants around the inn. There is a snack bar right in front, but I'm not sure if it's open or not. There are plenty of things to nitpick about, but if you're someone who likes to see scary things, then by all means, give it a go. If you're a neat freak, you should definitely stay away.

This is a luxury inn from the early Showa period. I made a reservation for a room-only stay. When I got there, it felt like I was staying in a museum, which was very interesting. The inn owners are elderly, so I wonder if it will survive. The building has a ceramic chandelier and a coffered ceiling, and the construction of each piece was amazing. The toilet is old, but we were able to relax in the two spacious rooms. There is a glass-door refrigerator and nostalgic VHS tapes. This is a must-see for fans of Showa retro, museums, and Japanese horror games. Be careful as the hot spring ingredients harden and can make the floor and other areas tingle. People's opinions on this seem to be divided. I like it and people who don't. I like it lol

It was an ancient Japanese hot spring inn. The entrance was reminiscent of the bathhouse in Sen to Chihiro, and the coffered ceiling was a sight to behold. The innkeepers were all elderly but gentle, and the cave-like passageway that cuts through the mountain to the guest rooms was fascinating, like a passage to another world that could only be found here. The guest rooms were spacious, in the style of an old Japanese inn. The baths were spacious and comfortable, with the water just right. I also enjoyed a relaxing soak in the open-air bath. Since I was staying overnight, I went out to Shimoda for meals. It's a historical heritage that I'd like to stay at again.