Onsen Kanfu #003 Kakeyu Onsen "Machi, Takanashi Kyodo Yokujo" (Ueda, Nagano)

Kakeyu Onsen "Machi, Takanashi Kyodo Yokujo" （鹿教湯温泉 「町 高梨共同浴場」）

• Rating —— ★★★★★(4.5/5)
• Fee —— 200 Yen (Cheep!)
• Open —— ??AM - 9:30PM Every day (I found open around 6:30AM)
• Map
• Drinkable —— YES (1 person I asked said "YES", and I have had a few times and experienced no problem. Actually it is tasty)
• Color —— transparent
• Smell —— like a little bit of sulfur (I did not, but my wife, who has a dog-like nose, did)

There are lot of hotels (ryokan) in Kakeyu Onsen but you need not to stay such hotels if you just want to enjoy onsen. You just visit this onsen place.

Some hotels add water to their onsen, but this onsen is "gensen, " and feels real good.

Onsen Kung Fu #002 Tsukino Shizuka (Matsumoto, Nagano)

• Rating —— ★★★ (3/5)
• Fee —— ? (included in Shinshu Monomiyusan Tegata)
• Open —— 10:30AM - 8:00PM Every day (for Higaeri Onsen)
• Map and Official Web Page (in Japanese)
• Drinkable —— no
• Color —— transparent
• Smell —— none

It is a tranditionary Ryokan (Japanese-style Hotel). Clean and tidy, and you can enjoy Japanese atmosphere.

I felt nothing special for the water or the Onsen rooms. It is not bad at all, though I found cobweb in the Roten Buro (external bath).

Shinshu Monomiyusan Tegata

I visited this hotel because it is listed in Shinshu Monomiyusan Tegata, which costs only 1300 Yen, and you can experience 12 Onsen places in Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture).

Usually, it costs 500 Yen or so to get into one Higaeri Onsen (no bed, just bathing Onsen place), so if you visit three or four, it pays off. If you visit Shinshu and would like to visit as many Higaeri Onsens as possible, it is a must-buy.

Onsen Kung Fu #001 Reisenji Onsen (霊泉寺温泉; Ueda, Nagano)

• Rating —— ★★★★★ (5/5)
• Fee —— 200 Yen (Cheep!)
• Open —— 7:00AM - 9:00PM Every day
• Map and Official Web Page (in Japanese)
• Drinkable —— YES (4 persons I asked said "YES", including the receptionist, who is often absent.... And I have had several times and experienced no problem, though I do not find it tasty)
• Color —— transparent
• Smell —— none

Be prepared. It is DIRTY. It is not like fancy onsen places everywhere in Japan now.

But it is comfortable, and it seems very good for our health. My wife and son really loves this onsen.