Shiriyaki Onsen Hoshigaoka Sanso

The Accommodation staff were very kind and helpful. The Room was clean, and the vegetable-based dishes were delicious—especially the soy milk hot pot at breakfast. I’d love to have it again.Shirayaki Onsen, about a 2-minute walk from the Accommodation, and the Onsen that bubbles up from within the river were a first for me. If you love Onsen, you should visit at least once!Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is at 11:00, so being able to enjoy a long stay is great. However, if you’re coming by bus from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station, services are limited—so arrival tends to be around 14:40 for check-in, and you’ll need to leave by 10:00 at check-out or you may end up waiting several hours for the next bus.

I visited Shiriyaki Onsen, famous as the “finishing bath” of Kusatsu. True to the name Hoshigaoka Sanso, it has a long-established, traditional atmosphere. But once inside, I found it clean and well maintained, with a real sense of care throughout the building. There were also artworks by Tsutaro Kataoka on display, and despite being called a “mountain lodge,” it has great taste and style.The Room was a Japanese-style twin in a single space. From the Room you can see the mountain stream, along with stones and rocks discolored by the minerals in the Onsen water. Like the rest of the property, the Room felt clean—simple rather than flashy. It’s perfect for a quiet retreat.As for bathing, fitting for an “after-bath,” the water is mild with no noticeable smell or strong characteristics. I heard it contains a lot of iron; perhaps that’s why you can see orange-colored deposits drifting in the water, matching the orange tint seen in parts of the stream. With only a small number of Rooms overall, I was able to relax at length.The meals were excellent as well. They don’t rely on luxury ingredients—just local produce—but everything is prepared and paired so skillfully that it was truly delicious. I ended up having multiple refills of rice at both dinner and breakfast.Hospitality was also outstanding: everyone served us with such warmth that looking back, it really was a wonderful stay. This is an Accommodation that makes me think my next visit should be a Multiple Night Stay. I’ll be back again.