[Shiman onsen] 8 Recommended ryokan & Hotels! Enjoy the retro hot onsen town and high-quality onsen ♪

source:Contribution of numachi

Shima onsen spreads out in the upper reaches of the clear Shima River in Gunma. The hot onsen are so effective that there is a legend that they are "effective against Shima diseases." Bathing in the hot springs is said to have beneficial effects such as beautiful skin and fatigue recovery, and drinking them is said to be good for the stomach and intestines. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it is a place rich in nature, and there are many attractive tourist spots in the surrounding area, such as Lake Shima and Lake Okushima, where you can see the mysterious "Shima Blue." In addition to shops selling handmade soba noodles and onsen manju, there are also stylish cafes and souvenir shops lined up, and the townscape retains a retro Showa atmosphere, which is lovely ♡

Shima onsen has many attractive inns, mainly along the Shima River. In this article, we will introduce a carefully selected list of recommended inns from the many onsen in Shima Onsen. There is a wide variety of inns, from retro, long-established inns that still retain the appearance of a former hot spring resort, to outdoor facilities where you can enjoy onsen and glamping in the great outdoors! Not only can you enjoy high-quality onsen at the inns, but you can also enjoy the idyllic scenery and delicious food brought about by the abundant nature.

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Sekizenkan is a hotel with a history of over 300 years. Its three distinctive onsen are connected by tunnels and stairs: the main building where you can experience hot spring therapy, the Sanso, which has been designated a national cultural asset for its architectural beauty, and Kashotei, which is located on the highest ground in Shima Onsen. The red bridge leading to the hotel in the photo is a popular photo spot that looks like something out of the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away!

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If you want to heal your body and mind with onsen and meal, we recommend the "Main Building" where you can experience authentic toji, and if you want to relax and unwind, we recommend the rooms at "Sanso" or "Kashotei". The photo shows the "Five-Star Room, Corner Room, Japanese-Western Special Room" in "Sanso", which has beautiful kumiko shoji screens. In a retro Showa-era space that is reminiscent of the streets of Shima onsen, you can spend a relaxing time as if you were taking a forest bath.

There are three buildings in the hotel, each with its own unique onsen. The photo shows Genroku-no-Yu in the main building, which has been designated as an Important Cultural Property by the government. The tiles and arched windows exude a Taisho-era romanticism, making it very stylish! The way the light filters into the bathtub is also mysterious. In addition, the mountain lodge has two free private baths, while Kashotei has an indoor bath, large public bath, and a private bath (for a fee). The main building also has a rock bath made of blue stone, which is a mixed-gender bath (currently men and women take turns).

Guests can enjoy Japanese cuisine carefully prepared to bring out the best in the ingredients. The main building serves simple, flavorful cuisine with a "hot spring cure" theme. The menu is healthy and wholesome. You can also take the meal home to your room and eat them yourself! At Sanso and Kashotei, you can enjoy delicate flavors made with carefully selected ingredients from all over the country, and seasonally rich, heart-warming kaiseki cuisine. Guests staying at Sanso can enjoy their meals in the lounge, while guests staying at Kashotei can dine in their in-room dining or in their private rooms.

"Shima Onsen Tokiwasure no Yado Yoshimoto" is a small ryokan located a little away from the hustle and bustle of the onsen town. It is proud of its carefully prepared kaiseki cuisine. There are only eight rooms. You will surely be able to forget about your daily life and be healed by Shima's famous hot springs and carefully prepared cuisine.

There are seven types of rooms in total. Each has a different style, but they all have a calming Japanese atmosphere that is characteristic of Shima onsen. The photo shows the retro-style "Momi" room. It is a 10-tatami Japanese-style room with a Shigaraki-yaki open-air bath with natural hot spring water. From this room, you can enjoy a tasteful view of the flowing Shima River. There are also stylish Japanese-Western rooms and special rooms with a private dining room where breakfast and dinner are served in the room!

The large public bath has a spacious indoor bath and an open-air bath. You can relax while taking in the view of Shima's lush nature. For those who want to enjoy some privacy, we recommend the modern private bath with beautiful stained glass. After your bath, be sure to visit the retro hearth lounge. Here, you can sample wellness herbal teas made with a blend of burdock and dandelion root, as well as shochu. Try finding your favorite flavor while staying hydrated.

As it is a "cuisine ryokan," it is well-known for its kaiseki cuisine, which brings out the full flavor of the ingredients. The Japanese cuisine combines carefully selected ingredients from around the country with fresh local ingredients, and is beautifully presented and served on tableware, for a taste that appeals to all five senses. There is also a "small meal plan," so even those on a diet can enjoy the food without hesitation!

"Kiseki no Yu Tsuraya" is surrounded by lush nature that will make you want to take a deep breath. It is located deep within Shima onsen, so all you can hear is the rustling of the trees and the chirping of birds. You will be thoroughly soothed by the high-quality free-flowing onsen, which is a blend of the four hot springs of Shima onsen.

The guest rooms are divided into the main building "Tsuruya" and the annex "Mizukian". All rooms have baths with 100% natural hot spring water! The rooms have different styles, ranging from retro and relaxing rooms to modern rooms with wooden observation decks. The photo shows "Kaze", a Japanese-modern room with a terrace in "Mizukian". The indoor bath with natural hot spring water is equipped with a waterproof TV, so you'll probably find yourself taking a long soak.

The large public bath has an open-air bath with free-flowing spring water, the indoor bath, the rock sauna, and the sauna. All four facilities can be rented out free of charge! You can have this huge bath all to yourself. As the name suggests, from the open-air bath, the "Shika Nozoki No Yu," you can sometimes see wild animals such as Japanese serows.

meal is a "tsuruya kaiseki" that makes use of local bounties such as fresh vegetables, river fish, and Joshu beef. You can enjoy plenty of seasonal deliciousness. In the main building "Tsuruya", you can enjoy a room (there may be meal places depending on the number of people), and in the villa "Mizukian", you can enjoy a leisurely meal in a private meal.

While glamping, you can enjoy onsen as much as you like without getting wet...♡ There is such a dreamy place in Shima onsen. "onsen Glamping Shima Blue" is a rare glamping facility with an open onsen bath. Each of the seven detached cabins has an open-air bath where you can luxuriously enjoy the free-flowing water of Shima onsen. Of course, there is also a private wooden deck where you can have a BBQ! Please spend your time freely and openly while looking out at Fusen Gorge where the Shima River flows.

Each cabin has its own playful theme. The photo shows the "Island Blue" cabin, which has a "secret base" theme. The cabin, which has a refreshing blue base color scheme, features a private wooden deck where you can have a barbecue. It is also unique in that it comes with a dome-shaped tent-style room that gives you a more outdoor feel, as well as a bouldering space!

All cabins have their own open-air baths with natural hot spring water, each with its own unique charm. This is the bath in "Honey Natural," a cute room with a "girls' get-together" theme. From the round, gourd-shaped bath, you can enjoy the fresh scenery of Fusenkyo Gorge. There is also a "Forest Sauna" on the premises, where you can enjoy a private loyly sauna!

If you choose the BBQ plan, you can enjoy your meal on the wooden deck with a grill that has a great view in each room. The food is delivered to your room, so it's very convenient! It's an assortment of delicious Gunma meat and seasonal ingredients. You can enjoy a luxurious BBQ at your own pace in the great outdoors. For breakfast, you can choose between a morning box or a cafe in your room, which is nice.

Shima Yamaguchikan is an inn located on the banks of the pleasant babbling Shima River. If you're lucky, you may be treated to a picture-story show or karaoke performance by the famous female innkeeper, and the charm of the inn is its retro Showa-era atmosphere. In addition to the "special room" with an open-air bath with natural hot spring water as shown in the photo, there are Japanese-style and Western-style rooms. You can see the Shima River from the Japanese-style room! The basic check-out time is 11:00, so you can enjoy a leisurely morning.

There are three large baths in the building, all of which are natural hot springs! The "Odaimoku Large Open-Air Bath" is built along the Shima River, and at night you can see the beautiful river lit up. The "Keiryu Open-Air Bath Shima River no Yu" is characterized by its shoji screens and tatami-style layout. You can also see the illuminated Shima River from here! "Yakushi no Yu" is an indoor bath with two tubs. It has a Taisho-era romantic atmosphere that evokes the image of a hot spring resort. All the baths are charming, so you'll look forward to bathing in them♪

If you stay in a special room with an open-air bath, you can enjoy a course meal made with locally produced ingredients in a semi-private room. It is packed with the delicious charms of Gunma, such as freshly picked vegetables and Joshu beef! If you stay in a Japanese-style room or a Western-style room, you can enjoy a kaiseki meal with a strong seasonal feel. The menu and tableware change depending on the season, so you can experience the brilliance of the season with both your eyes and your tongue.

One of Yamaguchikan's great attractions is the abundance of facilities within the building. The building is likened to a town and called "Tawaramachi," with each floor designated 1-chome and 2-chome. The streetscape is retro, reminiscent of the Showa era. In addition to Tawaramachi Square, where you can watch entertainment and the proprietress's kamishibai (picture storytelling) show, there are teahouses Mayu no Hana, Bar Madonna, ramen shop Menya Ginzo, and the Tsukimidai Lounge, where you can take a break while looking at the beautiful scenery, making for a fun time inside the building.

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The imposing, heavy thatched roof of Onsen onsen no Yado Shima Tamura is a landmark. It is a long-established onsen inn that has been healing visitors for about 460 years since the Muromachi period. There are seven baths in the building, so you can enjoy onsen with a variety of themes. The stately appearance that is unique to a historic onsen inn is also retro and lovely.

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There are three guest rooms in the hotel: the luxurious Mokuyukan, the purely Japanese-style Suiyukan, and the historical and traditional Kinyukan. The photo shows the "special room" in Kinyukan, where you can really feel the long history of Tamura. This room has a retro and elegant atmosphere, and the soothing murmuring of the Shinyukawa River is a charming feature. Relax in a room that will give you a sense of comfort and security.

Tamura has seven private hot springs, and boasts an abundant supply of 1,600 liters of water per minute. There are an amazing seven baths in the hotel where you can enjoy the free-flowing onsen! In addition to the open-air bath "Mori no Kodama" shown in the photo, there are also open-air garden baths, cypress baths, mixed-gender open-air baths, "Iwane no Yu" baths that are said to have been favored by poet Yosano Akiko, and private baths. Each bath is unique and full of character, so you'll probably want to try them all. There are also two drinking fountains on the premises, so you can enjoy the effects of onsen from inside too.

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Tamura's kaiseki cuisine is designed to satisfy not only the stomach but also the heart. They take great care in cooking seasonal Gunma famous source.

The concept of "Toshimaya" is "a motherly inn." It is filled with a nostalgic, warm, and relaxing atmosphere. There are 15 rooms in total, each with its own unique style. We recommend the type with a bathtub that flows directly from the source! The photo shows the special guest room "Hagi," which has an open-air bath with a spectacular view. This is a Japanese-modern room with a bedroom separate from the Japanese-style room, and a stone open-air bath overlooking the lush greenery and clear waters of the Shima River.

All onsen in the hotel are 100% natural, without adding water or heating! We are proud of onsen where you can luxuriously enjoy the waters that gush out from our three private hot springs. The open-air bath of the large bath, "Yakuo-no-Yu," is a bath that stretches along a mountain stream. You will also be soothed by the murmuring of the river that flows nearby. There is also a private bath with a rustic atmosphere that is like a cave, and a place where you can drink the water to further enjoy the beneficial waters!

Toshimaya aims to go beyond local production for local consumption and produce its own food for its own consumption. They are so serious about this that they have a department called the Toshimaya Agriculture Department, which cultivates their own pesticide-free vegetables and raises local chickens. They are committed to using safe and secure ingredients. The recommended dish is their original "Satoyama Kaiseki" dish, which incorporates "hunter's cuisine" and "country cuisine" as a feast unique to the mountains. The "Hanagoshi Gozen" is also recommended for women with small appetites, as it allows you to enjoy a variety of delicious dishes in small portions.

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For girls who like alcohol, we recommend the plan that includes the happy hour set. You will receive a basket containing some snacks and a can of alcoholic beverages of your choice. Depending on the time, you can enjoy it not only in your room, but also on the rooftop terrace with a spectacular view or on the lobby observation terrace! You will feel a little free and tipsy in the great outdoors.

Shima Grand Hotel is a large onsen resort built on a vast site of 330,000 square meters. It is a group ryokan of the previously introduced Shima Tamura. There are four guest room buildings: Seiyamakan, Seiryukan, Seishokan, and Seishinkan. Each building has a wide variety of rooms, from luxurious rooms with open-air baths fed directly from the hot spring source to affordable rooms that are perfect for consecutive nights!

One of the most unique options is the "Guest Room with Tent and Shigaraki Ware Open-Air Bath" at Seizankan. This room comes with a Shigaraki Ware open-air bath and a small tent in its own garden. The tent is equipped with chairs and a table where you can take a break, so you can enjoy a little outdoor feeling even while staying at a onsen ryokan.

Like Shima Tamura, you can enjoy the abundant onsen drawn from seven sources in a free-flowing stream. In addition to the large public baths Muro no Yu and Iwafune no Yu, and the panoramic bath Marchen no Yu, there are also two private baths (for a fee)! What's more, if you purchase a hot spring tour passport, you can also use the six onsen at the neighboring Shima Tamura! You can spend a whole day enjoying the hot onsen.

meal are seasonal kaiseki cuisine. The recommended dish is shabu-shabu, which is dipped in a special broth. You can dine in your in-room dining or at the venue. If you dine at the venue, you can enjoy all-you-can-eat freshly fried seasonal tempura! The buffet with a wide variety of steaks and hot pots is also popular.

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A retro townscape with high-quality onsen with rich healing properties. Abundant nature and the murmuring of a river. If you go to Shima onsen you will experience the atmosphere of "this is a onsen trip!". It is about 2 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo, and there are also direct express buses, so why not visit for a quick relaxation on the weekend?