Matsunoyama Onsen Hinanoyado Chitose

Set in Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture, this hot spring ryokan stands in an area where Japan’s beautiful traditional landscapes, including terraced rice fields and beech forests, still remain. It luxuriously features free-flowing hot spring water directly from the source of Matsunoyama Onsen, known as one of Japan’s three great medicinal hot springs, and guests can enjoy the highly concentrated waters in rooms with open-air baths and in the large public bath. In winter, bathing in the open-air bath surrounded by 3 to 5 meters of snow is especially popular.

There are 26 guest rooms in total, including Japanese-style rooms, Japanese-Western rooms, and suite rooms with private open-air hot spring baths. With snow-viewing shoji screens and sunken kotatsu tables, the decor is full of snowy-region charm, allowing guests to enjoy snowy scenery and the changing seasons.

Dinner features satoyama cuisine made with local terraced rice, mountain vegetables, and Niigata’s branded pork, Tsumari Pork. There is also a wide selection of alcohol, including tasting sets of carefully selected sake from Niigata, a famous sake-producing region, as well as local beer and local wine. Right across from the inn is “Toji BAR Matsunoyama Onsen,” open until 11:00pm. The property also offers a full range of facilities, including a table tennis area, footbath, and a library lined with novels and comics.