Kadojin

Founded in 1688, the first year of the Genroku era in the Edo period, this long-established ryokan began as a traditional inn. It stands in the Dorogawa Onsen hot spring area, said to have once soothed ascetics on their way to the World Heritage site Mt. Omine. Set along the Sanko River, the source of the Kumano River, at an elevation of Approx. 820 meters, it is also often visited in summer as a cool retreat.

All six guest rooms are designed with rich traditional Japanese charm. Choose from the nostalgic “Rigen no Ma” and “Kishu no Ma,” the spacious 24-tatami “Gyoja no Ma,” the largest room in the inn, “Shinsui no Ma,” or the guest rooms with open-air baths, “Jinshiro no Ma” and “Momo no Ma,” said to be the only ones of their kind in Dorogawa Onsen.

The hot spring baths include “Darani no Yu,” a herbal bath made with ingredients such as phellodendron bark, a key component in the traditional stomach medicine Daranisuke, and “Genroku no Yu,” a stone-built ultrasonic bath. Soak at your leisure and relax both body and mind.

The cuisine, prepared by skilled chefs using local mountain and river ingredients, is another highlight. Enjoy seasonal flavors such as salt-grilled sweetfish and sashimi made from young fish. The “Meisui Tofu,” made with the famous spring water of Mt. Omine known as “Gorogoro Water,” is also a must-try. Botan nabe and hot pot dishes and tessa made with Amakawa pufferfish are also popular.