Kyounso

Thank you for staying here for 2 nights and 3 days. It takes 80 minutes by bus from Morioka Station, and there are 3 buses a day. The road from Hachimantai Resort is narrow and steep, so it is impossible to climb on a normal bus, so we changed to a bonnet bus. I had read in a post that the hot spring is a sulfur spring, and the smell of sulfur will stay on your clothes and your whole body, so I was worried about not wanting it. However, that worry was wiped away without much worry. If anything, it felt like a world of difference compared to the hot spring inn "Sengoro" in Sengokuhara, Hakone. In 2004, I stayed at "Sengoro" and the smell of sulfur stayed with me for 6 days, which was a traumatic experience. Dinner was served in the room, and breakfast was served in the large hall. I was not impressed with the dinner on the first night, and thought I had made a mistake in choosing this place. Dinner on the second night was not as bad. It was delicious. There were four different kinds of mushrooms on a round tray, and I was particularly impressed by the Sawamotashi mushrooms (I have forgotten their names), which were second only to matsutake mushrooms in taste.

At around 2pm on July 30th, I went for a day trip to "Kyounso", an inn that protects secret hot springs. The parking lot is well maintained. There is also a parking lot in front of the main building. They also sprinkle water in front of the entrance. I bought a bath ticket at the front desk, and the inside of the building is clean. They looked after my valuables at the front desk. I went straight to the large bath at the back. There were several other guests there before me. I then went to the mixed outdoor bath, just off the large bath. The spring was milky white sulfurous. There were several other guests there before me. Horseflies were flying around everywhere. I retreated. In the indoor bath, there was also an expert who seemed to be a regular, holding a horsefly swatter. I quickly retreated. I sat down on a chair in the lobby, a fan in hand. It was a short stay of about 20-30 minutes.

The bus ride from East Exit of Morioka Station took about 2hrs. There are no pit stops so be prepared. We booked the only room with western bed. It was expensive @ ¥17,500pp. Room was larger n comfortable but was disappointed/surprised the toilet was not fitted with the typical bidet. There’s no attached bath. Food was good but nothing to rave about. Location was good for exploring Hachimantai and hike the numerous trails. The staff were extremely hospitable and helpful. Will be back with appropriate footware to hike the trails to the mountain tops next to the ryokan.