I Looked Into Akaya Onsen Irori no Yado Kojikaso

In this blog, I'm going through a series where I research hot spring inns and campsites that even I, someone without a car, might be able to visit.

This time, I looked into "Akaya Onsen Irori no Yado Kojikaso." I was drawn to the idea of dining around an irori hearth, so I got curious about what kind of inn this is and decided to look into it.

I looked into what kind of space an inn centered around an irori hearth actually is

Apparently this is a hot spring inn located in Ogano Town, Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture. Check-in starts at 3 PM and check-out is by 10 AM, which seems to follow a fairly standard inn schedule.

What seems to set this inn apart is its dining style. Rather than serving meals in your room or in a communal dining hall, each group is given their own dedicated irori hearth where you can enjoy a kaiseki-style meal cooked over the hearth. Along with salt-grilled river fish, wild boar hot pot and venison hot pot—both known as Chichibu specialties—are also featured as signature dishes, giving the impression that you can really taste the flavor of the mountain village here.

The number of rooms seems to range from about 13 to 18, with slight differences depending on which booking site you check. Either way, it doesn't seem to be a large-scale inn, but rather a place with a calm, moderate size.

Komorin

Just imagining a meal around an irori hearth already makes me feel warm inside. I'm not really the driving type myself, so an inn like this where you can just relax quietly is something I find really appealing.

Checking out the baths and room amenities

As for the baths, in addition to a large communal bath and an outdoor bath, there's apparently also a private reservation-only outdoor bath available exclusively for overnight guests. The water is a simple alkaline spring, and the source is called the Daoryuji spring (Akaya Onsen). The pH is said to be around 10.0, so you might be able to expect that smooth, silky "torimi-style" water often associated with alkaline springs.

It seems day-trip bathing is also accepted, with reception hours from 11 AM to 3 PM, priced at roughly 700 yen for adults and 500 yen for children. That said, it seems there may be no day-trip acceptance during busy seasons or maintenance days, so if you're considering a day visit, it might be a good idea to check in advance.

Room types appear to be quite varied, including rooms with private outdoor baths, rooms with semi-private outdoor baths, rooms with view baths, Japanese-Western style rooms, and traditional Japanese-style rooms. Here's a summary of the amenities I was able to confirm:

• Wi-Fi: Apparently available for free throughout the building and in all guest rooms
• Parking: Free, with space for around 50 regular cars and about 4 buses
• Rates: For one night with two meals, it looks like roughly 15,000 to 35,000 yen per adult (seems to vary depending on room type and season)
• Booking: You can reserve through the official website, by phone, or through various travel booking sites

As someone who's more of an indoor type, the fact that free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building is definitely a point I care about. Being able to relax slowly by the irori hearth while still having some level of connectivity coverage feels reassuring.

I also looked into nearby sightseeing spots

Assuming you're traveling by car, there seem to be a few nearby spots worth stopping at. It's apparently about a 10 to 15 minute drive to Ryokami Onsen Yakushi no Yu roadside station, and about a 10 minute drive to Hoshoji Temple, the 32nd temple on the Chichibu pilgrimage route.

Although seasonal, the Ryokamisanroku Hana no Sato Dahlia Garden and the winter-only Onouchi Hyakkei ice pillars also seem to be around a 10 to 15 minute drive away. Marugami Falls, selected as one of Japan's 100 finest waterfalls, and Chichibu Muse Park also appear reachable in about 15 to 25 minutes by car, so if you're willing to go a bit further, it seems like there's plenty of room to expand your sightseeing plans.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C."

Since I figured it's worth checking the connectivity situation before staying somewhere, I looked into this too. Given that in-building Wi-Fi is apparently available, it seems reasonable to plan on using both together as needed.

Komorin

Honestly, a "C" rating is a little worrying. Since I'm a Rakuten Mobile user myself, knowing there's in-building Wi-Fi at a mountain inn like this gives me a bit of peace of mind.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, Akaya Onsen Irori no Yado Kojikaso struck me as an inn that really captures the essence of Chichibu, offering mountain-village dishes like wild boar hot pot and venison hot pot at your own private irori hearth. There also seem to be plenty of bath options to choose from, including rooms with private outdoor baths and a reservation-only private outdoor bath.

Also, since the official tool rated the Rakuten Mobile signal here as a "C," it seems worth checking that ahead of time too so you can plan accordingly. If this is something that concerns you, it might be worth giving the official Rakuten Mobile tool a check yourself.

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Related Links

• Official Site