I Looked Into Nakafujiya Ryokan

Beyond campsites, this blog also keeps looking into "hokans" (hotel + vacance) options for those days when you just want to relax at an inn instead.

This time I looked into "Nakafujiya Ryokan," located in Nasu-Yumoto Onsen. I found out that it apparently draws from the same hot spring source as Shika-no-yu, the famous public bathhouse in Nasu, and that caught my interest enough to put together some information on it.

A Long-Established Ryokan Featuring the Shika-no-yu Source and a Cypress-Wood Bathtub

Nakafujiya Ryokan is located in the Nasu-Yumoto Onsen area of Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture. According to the official website, it draws 100% source-fed hot spring water from the same source as "Shika-no-yu," the original hot spring of Nasu Onsen, and lets guests enjoy it in a cypress (wooden) bathtub. The water is described as a simple acidic sulfur spring with a source temperature of 57.2°C, and it apparently features a cloudy, milky-white color. It's also said to offer a wide range of benefits, including relief for neuralgia, muscle pain, skin conditions, poor circulation, and fatigue.

The main bath is apparently open 24 hours a day, which makes it easy to enjoy both a morning soak and a nighttime soak. That said, there's a notice explaining that gold and silver accessories can tarnish due to the hot spring's mineral content, so only pure gold accessories are allowed in the bath. I'll want to be careful not to accidentally keep a ring on while bathing. I did come across some outside information mentioning a private bath, but I couldn't find any mention of one in the official website's main text, so for now I'm treating this as a facility with only the main communal bath. If you're curious, it might be worth confirming when you make your reservation.

For accommodation rates, a one-night stay with two meals apparently starts at 12,430 yen for two people sharing an 8-tatami-mat Japanese-style room on weekdays, and at 14,960 yen for two people sharing a 10-tatami-mat Japanese-style room plus an adjoining 6-tatami-mat room on the night before holidays (a separate 150 yen bathing tax applies). Check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out is by 10:00 AM. Reservations can apparently be made through the official website's online booking system or by phone.

Komorin

Cloudy, milky-white water in a cypress-wood bathtub, available 24 hours a day—that really speaks to my indoor-loving side. Being able to casually slip into a hot spring in the middle of the night at a ryokan feels like quite a luxury.

Checking Out the In-Room Amenities from an Indoor Perspective

There are apparently 10 guest rooms in total, all Japanese-style, and you can choose depending on group size from options like an 8-tatami-mat room with an adjoining 6-tatami-mat room, a 10-tatami-mat room with an adjoining 6-tatami-mat room, a 10-tatami-mat room with an attached toilet and wide veranda, a plain 8-tatami-mat room, or a 6-tatami-mat room with an attached toilet. Each room is said to come equipped with a toilet, heating/cooling, a washbasin, a safe, a TV, an electric kettle, and a refrigerator (with paid beverages inside). Yukata robes and towels are provided in each room, and shampoo and body soap are apparently available in the main bath. You can also reportedly buy toothbrushes and razors at the front desk, so it seems reasonably possible to stay without packing much. The entire building is non-smoking, apparently, so smokers should probably confirm the rules beforehand. As for in-room Wi-Fi, I couldn't find any mention of it on the official website, so that's something you'd need to inquire about directly. As someone who leans indoor, internet access is definitely something I'd want to ask about when booking, just to be safe.

Dinner is apparently served in-room as a general rule, and seasonal kaiseki course meals are available, including a Nasu wagyu steak plan. That said, I wasn't able to dig up the specific menu items this time, so anyone wanting more detail should probably inquire before booking. Parking is apparently provided free of charge (though the number of spaces wasn't confirmed on the official website). Day-trip bathing is also accepted from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (last entry at 2:30 PM), priced at 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children. However, it seems requests may be turned down when the ryokan is busy with overnight guests, so anyone planning a day visit should probably contact the ryokan in advance.

I Also Checked Out Nearby Sightseeing Spots

According to the sightseeing information page on the official website, the public bathhouse "Shika-no-yu" is about a 5-minute walk away, and "Sessho-seki," known for its legend of the nine-tailed fox, is about a 10-minute walk away. By car, places like Minamigaoka Farm, Nasu Trick Art Pia, Nasu Rindo Lake Family Farm, and the Nasu Ropeway are all roughly 15 minutes away, while Nasu Highland Park and Nasu Animal Kingdom are about 20 minutes away. So while there are sightseeing spots within walking distance, having a car apparently opens up even more options. Since I don't really drive, I think I'd start by carefully enjoying the walkable spots like Shika-no-yu and Sessho-seki first.

As for access, the official website's access page is mostly made up of map images, so I wasn't able to find specific travel times or road names through this research. For those without a car, the official website mentions taking a local bus from the nearest station and getting off at the "Yumoto 2-chome" bus stop, which is said to be right in front of the ryokan. If you want more detailed directions, it's probably best to check the map on the official website or contact them directly.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Network Simulation" tool, no actual result came up at all—instead, it just showed a message saying something like "currently undergoing temporary maintenance." This seems to be what happens when the address data for a location hasn't been registered in the tool yet, so I'm treating the signal condition here as "unknown" for this round.

So this one ended up being a result that's neither clearly good nor clearly bad. Since the hot spring is source-fed and the location is a bit on the quiet, secluded side, some people might be concerned about signal conditions there. If you're planning to use the internet on-site, it might be worth checking for yourself beforehand, just to be safe.

Komorin

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to get a result where no judgment shows up at all, so that was a bit surprising. It really reminded me how important it is to check things yourself before heading out, especially in cases like this.

Wrapping Up

Looking back over everything, my overall impression of Nakafujiya Ryokan was that of a long-established hot spring ryokan very much in the spirit of Nasu-Yumoto, offering the Shika-no-yu source in a cypress-wood bathtub available 24 hours a day. All the guest rooms are Japanese-style and easy to choose based on group size, and there also seem to be sightseeing spots like Shika-no-yu and Sessho-seki within walking distance. That said, there were a few things I couldn't fully confirm from the official website alone, such as whether in-room Wi-Fi or a private bath is available, or the specific travel times for access, so it's probably worth inquiring about anything you're curious about before booking, just for peace of mind. As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the result came back as "unknown" this time, so anyone who really cares about connectivity should probably check the official tool for themselves as well.

This article includes a referral link for Rakuten Mobile's employee referral campaign. For details, please see our Disclaimer & Advertising Notice.

Related Links

• Official Site