Looking into Aji to Yu no Yado New Tomiyoshi

I've been slowly researching campsites, day-trip hot springs, and inns that seem reachable even without a car.

This time, as a little detour from my hokance-style (hotel staycation) way of spending time, I looked into Aji to Yu no Yado New Tomiyoshi in Shimotaga, Atami. I have a driver's license but don't actually drive, so I'm a paper driver. When I found out about a hot spring inn that looks walkable from the nearest station and has as many as 11 private open-air baths, I got curious and started digging.

The Short Version

There are 11 private open-air baths in total, and apparently you can use them privately at any time during your stay without a reservation, so this seemed like a good match for indoor types like me who want to soak in a hot spring without worrying about other people.
As for Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the official tool gave a C rating. If you need a signal, I'd recommend checking beforehand.

I've put the details below.

What Kind of Place Is New Tomiyoshi?

It's a hot spring inn in the Shimotaga area of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, and the official site describes it as an inn for good food and hot springs. There are 22 rooms in total, 6 in the new building and 16 in the main building, so it gave me a fairly cozy, small-scale impression.

Based on what the official site says, here's the basic info.

Access: Apparently a 10-minute walk from Izu-Taga Station on the JR Ito Line, or a 1-minute walk from the Kaisuiyokujo bus stop
By car: It seems to be listed as about 60 minutes each from the Atsugi IC and the Numazu IC on the Tomei Expressway
Parking: Apparently 40 spaces, and free
Check-out: Normally 10:00 a.m., and it seems you can extend it to 11:00 a.m. with a paid option
Reservations: It seems there's an inquiry form on the official site and a phone line. I couldn't confirm whether online booking is available
Room rates and check-in time: Not listed on the pages I could check, so the details are unknown
Shuttle service: I couldn't find any mention on the official site

It's probably best to check the official site for the details.

Komorin

Apparently it's a 10-minute walk from the station, so even someone like me who doesn't drive can easily put it on the list of possible destinations. It's a little disappointing that I couldn't find the rates or the check-in time, though.

Hopping Between 11 Private Open-Air Baths Seems to Be the Main Event

The big feature of this inn seems to be that there are no separate-gender large public baths, and all the baths are private-style. The official page also clearly states that there is no large public bath.

There are 11 private open-air baths in total, split across three areas, it seems.

New building 4th-floor lounge: four baths, Seiun, Atarayo, Kunpu, and Konpeki
Main building rooftop observation baths: four baths, Ten, Umi, Sora, and Kaze
Garden baths in a separate building: three baths, Yumigahama, Shirahama, and Nagahama

They can apparently be used privately at any time during your stay, no reservation is needed, and you can check availability on your phone. I'm a bit bad with crowded places, so a system where you just walk into whichever bath is free sounded easy for me to picture.

The rooftop observation private open-air baths in the main building are apparently for main building guests only, free of charge, and available 24 hours. The tubs seem to be made of different materials: Shigaraki ware for Ten, Koyamaki (Japanese umbrella pine) for Umi, Kiso cypress for Sora, and granite for Kaze. The roof is said to be retractable. Also, only these observation baths use a mix of overflow and recirculation, while the other open-air baths were described as using fresh, free-flowing hot spring water.

As far as I could confirm, I couldn't find a clear statement on whether the other private baths are free or paid. As for the spring quality and the source name, the hot spring analysis chart seems to be posted as an image, so I couldn't confirm them from the text.

Facilities Sauna Fans Might Like, Plus Rooms and Meals

The new building lounge has three private saunas (Tasogare, Byakuya, and Soten), each apparently with an open-air cold plunge bath. The Shirahama and Nagahama baths in the separate building, Hama no Yu, also seem to have dry saunas.

The rooms seemed to include the following lineup.

New building suites: with an ocean-view balcony and a private open-air bath
Annex: pets are allowed, and apparently there are even rooms with an open-air bath for dogs
Main building: a wheelchair-accessible universal room, Japanese-style rooms with a sauna (no open-air bath), standard Western-style rooms (no open-air bath), and so on

Dinner seems to be basically a Japanese meal that comes with a boat-shaped platter of sashimi. There are apparently also plans such as My Menu, where you can choose extra dishes, and Gourmet A, which has a sashimi boat with abalone. A private dining room seems to be offered either as a free perk or a paid option. Breakfast is apparently a Japanese set meal with things like dried horse mackerel, freshly boiled whitebait, and hot spring eggs.

Apparently the building also has the following facilities.

Post-bath lounge: with a free drink bar and a powder room
Aroma spa treatments: a paid service that requires a reservation
Karaoke room: paid
Foot bath: available 24 hours
Others: a restaurant, a banquet hall (60 seats in total), a lobby and tea lounge, universal toilets, and an outdoor shower

Komorin

Going back and forth between the private baths and saunas, then having a drink in the post-bath lounge. I couldn't help imagining that even a homebody like me, who tends to stay holed up in the room, could really enjoy a stay like that.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I entered the inn's location (Shimotaga, Atami) into the official my Area Communication Simulation, and the overall rating came up as C.

This is the rating I confirmed on the official tool. If you plan to message people or look things up on your phone at the inn, it could be one thing worth checking beforehand.

If you're concerned about the signal, please check it yourself in advance with Rakuten Mobile's official tool.

Komorin

As a Rakuten Mobile user, a C rating was a bit of a worrying result. Then again, while relaxing in a private bath, maybe it's fine to just put the phone down.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, my impression of New Tomiyoshi is that it's a hot spring inn where you can apparently enjoy all 11 private open-air baths without a reservation, which seems like a good fit for people who want to go around the baths and saunas at their own pace.

It's apparently a 10-minute walk from Izu-Taga Station and a 1-minute walk from the bus stop, so it seems easy to consider as a destination even without a car. On the other hand, I couldn't confirm the room rates, check-in time, whether there's a shuttle, the spring quality, and so on this time. If you're seriously thinking about staying, it might be reassuring to check with the official site or by inquiring directly.

As for Rakuten Mobile's signal, it was rated C on the official tool. If you're concerned about it, it's probably a good idea to check with the official tool beforehand.

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