I Looked Into Shibahara Onsen Hotel Miyama

Up until now in this series, I've been looking into hot spring inns and mineral spring ryokan mainly around the Saitama and Chichibu areas, one after another.

This time, I looked into "Shibahara Onsen Hotel Miyama." The combination of an open-air bath along the Yokoze River and a sulfur spring from their own private source caught my attention, and even as an indoor type, it made me want to check out at least the baths.

The Name "Shibahara Onsen" and Its Relationship to "Miyama Onsen"

When I looked into it, it seems that this inn isn't actually located in an area officially called "Shibahara Onsen" by address—rather, it's a ryokan with its own private hot spring source called "Miyama Onsen," located in the Yamada area of Chichibu City. Shibahara Onsen itself appears to be treated as a separate hot spring area, but in some Chichibu ryokan guides, Hotel Miyama is listed as part of the Takashino-Yokoze area, and it seems the name "Shibahara Onsen" is sometimes used as a broader tourism-area designation. Even though there are some minor discrepancies in how the name is used, it still seems safe to say this is a hot spring ryokan tucked away in the mountains of Chichibu.

The Private Sulfur Spring and the Open-Air Bath Along the Yokoze River

As for the baths, there are large communal baths called "Yomatsuri Bath" and "Megami Bath" that use a simple sulfur spring (mildly alkaline, with a pH of around 8.8) drawn from their own private source, and the building also seems to have a dry sauna. The open-air bath is set along the Yokoze River, designed so guests can enjoy it while listening to the sound of the river. That said, from what I could find, while the large communal baths are genuine hot spring baths, it seems some of the open-air baths and in-room open-air baths may not actually use hot spring water, so it might be worth double-checking this on the official website beforehand. There are also private baths (family baths) available, which can apparently be used for a fee if reserved before evening. Day-trip bathing is also available, with reception hours reportedly running from 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM.

Stay Plans, Room Types, and Day-Trip Bathing

Check-in appears to start at 3:00 PM, with check-out by 10:00 AM—fairly standard times. All 38 rooms are apparently built facing the Yokoze River side, and there's a wide range of room types available, including rooms with private open-air baths (types with names like "Green," "Wind," and "Crimson"), Japanese-modern superior rooms, special rooms named "Bukou" and "Genyo," as well as standard Japanese-style, Western-style, and Japanese-Western combination rooms.

• Rough pricing: room-only plans start at around 7,000-something yen per adult, while the standard plan with two meals included runs roughly 15,000 to 30,000 yen per adult, depending on the plan and season
• Day-trip bathing: 900 yen for adults, 500-540 yen for children (bathing tax included)
• Wi-Fi: apparently free to use in all rooms and throughout the building
• In-room amenities: seems to include a full set of amenities such as a TV, phone, refrigerator, hot water kettle, hair dryer, and a toilet with a washlet
• Meals: dinner is apparently a creative kaiseki-style course using seasonal Chichibu ingredients, served either in-room or in a dining hall. Breakfast seems to be offered as a buffet or a Japanese-style set meal in the lounge on the 3rd floor
• Booking: in addition to online reservations through the official website, phone bookings are also available. It seems reservations can also be made through travel booking sites such as Rakuten Travel

Komorin

I thought having as many as three types of rooms with private open-air baths was a great point. It seems like you could feel the atmosphere of the sulfur spring right from your room, which really appeals to me as an indoor type.

Nearby Sightseeing Spots and Rest Stops

Nearby attractions include the first Chichibu pilgrimage temple, Shimabuji, and the third temple, Jorakuji, along with sightseeing spots reachable by car such as Hitsujiyama Park (the shibazakura hill), Chichibu Shrine, and the Yokoze River Gorge. As for rest stops, Michi-no-Eki Chichibu is about a 5-minute drive away, and Michi-no-Eki Kaju Koen Ashigakubo is about a 10-minute drive away, so both seem conveniently close for a quick stop.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

Since I'm a license holder who doesn't actually drive, I can't go check this place out myself, but I looked up this inn's location (the Yamada area of Chichibu City) using Rakuten Mobile's official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool.

The result showed an overall rating of "C." The mountainous location might be a factor here. Since I use Rakuten Mobile as my main carrier, I want to take this result seriously. When it comes to staying connected during a stay, it seems reasonable to rely on the inn's free in-house Wi-Fi as well.

Komorin

A C rating is a bit of a concerning result. Since it sounds like the in-house Wi-Fi is available in every room, it might be safer to rely on that for connectivity.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up again, Shibahara Onsen Hotel Miyama struck me as a hot spring ryokan tucked away in the mountains of Chichibu, where you can enjoy a private sulfur spring source and an open-air bath along the Yokoze River. There are also multiple types of rooms with private open-air baths, and I found it appealing that you could enjoy that bathing atmosphere even in your own room. That said, the Rakuten Mobile signal came back with a C rating on the official tool, so if connectivity is a concern for you, it might be worth planning to use the in-house Wi-Fi as well. If you're worried about it, you can check for yourself using Rakuten Mobile's official tool before booking your stay.

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Related Links

• Official Site