[Review] Itoen Hotel New Sakura

This is my first ever onsen ryokan stay. A work contact booked this for me, and I later discovered that Itoen is a group running hotel chains throughout Japan. The guests seemed all Japanese too. Definitely a go-to option for locals.

This is one of the larger commercialized ryokans in the area. The hotel is built generously with space. Its lobby is wide with high ceilings and glass chandeliers that looked like hanging flowers.

I grabbed a yukata and went straight to my room. There were two types of standard rooms, and I had the one with the river view. The one without a view was in a different building and it had a more friendly price point.

The room had warm pink curtains and green tatami. The palette made me think of cherry blossoms and in hindsight that could be a conscious design choice given the hotel name.

The futon was already all laid out for me. It is likely a two person room, but I have it all to myself tonight.

I quickly set my things down and changed. I couldn’t wait to get into the onsen.

They had the onsen floor in lowest floor of the building, while the lobby was on the 6th floor. This structure is common for a lot of the hotels built on the slopes around Kinugawa river.

Their public bath is huge! I say this even after I visited a lot more different onsens later on. There could be perhaps 15 people in here before it starts feeling crowded.

The soak after a long day feels like it warms and relaxes me to my bones. I rested my head back for a bit and breathed slowly, just feeling the spring waters on my skin.

Then I noticed the door at the end that leads outside to the rotenburo. The door opened to a very short flight of stairs that descended into a large iwaburo (岩風呂) surrounded by high fences with branches of greenery peeking over the fences. Iwaburos are always my favourite. The large rocks set all around the edges makes one feel closer to nature.

I sat in a corner in silence, immersing myself in the water up to my neck. The night air was cool on my face but my body was warm in the spring. I could hear the river roaring in the distance.

I remember thinking to myself “I could live here.”

I had a dreamless sleep that night.

In the morning I sat by the window side and just gazed at the greenery outside. The mountains had a zen stillness but the occasional wind rustled the trees.

I enjoyed the scenery for a bit and went for a morning dip. The early morning public bath was incredibly crowded with the lively local elderly. Definitely a different vibe from the night before.

Wrapped the stay with a simple plate from the buffet breakfast.

I’d say this is a great place for the default ryokan experience. Nothing luxurious, it’s down to earth and local. The vastness of the place and the way it’s designed allowed for a decent level of privacy and comfortable distance from other guests despite having so many of them.