A Dip In An Onsen?

I am currently cutting back my time reading blogs and EC dropping and spending more time browsing and looking up travel information on Japan with Zaini. Although we have yet to confirm whether we can actually go for our vacation in late Nov/early Dec, there's no harm planning. Planning for our vacation and poring over train schedules and maps is always a fun activity for us.

Anyway, if we can't go through with this vacation plan, our backup plan is to head to Thailand for a more affordable vacation.

At the moment, we are looking at several options for a night in a ryokan and a dip in onsens. Currently, going to Nyutou Onsenkyo in Akita looks like a good option to us.

Photos from Nyutou Onsenkyo official website

Both Zaini and I agree that Tsurunoyu Onsen looks the most appealing for us in terms of room choices. Its rustic accomodation (no modern plumbing and electricity here) kinda appeals to us. Tsurunoyu Onsen is the oldest operating ryokan there and is one of eight hot-spring baths that belong to Nyutou Onsenkyo located near the foot of Nyutou san. Of course there is a newer addition to Tsurunoyu onsen, Yamanoyado; that offers all the modern comforts of a modern ryokan complete with internet connection too.

Taenoyu looks great too, with a myriad of baths to choose from, but the rooms wasn't exactly what we wanted. Choices, so many choices...I guess it'll be easier if money is no object, but at the moment, we are looking at a 50,000yen night stay in a ryokan. That is equivalent to 5 nights at Toyoko Inn. Gasp!

And oh! Nyutou Onsenkyo has mixed gender bathing available, apart from the seperate and private baths. Would you enter a mixed gender bath if you have the chance?

And going there, we'll have the chance to take the Komachi shinkansen (Akita Shinkansen) and on our return trip, we thought of taking the Tsubasa shinkansen (Yamagata Shinkansen) with a few stops along the way before making our way back to Tokyo.