This mountain hot spring was discovered by the Miura Family in the late Edo era has been protected by the family for three generations. The inn sits 700m above sea level, where even the summers are nice and cool.

A Quaint Lamp-lit Inn Nestled In Nature
Miyagi Prefecture’s Yubama Hot Spring Resort: Miura Ryokan

Japan has over 3,100 hot spring resorts, but only a few of those have hotels and inns that are lit by lamps and self-powered by generators. The Miura Ryokan is one of them and is a bona fide natural hot spring nestled deep in the surroundings of nature.

Gender-segregated indoor cypress baths. Baths are open all night.
In the evening, the owners light the lamps in the guest rooms.

Natural Hot Springs Soothe Visitors with Pure Minerals at Miura Ryokan

The free-flowing hot spring’s soothing waters cascade in graceful harmony of ambiance and pure relaxation. The smell of sulfur fills the air, yubana (white flower-shaped mineral deposits) float gently on the water’s surface, and the silky, smooth texture of the water caresses your skin. As you bathe under the calm night sky, under the gentle glow of the inn’s lamps, it feels as if the boundary between the water and your body begins to slowly dissolve. It becomes a night in which that part of you that longs to reconnect with nature is finally able to do so.

Hearty Meals from Fresh Local Mt. Kurikoma Ingredients

Meals are prepared with produce from Mt. Kurikoma, such as wild vegetables, freshwater fish, and buckwheat noodles. Fresh watercress, picked by the inn’s owners every morning, is served as a salad with your breakfast. This quaint inn from the heart of the majestic mountains is lovingly tended to by a loving and welcoming couple who eagerly await your stay.

How to Get to Yubama Hot Spring Resort: Miura Ryokan in Miyagi Prefecture

After pulling off the highway and parking, a 10-min walk through a forest of Japanese beech wood trees and over a mountain stream will bring you to the inn. Bathing under the lamplight out in nature is a priceless experience and is the reason I urge you to come enjoy the pleasures of the hot spring at Miura Ryokan. Due to snowfall, the inn is closed half the year during the winter months from late November to late April.

A mixed open-air bath is a 3-min walk from the inn. It’s right beside a mountain stream.
Dinner served on my visit. Light from self-powered generators illuminates the dining room and restrooms.

Miura Ryokan
Address: 1-11 Honzawadakeyama, Hanayama, Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture
Tel: 090-8925-2004 (7am-8pm)
Access: 90-min taxi ride from Kurikoma Kogen Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen
Lodging Rates: 1 night/ 2 meals 8,000 JPY (9,000 JPY on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)
* Closed in winter from late November to late April
URL: yubama.info

Writer: Rie Nishimura

Hi, my name is Rie Nishimura. I’m a freelance writer who’s written about hot springs for over 20 years. I hope my writing helps others discover the charming qualities of hot springs as I have.

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