The onsen is virtually on top of the mountain, and even in late April there was still a lot of snow. Snow also partially blocked the path around the mud lake although you could still get close enough to take pictures. We entered the onsen as day visitors on the female side (bathing is gender segregated). You can rent towel sets (and then you get to keep the small towel as a souvenir). To be in the enormous wooden onsen hall, all stained and steamy, felt like a really Japanese experience. Be careful as the floor is quite slippy in places. There are no showers so you wash yourself with a traditional wooden bucket. There are seven experiences to try, ranging from a tepid bubbling pool, to the mini sauna steam boxes, a mud bath, a geyser downspout to rinse off under, and a hot indoor pool and small hot outdoor pool. The view from the outdoor pool is a bit limited for privacy reasons I guess, but it was fun to see snow while sitting in an outdoor pool. Afterwards we visited the cafe which offers some small food sets and a range of drinks and desserts. There is also a shop full of regional specialities, you can buy a printed onsen bath towel, lots of food stuffs etc. A bit of a drive to reach, but we enjoyed the experience.

My eldest daughter and her partner, my second daughter and I stayed there. My eldest daughters stayed in a Japanese-style room in the main building, and we stayed in a Japanese-style room in the new building. My eldest daughters' room had few windows and felt a little lonely. Our room, which we also used as a meeting room, had a large window and a nice chair and desk on the veranda, so we could relax and read a book. I think the difference in comfort of the room was greater than the price difference. In the Japanese-style room in the new building, there were full-sized Sekkisei amenities and the washbasin and toilet were easy to use. The only disappointment was that there was a view of the parking lot below (although if you lie down you can see the forest) and the ceiling lights were daylight colored. I think it would be more relaxing if the color temperature was lower. I don't like heat, so we only stayed in the ondol for a short time, but it was an interesting experience.