Lamp No Yado Aoni Hot Spring
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Secluded hot springs | Very remote |
| Beautiful setting |
There are more hot springs in Japan than there are children under 5 (that may not be saying much due to de-population), so what makes this one so special? As the name might suggest, the resort is famous for being lit only by oil lamps, with no cell-phone service, WiFi, or electrical sockets in the rooms. During the winter, heat is provided by gas burners and whatever your body can soak up from the hot spring baths, of which there are plenty.
The resort is open all year round however a visit in the winter months is probably the most special experience you can get, with visitor numbers low enough that you can relax in the baths by yourself or chill out in your Tatami mat room without worrying about noise from other customers.
The facilities
There is no Wifi, power outlets in the rooms (the staff will charge things for you if you ask) and no artificial light apart from the lamps. The toilets are communal, as are the wash areas. The rooms are all Japanese style with Tatami map floors and futons to sleep on (there are no beds onsite). The doors to the room have a funny lock that needs getting used to. The facilities are basic, but clean and the food provided is decent if not the best Kaiseki dining you can get in Japan. The Miso Soup was exceptional however; a good sign.
There are 4 baths available (the red buildings on the map below). They probably do have an English version but “When Japan” didn’t ask for one. All the baths are open 24 hours apart from about an hour per bath between 8am and 12pm for cleaning (only 1 bath at a time is closed).
The main building houses most of the individual rooms and there are 3 annexes that are reserved for larger groups that wish to stay together away from the main building.
1) Kenroku-no-Yu
The build at the bottom of the map, the baths is split into male and female and has a large changing area as well as a fairly large bath that can comfortable fit 5-6 people. The picture below is actually how dark it gets a night.
2) Open-air bath “Rotenburo”
The open air bath is the oldest in the complex and is mixed access outside of 5pm-6pm and 11am-12am. You can guess that most women will stay away outside those times although if you are visiting in the winter, other guests are scare enough that it shouldn’t be a problem. The steam and general darkness during the evening also makes it impossible to see very far anyway.
3) Takimi-no-Yu
The baths at the top of the map has an outdoor pool with views of the little waterfall at the back of the complex. The inside pool is incredibly hot while the outside pool is tepid enough during winter that there is a sign recommending it not be used during winter (you can and “When Japan” did – getting a bit chilly after 5 minutes). It can comfortable fit 4-5 people inside and 2-3 outside.
4) Uchi-yu
A small bath inside the main building it can only fit 1-2 people but during the winter is usually empty (why go to this one when the outside ones are also usually empty). It is good however for a quick wash in the morning.
Access to Lamp No Yado Aoni Hot Spring
Getting there is half the fun, especially in winter. You basically have to split the journey into 3 parts. If you are going there and coming back the next day, purchasing a Tsugaru Free Pass is better value. Buy at the Green Window Ticket Office at Hirosaki station.
Part 1 – Train from Hirosaki Station to Kuroishi Station
Buy the Free Pass and then head to the Konan Railway entrance which is down the stairs from the JR station. You will notice from the sign about the vending machines that trains are not that frequent – once an hour during the day.
Part 2 – Bus from Kuroishi Station to Nijinoko Lake
Next you need to take a bus from Kuroishi station to Nijinoko Lake. The lake is frozen over in winter and all buildings are closed, so don’t expect to do any sightseeing.
You will need to time the bus so that you can transfer to the subsequent shuttle bus that will take you to the hot spring itself. During winter this is the only option. During spring you can take a taxi or drive directly.
The bus timetable is here (Japanese) and also below with notes. The red boxes are the only buses you should consider taking unless you want to wait around at the lake for hours.
Part 3 – Shuttle Bus from Nijinoko Lake to the Hot Spring
The bus looks like the one below and will probably be waiting for you when you get off the regular bus.
The timetables are below. Some of the buses are really only useful if you brought your own car to the lake and parked there. That is a common option for locals. There is plenty of parking at the lake.
Getting back is not a problem as the staff at the hot spring will tell you exactly what shuttle bus to get in order to catch the local bus back to Kuroishi station. You are most likely to get the 8:20 or 9:30 (9:20 in winter) shuttle bus to catch the 9am or 10am regular bus from the lake.
Relevant Links
https://kuroishi.or.jp/english/tourism-en
http://www.konanbus.com/1397.html
https://www.aoninet.com/en/index.html#top
