Akazawa Onsen Hotel

Look, I’ve stayed at a lot of onsen hotels in the Izu Peninsula, and Akazawa Onsen Hotel honestly surprised me in the best way. You know how some places try too hard to be fancy? This isn’t one of them. It sits up in the hills above Ito – actually tucked away in Ukiyama where most tourists never venture – and the first thing that hits you is just how quiet it gets once you step out of your car. I mean, you can actually hear the forest around you, which is pretty rare these days.

The onsen itself is what really sets this place apart, and I’m not just saying that because every ryokan claims to have amazing hot springs. The mineral content here is genuinely different – your skin feels almost silky afterward, and honestly, I usually think that’s just marketing nonsense. But there’s something about the Akazawa waters that locals have known about for decades. The outdoor bath (rotenburo) looks out over this dense canopy of trees, and if you time it right – early morning or just before sunset – you might catch sight of some of the wildlife that wanders through. The indoor facilities are well-maintained too, though they get busier around dinner time when day-trippers from nearby Atami sometimes show up.

What I really appreciate is how the staff doesn’t hover but somehow always appears when you need something. Check-in was smooth, parking is actually free (which isn’t always a given in this area), and the rooms have that comfortable, lived-in feeling without being outdated. The food situation is solid – they do a traditional kaiseki dinner that changes with the seasons, and while it’s not going to blow your mind, it’s well-executed and uses local ingredients. I had this amazing kinmedai (golden eye snapper) that they said came from Shimoda port that morning. The breakfast spread hits all the right notes too, though if you’re not into traditional Japanese breakfast, you might want to grab something in Ito before heading up.

One thing to know – this place fills up during cherry blossom season and autumn, so book ahead if you’re planning around those times. Also, while they have shuttle service to Ito Station, having a car makes exploring the peninsula much easier. The road up can be a bit winding if you’re not used to mountain driving, but it’s totally manageable. Room rates are fair for what you get, especially considering you’re paying for that genuine onsen experience without the crowds you’d find at the bigger resort hotels down by the coast.

Honestly, this is the kind of place I’d recommend to friends who want to understand what the onsen experience is really about – not the Instagram version, but the actual relaxing, restorative thing that locals have been doing for generations. The 8.4 rating makes sense when you consider it’s not trying to be everything to everyone, just really good at what it does.