Izuya Ryokan伊豆屋旅館

Izuya is the oldest inn in Yugawara, founded in the Edo period and operating continuously from the same site in Miyakami. The current building dates to Showa 5 (1930), built in traditional sukiya-style architecture with a curved gable above the entrance that marks it immediately as a different era from anything else on the street. Two rooms. One family at a time, essentially.

The hot spring is private: source number 7, drawing from the hillside behind the inn. The water is a sodium-calcium chloride-sulfate spring (pH 8.4-8.5, source temperature 61.8°C), which tracks with the Yugawara baseline, but Izuya's private source means the water hasn't been blended with the town's municipal mix. Flow handling is source-fed throughout.

The outdoor bath is the inn's defining feature. It is the only mixed-gender outdoor bath still operating in Yugawara: not a private reservation bath, not a rotating-gender bath, but a traditional mixed-gender facility on the mountain slope, with seasonal tree cover and views that change through cherry-blossom season and autumn foliage. Day-use visitors (¥1,000, 10:00-17:00) choose either the outdoor or indoor bath, not both. Overnight guests have access to both.

The interior style is vintage rather than renovated: abundant pine joinery, high ceilings, period cooling fans in the indoor baths, the spatial generosity of a 1930s building that assumed a different pace of staying. Reviewers across multiple platforms describe the atmosphere as 'retro' and 'nostalgic' - meaning that for guests accustomed to the contemporary ryokan design vocabulary, Izuya will feel like a different category. For guests specifically seeking historical atmosphere, it is the strongest choice in Yugawara.

Overnight pricing is not published on major booking platforms - Jalan lists the inn but plan details require direct inquiry by phone. Day-use at ¥1,000 is among the cheapest entry points to Yugawara onsen water from a private source. For anyone wanting to test the water before committing to a stay, the day-use window (10:00-17:00, advance reservation recommended) is the right entry point.

Address: 610 Miyakami, Yugawara, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa

Access: About 10 minutes by taxi from Yugawara Station. Walking is possible but uphill.

Tier: mid-tier

Rooms: 2 rooms (8-12 tatami, traditional Japanese layout)

Price range: Overnight: not published - direct inquiry required (0465-62-3151). Day-use: ¥1,000/person.

Dining: Not confirmed in available sources - direct inquiry required at booking. Banquet room exists; meal service likely available.

Founded: Edo period (founding); current building Showa 5 (1930)

Highlights:

• Yugawara's oldest continuously operating onsen inn
• Only remaining mixed-gender outdoor bath in Yugawara
• Private spring source #7 with source-fed flow throughout
• 1930 traditional sukiya-style architecture with curved gable
• 2 rooms - near-exclusive use at most occupancies

Source: Private spring source #7, sodium-calcium chloride-sulfate spring, pH 8.4-8.5, source temperature 61.8°C, source-fed flow.

Baths: Mixed-gender outdoor bath, Yugawara's only remaining traditional mixed-gender bath, plus indoor gendered baths. Day-use: choose outdoor OR indoor, not both.

These are points where the platforms and official pages we consulted gave us conflicting information.

• Overnight pricing: Not publicly listed on Jalan or major booking platforms at time of research. The inn has a Jalan page but plan pricing requires inquiry by phone (0465-62-3151). The day-use rate (¥1,000/person) is the only confirmed figure.
• Dining: Meal format and whether half-board is included was not confirmed in public sources. A banquet room exists on-site. Verify meal service directly before booking.
• Spring type: Research returned two characterisations: simple thermal spring and sodium-calcium chloride-sulfate spring. The sulfate-spring characterisation aligns with the Yugawara baseline and the pH/temperature data. We use the more specific classification; the simple-spring label may be a simplified popular description.
• Mixed-gender bath access: Japan's mixed-gender bathing regulations have tightened across prefectures since 2020. Izuya's outdoor mixed-gender bath is listed as operational, but specific access rules (minimum age, swimwear policy) should be confirmed directly before a visit where this matters.

• Official site (Japanese)
• Jalan listing (Japanese)
• Nifty Onsen listing
• Source (Japanese)