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sanji
Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:12 am


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This ryokan is in the heart of the Jigokudani area - see this guide, in French, for extra details : http://www.secret-japan.com/forum/jigokudani-yaen-koen-%28nagano-ken%29-t496.html

The area is extremely famous for its monkeys, which have their own private where they are taken in pictures by hundred of tourists every day... The problem is that those tourists have a direct view on the rotenburo of the ryokan you are talking about, making it much less atmospheric than it looks on the pictures.

If you are interested in wilder ryokan with mixed baths, I would suggest checking on www.secret-japan.com/onsen where you can search onsen by features, including selecting those that are co-ed.

Some onsen/ryokan I like :
Gunma-ken (close to Tokyo, less hidden places)
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/show.php?&selcode=28
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/show.php?&selcode=117
Tochigi-ken (excellent if you want to stay in nature)
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/show.php?&selcode=40
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/show.php?&selcode=41
Northern Tohoku (if you really want to go wild)
http://www.secret-japan.com/onsen/show.php?&selcode=79

But there are many others on that web site...
