Hotel Sanemon

Hotel Sanemon occupies a quiet corner of Dai Onsen, one of the smaller hot-spring enclaves within Hanamaki Onsenkyo. The atmosphere is old-fashioned and calm, with Japanese rooms and Japanese-Western rooms arranged for travellers who want to linger in the village rather than move through a large resort complex.

The inn’s simple sulfur spring is used free-flowing in a large indoor bath and an open-air bath. The outdoor bath is a notable feature within Dai Onsen, where open-air bathing is not common. The setting and water carry more character than the building’s conventional hotel name suggests.

Dinner follows a seasonal Japanese course format with Iwate ingredients and changes through the year. Sanemon works well for guests seeking a traditional bathing stay in a quiet village, where free-flowing sulfur water and the pace of a seasonal Japanese dinner matter more than a long list of modern facilities.