An Old Style trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.4 [Spending Pleasant time at Your Accommodations: Onsen, Tatami Mats & Buffet] with a Featured Hotel List

Hello, this is Fujiko.
This article is the 4th installment following An Old Style Trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.3 [Taking a Stroll through Retro Town]
While it is certainly pleasant to take a stroll in the Onsen village and seek out delicious local food, the thing many travelers enjoy the most is simply spending relaxing time at their hotel.
Most hotels in the village have rooms with tatami mat floors.
Though you might be familiar with western style rooms, you will find lounging on tatami mats to be blissfully relaxing.

“Shima Grand Hotel” in front of the bus terminal

This hotel’s location is quite convenient to access all parts of the village, as the hotel located in the center of Shima Onsen village and the terminal of the “Shima Onsen Go” bus.

The hotel has karaoke rooms, a bar (which has snacks), ping-pong rooms, and banquet rooms. Additionally, the souvenir and gift shops stay open until 9 o’clock at night.

Behind the lattice door is an additional lockable door.

The room accommodates a full bath and restroom, but most guests usually use the hotel’s large public bath.

So we use it for brewing green tea.
We can also take a hot spring bath to cure our bodies, both inside and out.

Hello Kitty’s “Märchen Bath” (Fairytale-like bath)

Shima Grand Hotel opens their “Märchen Bath” in January, in collaboration with Hello Kitty, which is a popular kitten character especially among kids and young girls.
This bath is commonly referred to as the “Kitty Bath”, and there is also a Kitty café, “Café Floresta”, on the ground floor.
Since I could not take a picture inside the bath, here is picture of the café instead.

When the elevator door opens on the floor of the Kitty Bath, guests are greeted by pastel-colored decorations.
Fancy “Hello Kitty” designs are drawn on the wall of the undressing room and the bathroom.

For other baths there is a traditional Japanese style bath, as well as an open-air bath in the hotel.
All three baths have abundant natural hot spring water which fully warms guests’ bodies and bones.
After taking a bath, guests can drink cold water for free.

If you would like to try other kind of baths, you can enjoy the baths of Shima Grand’s sister hotel “Shima Tamura” by using a “Bathing Passport”.
“Bathing Passport” (price for guests of Shima Grand Hotel: 540JPY, general price: 1,730JPY)　WebSite

Guests have access to 11 types of baths, spas and pools with the passport.
It’s a great idea for hot spring lovers.

Meals: Japanese food, Western food and local specialties, all served buffet style

Guests can gorge themselves on delicious cuisine served as buffet style meals.
The hotel served so many different kinds of dishes that I couldn’t try all of them.

For those staying here for several days, I feel it may be good idea to also go out to have dinner.
For breakfast, the hotel also provides Japanese and Western food served buffet style.

Shima Grand Hotel

Hotels, Japanese style inns and guest houses in Shima Onsen village

Shima Onsen village is separated into 5 areas.
The shuttle bus “Shima Onsen Go” runs to the “Onsen Guchi (温泉口)” area first, and then goes through the “Yamaguchi (山口)” area, before making its final stop in the “Arayu (新湯)” area.
Going up from the “Arayu (新湯)” area, we arrive at the “Yuzuriha (ゆずりは)” area.
And the “Hinatami (日向見)” area is located in the back of Shima Onsen village.
All totaled, there are about 30 accommodations, some of which I will introduce below.

“Sekizenkan (積善館)” – an old Japanese style inn since 1694

The inn is a prefectural important cultural property, and it is said that the inn served as one inspiration for the Japanese animated movie “Spirited Away”.
The inn also opens their bath for patrons who are not staying at the inn.
Guests can have meals in the guest rooms located in the annex “Kashotei (佳松亭)” and “Sanso(山荘)”

Sekizenkan (積善館)

“Kurenai Ryokan (くれない旅館)”, which has a restaurant featuring local specialties

This Japanese style inn has a restaurant for guests staying at the inn, as well as patrons who are not. The restaurant serves local specialties such as steamed eel, rice porridge with hot spring water, and so on.

Kurenai Ryokan (くれない旅館)

“Kashiwaya Ryokan (柏屋旅館)” 12pm Checkout

This inn has opened a location in the “Onsen Guchi (温泉口)” area nearby “Ouketsu (甌穴)”.
Guests can have meals in the guest rooms and use the private open-air bath as many times they want for free.

Kashiwaya Ryokan (柏屋旅館)

An old Japanese style inn “Yumoto Shimakan (湯元四萬館)” in the Onsen Guchi (温泉口) area

Many literary giants have loved staying at this inn, which provides 100% natural hot spring water.
Private open-air baths can be used for free, and all guest rooms are equipped with an open-air bath in the annex, “Tsuboten (壺天)”.

Yumoto Shimakan (湯元四萬館)

“Keisei no Yado Izumiya (渓声の宿いずみや)”– the ultimate retreat in the Yamaguchi(山口) area

The inn has only 5 adult guest rooms.
Guests have the choice of being served meals in their rooms.

Keisei no Yado Izumiya (渓声の宿いずみや)

7 kinds of Onsen Baths at “Shima Yamaguchikan (四万やまぐち館)” in the Yamaguchi (山口) area

For girls trips or family trips!
Guests can enjoy 7 kinds of Onsen baths as much as they want, with the inn’s baths also open for patrons who are not staying at the inn.
The inn also features western style rooms, which are more reasonable.

Shima Yamaguchikan (四万やまぐち館)

“Morimata Ryokan (もりまた旅館)” – a quiet and peaceful inn in the Yamaguchi (山口) area

There are 6 guest rooms and open-air baths positioned along the riverside.
Cure your ills with a soak in the hot spring at this quiet and peaceful inn.
Guests have the option of taking meals in their rooms.

Morimata Ryokan (もりまた旅館)

National inn “Shima Yuzurihaso (四万ゆずりは荘)”, with complimentary shuttle bus from the bus terminal

An inexpensive inn in the Yuzuriha (ゆずりは) area.
The inn provides natural spring water, Japanese food and Japanese style rooms.

Shima Yuzurihaso (四万ゆずりは荘)

As Shima Onsen has abundant hot spring water, you can enjoy pleasant hot spring baths anywhere you stay.
All hotels, Japanese style inns and guest houses have their own distinctive charms.
Enjoy choosing your own original theme for your trip; private meals in your guest room, a private bath, an open-air bath, reasonable price, a variety of baths and so on.

Check out other attractive accommodations on the Shima Onsen Association website.
Some inns practice limited time campaigns.

The Shima trip series:

An Old Style Trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.1 [Aboard the comfort bus “Shima Onsen GO”]
An Old Style Trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.2 [Enjoying the Restful Footbaths and Public Baths]
An Old Style Trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.3 [Taking a Stroll through Retro Town]
An Old Style Trip to Shima Hot Spring vol.5 [Local specialties, gifts and souvenirs]