
Shinmeikan
onsen
新明館
Cave onsen carved directly into the rock face above the river, with bamboo-and-straw-screened bathrooms.
Shinmeikan was Kurokawa's pioneer cave bath, carved into the cliff above the river by the founder over decades of hand work. The bath is narrow and dark with the rock walls inches from the water. Bamboo and straw screens shroud the dressing rooms. The ryokan's other baths include a more conventional river-facing rotenburo.
The cave is mixed-bath; women's-only hours are posted at the entrance.
Want to visit Shinmeikan?
Build a trip to Kurokawa