Name: Tsubame Onsen Hotel Hanabun
Address: 6087, Sekiyama, Myoko-Shi, Niigata, 949-2235, Japan, Myoko, Myoko, Myoko, 949-2235, Japan
Rating: 7

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Tsubame Onsen Hotel Hanabun

Myoko

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Outdated Ryokan hotel in a remote onsen town near Akakura. The view from the hotel is stunning.  

The hotel seems popular for skiers and hikers. The owners are friendly and hot spring is plentiful.  

It looks the place was popular at its heyday day, however, it is has been deteriorated since then without proper investment.  

Those who seek simple accommodation with hot spring, the place is good enough.

Stunning view in a remote onsen town

Visited the area for skiing. On a rainy day we drove up to Tsubame. To spend time waiting for weather and to see if the Onsen was open. Ended up at this place.
On this gray and cloudy day the whole town looked shabby and half abounded. We were frightened by some loudspeaker in the street suddenly playing a synthetic tune. This was the only place that seemed to be open. 
We payed very little so can’t really complain abut that. And we felt less clean after.
It is an experience alright it looks like something from a horror movie inside and out. To top it up it is at the end of the road and we had no cellular service.
Sry, I can’t recommend a visit to the Onsen.

Onsen with friends

The hotel looks shabby from the outside, and is even more tired and  shabby inside.  There were water stains on the ceilings and floors, paint was scuffed and marked.  The concrete lintel in the main ofuro was covered in black and green mould and the tiles on the wall were broken and chipped.   The condition of our room was clean and bedding was clean and comfortable, but the toilet and basin areas were very old and falling apart. The dining room had a sticky floor and very old, worn furnishings.  On the plus side, the hotel's location is good - within 5 minutes walk to the free rotemburos on the mountain.  We visited in May and access to the rotemburo by the river was blocked by snow.  Also the meals were good, featuring foraged plants from the mountain.  Despite the good food, because of the very poor condition of the hotel, I would say that it is overpriced and I would not stay there again.

Good food and location but building in very poor condition.

Took a Shinkansen to Noetsumyoko, from there transferred to a local train Myoko Haneuma Line to Sekiyama station. As JR Pass does not cover for private rail, I have to fork out 410¥ for this only route to Sekiyama. Sekiyama station sits in a out of everything town. No eatery house, no conbini, nothing. Except a small little lounge that sits inside the station that took the role of cafe and information counter and free waiting lounge. They only sell instant coffee and cookies. I took the 14:07 bus heading for Tsubame Onsen. The bus is more of a 6 seat sedan than a normal bus which cost 500¥. It was a 35 min journey although it could be faster except the "bus" was traveling at a bicycle speed. 
As it was early spring, the mountain ranges are still capped with snow. 
When the bus arrived, Hanabun is just right at the doorstep of the bus stop. The very 1st ryokan on a street of onsen establishment. I don't know if it is due to the beginning of the end of winter, the street was deserted. Less than 100 metres of a onsen street houses about 5 onsen house (I think so because some of which looks run-down and out of business) one dark ramen store and one ancient convenient shop. The only people who are up and about sat inside the dark ramen shop. I last counted, 6 human beings, all male.
No shopping opportunities here it would seem. 
Let's return to Hanabun.
Where's the footbath?
Run-down, old and worn-out onsen house.
Thin and stained carpet, the whole place reeked of negligence.
Up till now, everything is gloomy and dreary.
Then comes the onsen, milky and warm.
Then comes the dinner, hearty and satisfying.
If you are looking for the new and trendy business onsen house where their service is tip and top, this is not for you. 
This place is run by obasan, hence you will only receive warm and sincere welcome.
If you are looking for fancy Japanese Cusine, this is not for you.
Here they serve very basic, simple but 
deliciously heart-warming fare.
If you are looking for milky but clean onsen water, this is not the place for you.
Here the onsen water runs direct from the source, thus the milky water are specked with mineral dust. When I said specked, I meant the water looks dirty, with black stuff floating in the milky white. 
It is all natural and warm and soothing. The wooden rim of the bath holding the water had mineral deposits on it.
So if you are skirmish about all these, Hanabun is not the right place for you, you will not enjoy yourself here.
The price is a bit on the high side, like it's location. However if you are looking for a authentic onsen house that offers a good soak and hearty meals, this is the place to be. 
As the whole place is still ladened with snow, the path to the famous outdoor onsen is impassable. In fact all walking path out of this single street town are impassable except the one road that leads into this town.
"You must come here in Autumn, Myokosan is very beautiful if you love koyo"
I do love koyo, "next year in Autumn, I will definitely come back" this I promised myself.

Tsubame Onsen Hotel Hanabun

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