Ganiba Onsen

On the beautiful mountains in the Akita prefecture, we took a small buss up and from the start of the mountain it nonstop snowed, we only went for a day visit and it was perfect. Walking to the outside onsen there was a sulfur smell and you do have to take your clothes off inside a wooden cold hut right next to the onsen, but the moment you get into the hot onsen water, its well worth it. Amazing experience, especially when it snows!!

Me and my girlfriend visited in early August and had a great time. The room was beautiful and the service was excellent! There were many good baths (onsen) to choose between, both inside and outdoors. The outdoor baths are especially nice with the forest view!

The food was an experience in itself, beautifully presented and locally sourced. A lot of dishes that we had never seen or tasted before which really added to the overall impression.

The atmosphere was very calm and friendly and we would definitely visit again if we had the chance!

I stayed two night with my partner and it was a blast! We had a Nyuto Onsen pass and visited Ganiba, Ookama, Tae no Yu, Kyukamura & Tsurolunoyu onsen. Unfortunately the other two onsens were closed. Ganiba onsen was our favourite; it was a 50m short walk from the ryokan which gave us the feeling of being fully in the forest when bathing in the onsen.

The Ryokan self was not the most beauty, also it was quite cold on the inside. But the price quality (compared to other ryokans in Nyuto area) was totally worth it.

Haven't stayed but as a leg of the Nyuto onsen pass. The indoor onsen was nice but the outdoor one was the highlight. To reach the outdoor onsen, follow signs to the backdoor after entering the inn. Then, it was a 5 minute walk on the dirt track so I had to bring my dirty shoes with me along the way.

Great place with great view. I loved the opened bath although it's a mixed one so better check the timing to go.. the food is a typical Japanese cuisine. The best thing about this place is the nature that surrounds it which make perfect if you want have a relaxing weekend.

Great onsen in the middle of the mountains in akita, the buildings are a bit dated however the rooms were still nice and clean. The bath, especially the outdoor bath, are amazing. The food served was typical Japanese food, so it may not be to everyone’s liking. The highlight of the onsen is definitely the surrounding nature.
Some people complain about bugs, tho this was no problem at all. Overall I would give the stay 4.5/5 stars as the only downside was that compared to other places the amenities provided in the baths/ changing rooms were much less

The room was adequate, not big or small. Heating was ok. Please do not complain about bugs, they belong here in the mountain. My wife and I was a bit shocked at our first encounter with the bugs. But after a while we just let them crawl around us, on us, we did not bother. Not just Ganiba Onsen but this bug is just everywhere in the mountain.

The food was good, a lot better than some other onsen hotels in the area. Especially the rock fish. It was well cooked, so juicy and tasty. The whole meal was fantastic.

Onsen was nice too. The mixed bath was located at about 50m walk away from the mainbuilding. The view was scenic. We were surrounded by autumn leaves and a beautiful river. I thought the water was at the right temperature while my wife wanted it to be warmer.

Very good outdoor mixed bath with curtained changing rooms. We visited Nyuto Onsen in April 2014 and used Tsurunoyu Onsen as our base to visit the rest of the baths. Ganiba Onsen was the farthest. The snow was deep but the experience was quite phenomenal. Check out the photos and you will catch the drift. Enjoy!
PS: All you need is a good pair of walking shoes to fit the season, yukata, and towel. The path to the outdoor bath can be slippery.

My wife and I very much enjoyed our stay here. It's a traditional, family-owned establishment in the rural mom & pop tradition. The excellent service and welcoming staff earned the hotel the fifth star. For what it is, it offers a restful, homey experience. Baths were clean, well-maintained and featured some of the purest onsen water we've ever experienced. Rooms are simple, quaint and tidy, with shared bathroom and toilets in the hallway. As long as you're looking for a country-style aesthetic, you'll find them cozy and refreshing. Dinner and breakfast service is creative and top-class - our compliments to the chefs! We enjoyed the local sake collection as well.

Outdoor baths: the hotel offers two naturally-heated outdoor onsen. One is set in a spacious wooden tub immediately outside the hotel's East wing, and caters primarily to women (reserved hours for men). It offers a lovely, uninterrupted view of the local forest. The other is a fifty meter walk to the hotel's West, and is set in a picturesque mountain grove. Historic, stunning and majestic (and for couples, romantic!). We visited at the height of winter and the water was still hot and pleasant amidst the snow. The hotel offered us boots to walk along the outdoor path. Note: this is a mixed-gender bath. My wife and I felt it was spacious enough to avoid any undue exposure or embarrassment. The changing room offers two separate paths from the men/women's sides.

Indoor baths: the hotel offers two smaller-size and two larger-size baths, separated by gender. These are also the real deal - piping hot naturally-heated onsen water.

Note: the hotel only accepts cash payment. This caught us by surprise, but the hotel staff not only assisted us in driving us to an ATM, they took us all the way back to the train station, refusing payment for the service! Thanks to Nabe san, the driver, for his impromptu tour of some local sites and excellent customer service.

We'd recommend bringing some snacks with you prior to your stay. The onsen is deep in the mountains and there are no accessible convenience stores or restaurants of you're feeling hungry late at night.

Ganiba offers an affordable onsen pass so that guests can also experience historic outdoor baths at nearby locations.

Stayed for a night here on autumn 2016. The place is small but the amenities are good. I especially like the outdoor bath. You have to cross the forest about 50m++ before reaching the bath. In autumn or winter it would be quite an experience to enter the bath with just your bathing robe in the chilling temperature.

Don't stay in the Ryokan, morning 5min walk from the ohkama onsen, looking to try other onsen bath since here. And just cannot believe is it like fairy tale. Heaven bath with snow scenery, is outdoor mixed bath, short walk from Ryokan. Don't miss this spot , and just don't be shy, just go in, worth it ,add to Ur bucket wishlist

We stayed here for one night and was amazed by the its beauty in winter. Very grateful that we managed to booked this place through online site (with google translate) and paid 9000¥ per pax for a tatami room. As both females we are not so keen about the mixed gender rotenburo however we were not let down because they opened the outdoor onsen specifically for ladies only between 7.30pm-8.30pm. We hurried there to use it and found ourself surrounded by falling snow among the woods. They also have another outdoor (smaller) onsen for ladies only and two indoor onsens for men and ladies, separated. Indoor wise we preferred the wood onsen than the stone bath. We did not explore other onsens in Nyuto due to time restraint, however we are glad to fully utilise the onsen in the ryokan. The meals are lovely as well as the receptionist who tried to communicate with us in English.

Wonderful and memorable stay, will definitely be back again.

A quiet place to stay. There’re both indoor and outdoor onsen. The food provided is very tasty. The receptionist is very nice.

Perfect onsen with perfect customer service! The male staff is very professional, thank you for his hard work! He works in the early morning until dinner time. Hope to visit Ganiba Onsen very soon!

Our favourite onsen ryokan in Nyuto onsen area. Most onsen ryokans in this area are superb for traditional Japanese experience, but the staff and this hotel give you a happy feeling. Food here is amazing. Love this hotel. Please respect this hotel and follow onsen ettiquette. Last visit we noticed a couple of tourists taking toothbrushes and soaps into the osen baths! Shame on those tourists. The hosts are lovely people. Will always return here if travelling.

Ganiba onsen is a small home run onsen in the nyuto onsen village. Its simple, clean and rustic. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Unlike the other ryokan like Taenoyu which maybe more modern, i personally prefer this even though its more dated. Reason is the price/value and they have an outdoor onsen which is abt 50m walks in the middle of the woods. They have a woman exclusive outdoor/indoor onsen. We tried other onsen like taenoyu and tsurunoyu on the day tour which u pay 1800jpy for a 1yrpass which u can move ard the different onsens. The meals provided is basic, nothing impressive but its filling.

Good experience to try the outdoor mix onsen. The reception/ hotel is quite small. Suggested to just do a day visit and stay at some place else.

The open-air bath at Ganiba Onsen is hot and comfortable.

Very good Japanese hot spring. Especially public hot spring karako no yu.

Lovely place, stayed for 2 nights in the middle of the winter. Outside rotenburo is mixed which is great :)