Overview

Hotel Mori-no-kaze Oushuku is a full-scale hot spring hotel in Shizukuishi, Iwate, surrounded by wide mountain scenery and the quiet charm of Oushuku Onsen. From the moment you arrive, you can slow down, breathe in the clear air, and settle into a stay shaped by hot spring baths, seasonal food, and warm service.

You stay in a location that works well for both rest and travel. The hotel sits within easy reach of northern Tohoku highlights, including Koiwai Farm, Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street, Lake Tazawa, and Towada-Hachimantai National Park, making it a strong base for exploring Iwate, Akita, and Aomori.

Accommodation

Your room options range from spacious Japanese-style rooms to Western-style rooms, Japanese-Western rooms, special detached rooms, and rooms with private open-air baths. Standard Japanese-style rooms feature tatami flooring and a warm ryokan atmosphere, with layouts such as 10 tatami, 12.5 tatami, and 16 tatami rooms. You can also choose Japanese-style twin rooms with low beds, Japanese-Western rooms on the 10th floor, and barrier-free rooms with electric reclining beds or care lifter support.

For a more private stay, the Shikisai rooms each include a private open-air bath with 100% free-flowing hot spring water. Bath styles include hinoki cypress baths, ceramic baths, and tub-style baths. These rooms also use Airweave mattresses and include dedicated amenities, selected yukata and obi, tabi socks, and humidifying air purifiers with Plasmacluster function.

For a higher-grade ryokan stay, the detached Kaen area includes one VIP room, Jukaku, and three special rooms, Kousai, Outaki, and Kochou. These rooms include private free-flowing baths, carefully selected Japanese furnishings, garden views, and in-room dinner and breakfast. The VIP room includes Japanese rooms, a twin bedroom, a reception room, a hinoki indoor bath, and a stone open-air bath.

Dining

Your dining experience focuses on seasonal Iwate flavors. The official dining page lists creative kaiseki, robata kaiseki, creative Japanese cuisine, Japanese meal sets, and breakfast. The hotel’s chefs create dishes that reflect the seasons, using ingredients in ways that bring out their character on each plate.

For breakfast, you enjoy freshly prepared dishes made with regional ingredients in a bright, spacious dining venue. A 2025 feature from 5 Star Onsen Ryokan also confirms that dinner options include creative Japanese cuisine, kaiseki cuisine, and robata-style grilling, while breakfast is Japanese-style.

If you choose a Kaen room, you enjoy both dinner and breakfast in your room. The hotel serves a special Kaen kaiseki meal in a classic hot spring ryokan style, so you can dine without leaving your private space.

Onsen and Wellness

The onsen is one of the hotel’s main highlights. You can soak in open-air baths, spacious indoor public baths, semi-open-air baths, private baths, and a dry sauna. The open-air baths sit high above the landscape, giving you a wide view over the Shizukuishi Basin and the mountains beyond. The hotel switches the Japanese-style and European-style baths between men and women in the morning and evening, so you can enjoy both during your stay.

The large public baths use Oushuku Onsen Yoakezawa No. 2 spring, an alkaline simple spring with a pH of 8.8. The official site lists benefits including sensitivity to cold, stiff shoulders, lower back pain, fatigue recovery, stress relief, mental fatigue, and sleeplessness. The private baths use Oushuku Onsen Yoakezawa No. 1 spring, also an alkaline simple spring with a pH of 8.8.

You can also reserve one of two private bath types: a rock bath or a tub bath. The private baths are located on the 2nd floor of Mori no Yakata, require full reservation, and are offered as 70-minute sessions.

Guests with Tattoos

If you have tattoos, it’s recommended to book a room with a private onsen bath. You may also reserve private time in the public bath at the front desk, giving you a comfortable and personal space to enjoy the hot spring water without concern.

You may use the public baths as long as you cover the entire tattoo design with a dedicated cover sticker or similar seal.

Facilities

Hotel Mori-no-kaze Oushuku includes an Omatsuri Hiroba festival square on the 2nd floor of Mori no Yakata, where you can enjoy a nostalgic festival atmosphere with lanterns, stage events, stalls, shooting games, and lottery-style games. The hotel also has entertainment facilities such as a souvenir shop with Iwate products, karaoke rooms, and party rooms.

You also have access to Flower & Garden Mori no Kaze, the hotel’s attached gardening park; a pet house with heating, cooling, cages, a pet bath, air purifier, washing machine, shampoo, and detergent; an in-house gallery with artworks inspired by Kenji Miyazawa stories; and banquet halls, convention spaces, and dining venues for different stay styles.

Hotel Mori-no-kaze Oushuku offers several facilities that make your stay comfortable and enjoyable:

• Indoor and open-air baths with natural hot spring water
• Private baths available with reservation
• A spacious dining hall serving seasonal meals
• Relaxation lounges for cooling down after bathing
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel
• A souvenir shop offering local treats, crafts, and small gifts
• A comfortable lobby with seating areas where you can unwind
• Convenient parking for travelers arriving by car

Each area encourages you to slow your pace and enjoy a smooth, relaxing stay.

Activities

During your stay, you can enjoy the hotel’s evening festival events. The Omatsuri Hiroba program includes Iwate folk performances, Nanbu Tawaratsumi Uta, Nanbu Yoshare Bushi, daily mochi pounding, nostalgic fair-style games, and late-night ramen at Mori no Sobaya. Some programs run daily, while Morioka Sansa Odori takes place on Saturdays and selected holiday periods.

You can also use the hotel as a base for northern Tohoku sightseeing. The official sightseeing page lists nearby and regional attractions such as Koiwai Farm, Lake Tazawa, Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street, and Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Koiwai Farm is about 30 minutes by car, and Hachimantai Country Club is about 5 minutes by car.

Additional Features

• Rooms with private open-air baths available
• Detached Kaen rooms with in-room dinner and breakfast
• 100% free-flowing hot spring baths in Shikisai rooms
• Large public baths, open-air baths, private baths, and dry sauna
• Alkaline simple spring water with pH 8.8
• Tattoo bathing allowed when tattoos are fully covered with cover stickers
• Flower & Garden Mori no Kaze attached to the hotel
• Omatsuri Hiroba festival square with evening events
• Souvenir shop, karaoke and party rooms
• Pet house and select dog-friendly rooms for small dogs
• Banquet halls, convention spaces, and in-house gallery
• Parking and Wi-Fi listed by 5 Star Onsen Ryokan’s 2025 hotel feature