Morimoto Lakeside Inn

This long-established inn in Katayamazu Onsen stands on the shore of Lake Shibayama, said to shimmer in seven colors from morning to evening. The spacious public bath lets you fully enjoy the famous Katayamazu hot spring waters, known for keeping you warm long after bathing and helping with sensitivity to cold. With the lake stretching beyond its large windows, the bath has a wonderfully open feel. There is also an open-air bath and two private baths.

There are three types of guest rooms, each with different views and designs. Among them, the lake-view “Shisuikan” includes rooms with spectacular views of Ukimido floating on the lake and the majestic Hakusan mountain range. The Japanese-modern comfort rooms, where you can relax on Ryukyu tatami mats, are also popular.

The kaiseki course meals, made with mountain and sea ingredients nurtured by the climate and natural features of Hokuriku and prepared with the chefs’ full skill and sensibility, are a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The inn’s signature finishing dish, clay pot rice made with either Noto beef or blackthroat seaperch, is so delicious you may keep eating even when full. Courses that let you richly enjoy Noto beef as steak, shabu-shabu, or roast beef are especially popular.