This was the Takebe villa's only real attraction, but it was reason enough to go: a hot springs bath (shared with the inn next door). There was even a rotenburo outdoor bath, though it looked out on the highway across the river...

If the town was a bit average and the villa was a bit clunky, the roads leading there could be very nice indeed. Both of my favorite routes in this area could be used to get here: the one you see here leads from Hattoji, and an even nicer one led from the also-now-closed (alas) villa at Koshihata.