I do love hot springs, trains, and sake so when I found out that this place has all three, I had to go. Located in the mall that makes up Echigo-Yuzawa station in front of the ticket gates, Sake no Yu is a simple place. There is only a single bath with a very sterile changing room. This contrasts with the highly decorated omiyage mall surrounding it. The bath is the local spring water which has sake added to it. Why? I do not know. Did it have an effect? Hard to tell what part of the effect could be attributed to the spring water and what could come from the sake. Could someone tell that they actually do put sake into the water? Yep, there is a sake smell. Be it the sake or the spring water, there was a noticeable and pleasant slipperiness on the skin. The bath is also on the hot side so those who do not like baths over 41˚C might want to skip this, but for me with the snow blustering outside, this was great. The entrance cost is a bit much just for a single bath with no outside view or even windows no matter the level of spring, but you do get a towel set so it makes it reasonable. They also have huge lockers in the changing room.