Mixed baths, outdoors, naked, views

So many Ryokans to search through, I could google for years. Hoping someone can cut our searching down:
Ideally we want Ryokans with mixed outdoor baths, naked allowed (having to wear swimmers defeats the whole experience) WITH beautiful views.
Anywhere in Japan, generally from Tokyo going South.

One of my favorites with views of a forest river:
http://www.yamamizuki.com/furo/furo.html

It is the Yamamizuki Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen. Can also be used by non-staying guests during daytime. I personally have not stayed at the ryokan itself, so I cannot judge the ryokan. But the bath is beautiful.

http://www.furofushi.com/links/spa.html
here is another one at a rural area in Honshu.
it has all you are asking for.

Mixed bathing is not really naked. Women wear a towel wrapped tightly around their body. But maybe older folks don't care that much. BTW, please show some modesty and use your towel, too.

Try this place is for a lot of fun;

http://web.mac.com/kigouya/camps/yubara_onsen.html

Do we need to bring our own towels?

And some places offer towel and some don't. And some you can buy from them.
So, bring your own to be on the safe side.

As a normal practice, towel should be kept away from the spring water. mixed or not.

You should bring your own towel, just in case. Most people use plain white or light colored towels.

The twoels are kept wrapped around one's body even while in the bath.

Thanks for your prompt replies, Lester and..... so....as I am female, do I go into the bath wrapped in my towel or naked.

It depends on the specific onsen, but typically for mixed baths women would enter wrapped. For segregated baths you would enter naked.

On the otherhand, for men it is generally bad form to let your towel enter the water regardless of mixed or segregated bathing.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292_how.html
please read item 2. on the attachment.

I never been to mixed. And all my trips to an onsen in Japan, I was always naked when enjoying an onsen. I heard that it is bad manner to have ones hair and towel get into the water.
From my experiences, Japanese people were so polite and they hardly stare. I felt very comfortable enjoying myself with the locals.

If in doubt, follow others obviously. But there are no "rules" as such, rather just awareness of modesty.

If you go barging in with everything swinging... you get the idea. As opposed to adopting a bit of a modest attitude, and just using your towel accordingly.

Thanks all.
We just want our onsen experience to be more 'natural' and experienced together, hence wanting an outdoor, mixed, 'nudey' one. I'd actually rather there be noone around, my body isn't designed for public display, but I'll be fine once in the water!

True, if one is not comfortable naked, one will never be able to enjoy the onsen naked with the locals/tourists expecially around.
If you are not comfortable, you should be looking for some private ones with only you and your companions can use. Of course, you will have to pay higher cost for the privacy.
But the most important thing is to enjoy oneself whichever one you pick.

If in doubt, follow others obviously. But there are no "rules" as such, rather just awareness of modesty.

If you go barging in with everything swinging... you get the idea. As opposed to adopting a bit of a modest attitude, and just using your towel accordingly.

Actually, many mixed onsen require that women wear towels in the water. But I agree that when in doubt start off conservative, see what the locals do, and then follow suit.

Thanks a lot, you are all amazing.

The Tamagawa onsen looks perfect, and apparently there is accommodation next to it (which I can't find any info in English on it).
However, I don't know if we will get time to head that far up.

If we do, how would we get there by JR from Tokyo (or just south of Tokyo)? Where would we get off?

Tamagawa Onsen has some of the best hot spring water of all of Japan. However, I don't think there are outdoor baths nor mixed baths. It is very popular among people with various diseases, especially cancer patients. As a result, the ryokan must is often booked out in advance.

If we do, how would we get there by JR from Tokyo (or just south of Tokyo)?

Take the Akita Shinkansen to Tazawako Station, and then a bus to Tamagawa Onsen.

I think you want to check out Japaneseguesthouses.com. They're a service that makes a reservation for you at the ryokan.

You can sort by prefecture, look at whether they have mixed baths, see pictures, and read reviews in English.