| ONSEN HOT SPRING (including mixed bath) |
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| This page to introduce easy but real onsen
experience from downtown Tokyo (as one-day-short-trip).
If you had JR Pass, if you had one day extra in Tokyo, it is
truly worth travelling one or even few of
below. Please make maximum use of your pass
with authentic Japanese style of holiday.
The last on this list is of course Asakusa
Onsen (town onsen with local people). For those who would like to jump and soak
with swimming suit (swimming pants), please
find no-shy-at-all Hakone Kowakien Yunessun (but not really Japanese authentic traditional
style). |
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| Nikko Onsen |
| Very popular and very local atmosphere. Three
hot springs are run by the city. Please also
refer to Nikko One Day Tour Page. |
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| Map There are three buttons for futher
information. Tobu Line (not JR but private
railway) has frequent trains from Asakusa
direct. For JR Pass Holders, please take
Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, then local train
to Nikko. |
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| Kawarayu Onsen |
After the Fukushima nuclear plants disaster,
this river water dam called Yamba dam,
one of the biggest hydro-power dams in Japan
is highly needed, and its construction is
in urge. Already all village including hot
spring had been moved to new location, train
railways also replaced out of future dam.
Now, let's enjoy brand-new squeaky clean
hot spring town.
Ou-Yu, one of the public facilities, is recommended
at JPY500 only. Yamakikan Ryokan had new-opened at new place. Authentic historical ryokan
will be under the "damn" lake shortly. |
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| Map There are several direct trains from
Ueno to Kawayu-Onsen station on Agazuma Line.
You may search updated train schedule at
HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
It costs about JPY10,000 round trips per
adult WITHOUT JR PASS. |
| Ueno 10:00 => 12:24 Kawarayu-Onsen 15:47
=> 18:10 Ueno |
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| Shimobe Onsen (with excellent view of Mt.Fuji on
your way) |
| This is never-listed-any-guide-book hot spring.
Not major does not mean bad onsen at all.
It is just middle of nowhere in mountains.
Although, access is quite straight forward
with only one transfer from downtown Tokyo.
Advantage is that you may capture whole Mt.Fuji
view from train window, JR Minobu Line is
the closest line of JR to the mountain. Shimobe
Hotel is JPY1,080 including rest area, but
several alternative facilities are also listed
at this page , and you may find much cheaper which means
less luxury. |
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| Map There are Hikari Express (Shinkansen,
the bullet train) running every 30 minutes,
and there are Wide-View-Fujikawa (Limited
Express) running almost every 2 hours. You
may search updated train schedule at HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
It costs about JPY18,000 round trips per
adult WITHOUT JR PASS. First option is to
go and come back in same route (2 chances
to see Mt.Fuji, morning face and afternoon
face is 2 different beauties). Second option
is to go northern side of Mt.Fuji which you
may see only the top (8th station to the
summit) beyond another mountain range. Kofu
to Otsuki has grape field, Otsuki to Takao
goes along valley, Takao to Shinjuku through
west residential Tokyo downtown including
Mitaka, Kichijoji and Nakano. |
| Tokyo 07:03 => 08:06 Shizuoka 08:16
=> 09:47 Shimobe-Onsen 15:19 => 16:56
Shizuoka 17:37 => 18:40 Tokyo |
| Tokyo 07:03 => 08:06 Shizuoka 08:16 =>
09:47 Shimobe-Onsen 15:19 => 16:02
Kofu 16:10 => 17:51 Shinjuku |
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| Takaragawa Onsen |
| Watch out for the black bears in cages. If
you stayed overnight, you might be ending
up eating one piece of their body (bear meat
at dinner table!), but if you would like
to experience day time spa, this is one of
the best NATURAL in deep mountain. Discount
ticket is available at the shop in front
of JR Minakami station or in Ginza branch (one of Gunma campaign shop). This is also
one of the rare mixed-bath (no swimming suite!)
and actually Minakami has many other hotsprings
listed on this page. |
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| Map There is no longer direct train to
Minakami (except high season), but Shinkansen,
the bullet train, has the alternative way
to reach into the nature world. Bus is not
JR, therefore JPY2,300 round trip (for the
bus journeys) has to be paid at bus driver
when you get off. JPY2,780 special discount
ticket is including the bus (JPY2,300 round
trip) as well as admission fee (JPY1,500),
which means JPY1,020 discount from JPY3,800.
See above page for the discount ticket, please.
You may search updated train schedule at
HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection. |
| Ueno 06:27 => 08:15 Takasaki 08:24
=> 09:29 Minakami 09:40 => 10:20 Takaragawa
Onsen 15:30 => 16:08 Minakami 16:59 =>
18:03 Takasaki 18:36 => 20:12 Ueno (JPY2,200
required for round trip bus journeys) |
| Tokyo 06:32 => 07:54 Jomokogen 08:32
=> 08:57 Minakami 09:40 => 10:20 Takaragawa
Onsen 15:30 => 16:08 Minakami 16:30 =>
16:55 Jomokogen 17:22 => 18:40 Tokyo (JPY3,400
required for round trip bus journeys) |
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| Akazawa Onsen |
| This is listed on top of Best-Impressed-View-Onsen
in Japan, and this page could explain without words. When ladys
on 3rd floor, gentlemen on 4th floor. Or,
when ladys on 4th floor, gentlemen on 3rd
floor. Sky view is naturally on the 4th floor.
Mixed bathing is available with surcharge
(upon availabilities, no reservation possible). |
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| Map There are direct limited express from
Tokyo, but please note that it is not JR
between ito and izu-kogen, therefore, additional
surcharge of JPY1,170 for izukyu limited
express (or JPY660 for izukyu local train)
one way per adult is must. You may search
updated train schedule at HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
JPY11,000 one way per adult WITHOUT JR PASS.
There is a free frequent shuttle bus from
izu-kogen station to the onsen site (return
as well). |
| Tokyo 09:00 => 11:04 izu-kogen 15:39 =>
17:44 Tokyo |
| Tokyo 07:26 => 08:13 Atami 08:25 =>
09:15 izu-kogen 17:54 => 18:44 Atami 19:01
=> 19:40 Tokyo |
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| Omoigawa Onsen |
| Only local goes does not mean not the best
onsen, but easiest and closest from downtown
Tokyo. Maybe good for onsen beginner. From
the Shinkansen (bullet train) station called
Oyama, there is a frequent free shuttle bus
service to/from the onsen place. Only in
Japanese, but this page has the time table, basically every 15 -
30 minutes. |
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| Map There are many frequent Shinkansen
(bullet train) from downtown Tokyo to Oyama
station. Please be aware that only Nasumo
(slowest Shinkansen) and some Yamabiko (rapid
Shinkansen) stops. Neither Hayabusa nor Hayate
stops at Oyama station. You may search updated
train schedule at HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection. |
| Tokyo 10:20 => 11:03 Oyama (every 15 minutes,
shuttle bus) Oyama 18:01 => 18:44 |
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| Akiyama Onsen |
| Not touristic sometime means the best onsen,
and easiest and closest from downtown Tokyo.
Maybe good for onsen beginner. From the nearby
JR station called Uenohara, there is only
09:50 and 12:15 and 15:00 buses departing
from their self-made-bus-stop (not one of
the public bus stops), some 150 meter east
from the JR ticket office. Only in Japanese,
but this page has the time table. Oh, very important!
there is no shuttle bus service on January
1st, 2nd, 3rd and May 3rd, 4th, 5th and August
12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th AND every Mondays
and every Sundays and every National Holidays! |
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| Map There are many JR local trains reaching
to Uenohara station from either Takao (west
of downtown Tokyo) or Shinjuku (west edge
of the JR Yamanote Loop Line). There is no
Limited Express stopping this tiny station.
You may search updated train schedule at
HyperDia but the followings shows one good example/connection. |
| Tokyo 07:10 => 08:19 Takao 08:45 =>
09:05 Uenohara 09:50 (this bus will take
you to the hot spring) |
| For your coming back, please do not miss
either 14:00, 16:30, 18:00 or 20:50 (the
last bus) to get back to Uenohara station,
from where there are frequent JR local train
services back to Takao, Shinjuku and Tokyo. |
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| Asakusa Onsen |
| It is the real onsen using hot-spring, mineral
water, from 1,000 meter underneath of Tokyo
city. Pictures and details in Japanese is
available at Jakotsuyu, please. It is only 460yen per one adult
(sauna costs extra 200yen) from 13:00 - 23:40,
except Tuesdays. And the best thing is that
it is located in downtown Tokyo, right in
the middle of ASAKUSA. Tokyo Ryokan is in short walk distance. It is Japanese
culture to crash down onto futon-bed after
long-hour-onsen relaxation. |
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| Map Yes, it is in Tokyo downtown. Nearest
metro station is Tawaramachi (G18), located
between Asakusa staiton and Ueno station.
Official access map is available at this page (one more click away to official Google
Map introducing Jakotsuyu). |
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