| ONSEN HOT SPRING |
| 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 . |
|
| 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. |
|
| Map (please surf to the bottom of this link) There are three clips on the Google
Map. 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. |
|
| Kawarayu Onsen (will be sunk under new built dam in
a few years time) |
This is, by all means, the most LOCAL touch
hot spring. As stated above, the village
itself including onsen area will be dissapeared
by newly built water dam. After the Fukushima
plants disaster, their construction is in
urge, so please do not miss this chance to
feel original Japanese onsen village before
it gets under the water. Ou-Yu, one of the
public facilities, is recommended at JPY300
for onsen only (or JPY600 including their
rest area with tatami mat). The illustration
map is available at this page , and soon-become-under-the-water view is
available at this page . Yamakikan Ryokan has better facilities at JPY700.
|
|
| Map There are several direct trains from
Ueno to Kawayu-Onsen station on Agazuma Line.
You may search updated train schedule at
Hyper-Dia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
JPY6,150 one way per adult WITHOUT JR PASS. |
| Ueno 07:20 => 09:45 Kawarayu-Onsen 13:53
=> 16:10 Ueno |
| Ueno 09:00 => 11:19 Kawarayu-Onsen 15:00
=> 17:20 Ueno |
|
| 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 JPY1,050 including rest area, but
several alternative facilities are also listed
at this page , and you may find much cheaper which means
less luxury. |
|
| 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 Hyper-Dia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
JPY9,200 one way 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 09:03 => 10:06 Shizuoka 10:40
=> 12:10 Shimobe-Onsen 15:22 => 16:57
Shizuoka 17:19 => 18:47 Tokyo |
| Tokyo 09:03 => 10:06 Shizuoka 10:40
=> 12:10 Shimobe-Onsen 15:12 => 15:58
Kofu 16:10 => 17:53 Shinjuku |
|
| 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 NARURAL in deep mountain. Discount
ticket is available at this page (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!). |
|
| 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 JPY2,200 round trip (for the
bus journeys) has to be paid at bus driver
when you get off. JPY2,700 special discount
ticket is including the bus (JPY2,200 round
trip) as well as admission fee (JPY1,500),
which means JPY1,000 discount from JPY3,700.
See above page for the discount ticket, please.
You may search updated train schedule at
Hyper-Dia 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) |
|
| 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). |
|
| 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 JPY1,140 for izukyu limited
express (or JPY640 for izukyu local train)
one way per adult is must. You may search
updated train schedule at Hyper-Dia but the followings shows one good example/connection.
JPY10,320 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 |
|
| Omoigawa Onsen |
| Not the best 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 minutes. |
|
| 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. You may search updated
train schedule at Hyper-Dia but the followings shows one good example/connection. |
| Tokyo 10:20 => 11:03 Oyama (every 15 minutes,
shuttle bus) Oyama 18:01 => 18:44 |
| If your Shinkansen has MAX in front
of your train number (train name), it means
the whole carriage is double-deck which gives
you better view if you sit on the 2nd floor
(price is same as in 1st floor except the
green car = 1st class seat). |
|
| Akiyama Onsen |
| Not the best but easiest and closest from
downtown Tokyo. Maybe good for onsen beginner.
From the nearby JR station called Uenohara,
there is only 09:45 and 12:15 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 Sundays! |
|
| 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
Hyper-Dia but the followings shows one good example/connection. |
| Tokyo 07:10 => 08:19 Takao 08:45 =>
09:05 Uenohara 09:45 (this bus will take
you to the hot spring) |
| For your coming back, please do not miss
either 14:10, 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. |
|
| 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 450yen 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 and Taito Ryokan are in short walk distance. It is Japanese
culture to crash down after long-hour-onsen. |
|
| Map Yes, it is in Tokyo downtown. Nearest
metro station is Tawaramachi (G18), nearest
JR station is Ueno. This map also explains detail. |
|
