The Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku is located in the Minakami Onsen area and can form a day trip away from Tokyo.
With one of the largest open-air outdoor baths, you can enjoy the sights of nature while soaking in the hot spring. The onsen is up in the mountains in Gunma Prefecture and can be accessed by train or bus.
In this guide, we will detail how to get to Takaragawa Onsen from Tokyo. This will include by train and then by bus.
We will also look at why you should visit Takaragawa Onsen including the different baths and the rates.
Getting To Takaragawa Onsen By Train And Bus
One of the best ways to get across Japan is by train and that’s certainly the case for most of the journey to get to Takaragawa Onsen.
From Tokyo Station, take the JR Joetsu Shinkansen all the way to JR Jomokogen Station which should take around one and a half hours.
Alas, that’s where the train ride ends but there is a bus and a further shuttle bus available for the final couple of legs of the journey.
The Bus To Minakami Station
After the train journey, you will need to take a bus which goes to Minakami Station.
Once there, you can decide to catch another bus to Takaragawa Onsen Iriguchi and that bus costs 1,050Y where there is a courtesy car to the resort itself.
There are two buses available directly to Takaragawa Onsen from Minakami Station during the day. The first one is at 10.45am and a further one at 1.35pm while it costs 1,150Y for the half-hour journey.
However, if you time your journey properly, you may be able to take a free courtesy bus instead. There are three shuttle buses available, two from JR Jomokogen Station and one from JR Minakami Station.
The trip to Minakami should be picturesque as there are more than a dozen hot springs to be found in the region.
Several resorts have been built amongst the valleys and mountains, including Takaragawa Onsen. Another nearby onsen tucked away in the mountains is Hoshi Onsen which is another rustic ryokan.
Then there is Sarugakyo Onsen which is a resort with a hot spring located next to Lake Akaya.
The Courtesy Bus To Takaragawa Onsen
Should you get to JR Jomokogen Station at either 1pm or 3pm, or to JR Minakami Station at 3.15pm, you can take the free courtesy bus.
Ensure that you make an advanced reservation first yet this is one of the perks of booking at the onsen.
Why You Should Visit Takaragawa Onsen
If there is one standout reason to visit Takaragawa Onsen, it is the open-air outdoor bath.
This is one of the biggest to be found in Japan, it opens ample room and is situated next to the stream of Tone River.
As you dip into the hot spring, you can gaze at nature and the scene changes with the seasons, it’s particularly enjoyable in winter when the snow falls.
The Different Baths
With one of the largest open-air outdoor baths, that should be enough to tempt you away from Tokyo for the day. However, there are a total of five different types of baths including four outdoor baths.
One of those outdoor baths is for females only while the other three are decidedly mixed-gender. Then there is one indoor bath which is separated for males and females.
For the mixed-gender baths, there is a decision to be made regarding whether to go completely naked or not. Visitors can use towels which are provided by the onsen itself.
This is one of the underlying reasons why the onsen proves so popular for visitors from overseas. That hot spring water is also of a noted high-quality with several health benefits. These include for muscle pain, arthritis, and neuralgia.
While Takaragawa Onsen has a huge open-air outdoor bath, the scenery is a huge part of the draw. The onsen also includes a ryokan and the traditional Japanese hotel has several elegant guest rooms.
You can also enjoy a range of authentic Japanese cuisine if you gain an appetite.
The Rates
The daily rate for the onsen is 1,500Y and the facilities are open from 9am to 5pm for daily users. Staying at the ryokan starts at around 15,000Y for each person per night.
While the onsen bath is available to visitors during the day, the retreat is ideal for an overnight stay. If you do decide to stay, the onsen bath has a 24-hour availability for those guests who are staying overnight.
Final Thoughts
Takaragawa Onsen is a world-class facility in Gunma Prefecture, a northern mountain village. In 2013, it was named among the top ten hot springs in the world and little has changed since then.
Bathing outfits are insisted upon, which may be a relief for foreign visitors, and the day trip represents a part of authentic Japanese culture and hospitality.
Make sure that you take your camera as the sights to be seen from the onsen are so dreamy they are worthy of being on postcards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Rare About Takaragawa Onsen?
The onsen is rare in that it is a hot spring bath that insists on a bath dress. All bathers in the Japanese facility must wear the bathing dress which is required.
The practice of nude bathing, and even using your own bathing suit, is not permitted.
What Different Types Of Accommodations Are Available At The Ryokan?
Each guest suite in the Main Building comes with a washroom and also comes with a living-room heating system too. The Main Building suites were established back in 1955 and were built from pine trees.
There are six guest suites on the first floor, five guest suites on the second floor, and another five guest suites on the third floor. Both the second and third floors also have a pantry.
The rooms on the First Annex are also built from wood and were established even earlier, in 1936.
In this two-storey building, there are three guest suites on both the first and second floors, each with a living room heating system.
The East Building is newer, even though it was built from iron and concrete in 1966. On the first floor, there is a pantry, a restaurant, a dressing room, and a public bath.
On the second floor of the East Building, there is a pantry and six guest suites, five come with a bathtub and another has a washroom.
There is a single guest suite on the third floor which has a front lobby. Every guest suite on the fourth and fifth floors comes with a washroom for that extra touch of luxury.
There are eight guest suites on the fourth floor (with a pantry) and six on the fifth floor while the East Building also has a banquet hall on the fifth floor.
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