Five onsen with views of Mount Fuji
Japanese happiness
Happiness is... gazing at Mount Fuji while enjoying the waters with the multiple virtues of hot springs with which Japan abounds. While many luxury hotels offer this option to their customers, you can indulge in these two symbols of the Land of the Rising Sun without breaking the bank as public onsens or the bathhouses are available to all at a reasonable fee.
Public onsen with a view
Yurari (ゆ ら り)
Yurari is a public onsen housed in a modern facility located near Lake Kawaguchi. There are 10 different onsen pools to choose from (separated by men and women pools), some of which are outdoors with magnificent views of Mount Fuji. Some baths can be reserved for private use (1,700 yen or $15/13€) for 50 minutes. You can spend a whole day in Yurari taking a dip, relaxing, and enjoying the sauna. Shopping and dining are readily available in the area.
- Open every day from 10 am to 10 pm
- Price: 1,300 yen ($11/€ 10) on weekdays (children 650 yen), 1,500 yen ($13/12€) on weekends and holidays (children 700 yen)
- Website: https://www.fuji-yurari.jp/
- Access: the OmniBus line has a stop near Yurari (25 minutes from Kawaguchiko).
Benifuji no Yu
Don't be disappointed by its somewhat ordinary exterior, Benifuji no Yu offers superb views of Mount Fuji in a pleasant setting from both indoor and outdoor baths. Two large rotenburo (outdoor baths) are covered and nestled in a garden to accommodate ladies and gentlemen separately. Baths, sauna (dry or steam), restaurant ... enough to spend a peaceful day at a reasonable cost.
- Open every day from 10 am to 9 pm (from 6 am on weekends and holidays from December to February).
- Price: 800 yen (children 300 yen, free for children under 7)
- Website: http://www.benifuji.co.jp/
- Getting there: Fujikko buses from Fujisan Station stop right outside the property.
- People with tattoos are not accepted, regretfully.
Hottarakashi Onsen (ほ っ た ら か し 温泉)
It is certainly the most spectacular public onsen. Located 700 meters above sea level in Yamanashi prefecture, it includes two separate onsens, Acchi no Yu and Kocchi no Yu. Kocchi no Yu, older and smaller, has two outdoor baths to choose from and offers a magnificent view of Mount Fuji. Acchi no Yu has two outdoor pools and one indoor. Its magnificent views of the Kofu Basin and Mount Fuji looming in the distance can be enjoyed during the day. The night view of the Kofu Valley is known as one of the most beautiful of Japan and can be admired in peace since the basins Acchi no Yu. The place also allows you to watch the sunrise, which lights gradually sets the surrounding landscape ablaze. A magical moment to be savored in the warmth of the baths whose water with a pH of 10.1 will give you silky skin within minutes...
- Open every day of the year.
- Kocchi no Yu: admission at 800 yen (child: 400 yen)
- Open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm on weekends and public holidays.
- Acchi no Yu, admission 800 yen (child: 400 yen).
- The opening is one hour before sunrise and therefore changes according to the seasons. Closing takes place at 10 pm (note: last entry 30 min before closing).
- Website: https://www.hottarakashi-onsen.com/
- Access: 10 min by taxi from JR Yamanashi Station.
Hotels opening their baths to the public
Some hotels open their spas to the public. This is the opportunity to treat yourself to a moment of relaxation and luxury without breaking the bank.
Hotel Green Plaza Hakone
Located 860 meters above sea level and fed by Sengokuhara Hot Springs in Hakone, Green Plaza Hakone Hotel opens its luxurious spa to the public. Its waters rich in sodium bicarbonate and low in alkaline will smooth your skin like a baby. Men's and women's baths are separated.
Its outdoor pools offer spectacular views of Mount Fuji.
- Open from: 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm / Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm / Wednesday and Thursday. 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm / Saturday, Sunday, and days
- Price: 1,600 yen ($13.75/12.50€) - Separate male / female baths
- Website: https://www.hotelgreenplazahakone.com/en-gb
- Access: Take the bus to Hakone-Yumoto and get off at the Ubako stop (35 min), the hotel is a 5-min walk away.
Hotel Mifujien
A bit dated but its location on Lake Kawaguchi and its baths offering a superb view of Mount Fuji can make it a pleasant stop.
- Separate women's / men's baths, open every day from 1 pm to 8 pm
- Price: 1,200 yen ($10.50/950€)
- Website: https://www.mifujien.co.jp
- Access: 7 min by bus from Kawaguchiko station