Japan Travel: Kyoto Famous Sights

April 12, 2016 by 7 Comments

We only spent 3 days in Kyoto, but I scheduled a lot of sights to see in that time. There was a lot more than I wished I could have seen done, and probably if I return on a leisure trip to Japan again, I would fly directly into Kyoto instead of Tokyo. If you go to Japan, do not just stay in Tokyo – I strongly urge you to include Kyoto as The Kyoto famous sights probably embody are all the traditional ideas of Japan you think of.

In previous Travel Tuesday posts I’ve already covered seeing on a one day walk the temples and shrines near the Higashimaya District, and also then those in the Arashiyama area. There are also a few other Kyoto famous sights that we visited that don’t fit well location wise in a continuous neighborhood walking tour, but I think are extremely worthy to visit and are emblems of Kyoto. Here are 2 more of the most famous of things to see in Kyoto, and are pretty famous sights for Japan in general… Which one do you prefer?

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion)

There are two things to look out for when you visit Kinkakuji, also known as the Golden Pavilion. One of them is pretty obvious, and one is not. Do not confuse Kinkakuji with Ginkakuji – Ginkakuji is the Silver Pavilion (which is not silver at all).

The obvious: everyone comes here for the famous shiny gold of the Golden Pavilion which is one of the most famous sights of Kyoto and Japan. We go through a gate and suddenly BAM! This is the view – the famous main pavilion is covered in gold leaf and shimmers in front of yoko-chi (Mirror Pond). This pavilion and pond take up 93,000 of the 132,000 square meter temple grounds so I guess coming across it so quickly is unavoidable. The garden is designed to provide variations of views as the stones and trees have unusual shapes and change the landscape based on the angle while walking around Mirror Pond.
We go through a gate and suddenly BAM this is the view - the famous main pavilion is covered in gold leaf and shimmers in front of a pond - Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond) at Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto. This pavilion and pond take up 93,000 of the 132,000 square meter temple grounds <At Kinkakuji Temple, the trees and stones have unusual shapes as the garden is designed to provide a view of different scenes while walking around this Mirror Pond.

You are not allowed to enter the Golden Pavilion itself, but you can see a bit inside the first floor where the windows are open that there are statues of Statues of the Shaka Buddha (historical Buddha) and shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. This was the shogon’s retirement villa until his death when he willed it to become a temple.
You are not allowed to enter the Golden Pavilion itself, but you can see a bit inside the first floor where the windows are open that there are statues of Statues of the Shaka Buddha (historical Buddha) and Yoshimitsu. No, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu this was the retirement villa until his death when he willed it to become a temple, not the Yoshimitsu fighter in Tekken or Soul Calibur. Kinkakuji was built to echo the extravagant Kitayama culture that developed in the wealthy aristocratic circles of Kyoto during Yoshimitsu's times. Each floor represents a different style of architecture. The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period, and with its natural wood pillars and white plaster walls. The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, and has its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. Finally, the third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out. Then the building is capped with a golden phoenix.

The non-obvious: Check out the details of the buildings besides that of the Golden Pavilion – everyone was rushing to get there for their photo op and missing out on the various ways Yoshimitsu incorporated Chinese elements.
Lots of roof detail - other buildings on the grounds of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto Peach on part of the roof detail - on the grounds of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto

Particularly, the Guardian Lions that are all over Kinkakuji are great. There are multiple variations of them, so keep a look out for them on various rooftops and gates in their different poses that clearly embrace the cat side.
The Guardian Lions at the entrance gate roofs of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto Seems like a natural position to me for a Guardian Lion - spotted on the roof of a gate on the grounds of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto The Guardian Lion at the gate roofs of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto have a variety of great poses that are a bit humorous The Guardian Lions on the gate roofs of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto have a variety of great poses that are a bit humorous The Guardian Lion on gate roofs of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto have a variety of great poses that are a bit humorous

Also, just outside the exit there is a little tea garden where you can enjoy matcha tea and a little gold flaked tea snack. Past that just outside the temple there are other stands with gold flaked food if you are looking to eat more gold.
"We We stopped to enjoy tea and a tea snack just outside the gates of Kinkakuji. The tea snack had a gold flake on it, and you can make out the outline of 2 mountains in the back and the main hall in the bottom right

Fushimi Inari Shrine

The Fushimi Inari Shrine is one the most famous symbols of Japan. It’s a shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto guide of rice, and Shinto’s messengers the kitsune (fox spirits). This is the location of the thousands of Torii Gates you usually see in photos winding on trails through the woods and up a small mountain.

When you first encounter the gates be prepared for the crush of people unless you come very early or at dusk/later as everyone first walks through the single main trail.
Beginning of the thousands of Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari shrine, which shortly will turn into with two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii (

Then, it breaks out into two parallel paths, one going up and one going down, thick with smaller gates.
Beginning of the thousands of Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari shrine, which shortly will turn into with two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii (thousands of torii gates)

As you go farther and farther up, the crowds will start to thin out so you can start to enjoy the details.
Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate.

The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator’s name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Supposedly the cost starts around 400,000 yen for a small sized gate and increases to over one million yen for a large gate.
Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate.

You can go all the way up Mount Inari, or turn around at any time. The trail span 4 kilometers and takes approximately 2 hours to walk up to the top. The view at the top is not too spectacular, so we only went partway before turning around so that we could visit another area (in this case we did a half day in Arashiyama immediately after this with lunch at Tenryuji Temple). Alternatively, Tofukuji Temple is not too far away from Fushimi Inari. Both Tenryuji and Tofukuji are temples for the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, so I didn’t feel bad skipping out on Tofukuji to to go Tenryuji instead since it offered the extra of the Buddhist Vegetarian Lunch.
Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. Fushimi Inari Shrine, the famous path of red Torii Gates. The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate.

Partway up towards Mount Inari you will find some of the kitsune shrines which I recommend stopping to admire, some of the smaller shrines will have stacks of miniature torii gates donated by visitors with smaller budgets.
Along the way of the Torii Gate covered path at Fushimi Inari, there are multiple smaller shrines with stacks of miniature torii gates that were donated by visitors with smaller budgets. Along the way of the Torii Gate covered path at Fushimi Inari, there are multiple smaller shrines with stacks of miniature torii gates that were donated by visitors with smaller budgets.

In the shops outside the shrine we found lots of fox souvenirs, as well as oddly, a lot of grilled quail and one stand focused on unagi (eel). At a restaurant by Fushimi Inari Shrine we felt compelled to get some Inari Sushi which features pieces of aburaage (fried tofu), said to be a favorite food of foxes. Inarizushi is a simple and inexpensive type of sushi, in which sushi rice is filled into aburaage bags.
Food around the outside of Fushimi Inari Shrine - Grilled Quail on skewers Food around the outside of Fushimi Inari Shrine - Eel (Unagi) Lots of fox items to purchase at Fushimi Inari Shrine at the shops just outside at a restaurant by Fushimi Inari Shrine we felt compelled to get some Inari Sushi which features pieces of aburaage (fried tofu), said to be a favorite food of foxes. Inarizushi is a simple and inexpensive type of sushi, in which sushi rice is filled into aburaage bags

Fushimi Inari Shrine is open 24 hours, and is much more quiet and atmospheric when combined with dawn or dusk and just lit by its lanterns.

Have you seen or heard of Kinkajuji Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine before? Which would you visit?

In my next (and last) post on Kyoto I want to show you the streets of Gion (including what Lonely Planet calls the most beautiful street in Japan), and recommend a sake bar. Then, my Travel Tuesday posts will take us off to Osaka!

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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Japan Travel: Dining at a Ryokan

March 1, 2016 by 13 Comments

I had previously shared some of the details about onsen (hot springs) and staying at a ryokan (Japanese inn) by Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji – Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. One of the incredible parts of the ryokan experience besides the onsen was the elaborate traditional Japanese meals I enjoyed. Dining at a Ryokan is a highlight of visiting Japan you should definitely try to enjoy.

When you check into the ryokan, you will be asked to choose a dinner dining time, and in our case a breakfast dining time as well – at Maruei these were certain time slots we could select from. With a traditional Japanese meal, you should expect lots of little dishes, all beautifully arranged and balancing options of raw and cooked, hot and cold, rice and soup, different cooking techniques like pickled, with sauce, steamed, etc. The dishes focus on being very fresh and seasonal, highlighting local specialty ingredients while conscious of colors and textures in the careful presentation. You can see a great breakdown of what are the kinds of foods you would see in a kaiseki here at Japan Guide and Japan Talk.

Traditional Japanese Dinner

Our dinner was served in our traditional Japanese room, with us sitting at low tables sitting or kneeling on the tatami mats that comprise our room floor.
Dining at a Ryokan: Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, photo she took from the sliding door to our traditional tatami mat room Dining at a Ryokan: Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, photo she took from the window side of our traditional tatami mat room

The placement of the multiple dishes, each one with artful presentation, was meticulous where she would adjust the bowl or chopsticks to exactly the right place. There were so many dishes she took multiple trips to bring them on her tray, and food just kept appearing unexpectedly! Below is NOT all the dishes we ate for dinner… just the first setup, and she has just lit the flames underneath the kettles and the cooking stone in the middle.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add!

Ok, now here are all the dishes! I should note at this point all the steak has migrated to my hot plate while vegetarian F has all the vegetables on his (and eaten quite a bit of them already). If you are vegetarian or otherwise have a special diet, definitely let them know when you first book your reservation. Unfortunately not all ryokan can make substitutions in their dishes so you may need to have backup food that you bring – I know we had rice balls and bakery goods we brought just in case.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! She mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn't know what everything was... and I ate a lot because the dinner was included and couldn't be modified for any diets so it wasn't vegetarian so I ate Fred's portions too! Here the steaks have all migrated to my hot plate already while all the vegetables are on his (and he's eaten quite a bit of them while I'm taking photos)

I didn’t take a specific photo of it (I didn’t of the soup or rice dishes either – got too excited to eat!), but the miso soup was soooooo good. It gets poured it out of the kettle you see there over the flames in the corner. Towards the end I opened the lid to find it had all these little clams in it, which is probably why it was so delicious.

Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! She mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn't know what everything was... and I ate a lot because the dinner was included and couldn't be modified for any diets so it wasn't vegetarian so I ate Fred's portions too! Here the steaks have all migrated to my hot plate already while all the vegetables are on his (and he's eaten quite a bit of them while I'm taking photos)

The server, who always gracefully would slide the door while kneeling, mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn’t know what everything was. A true food adventure.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! Fred both both plates of this since it was vegetarian Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add!

The little basket of lightly fried vegetables was adorable. And I can’t complain about double steak helpings…
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, one of my favorite dishes and that little basket of fried veggies is adorable I had two servings of the steak and F took all the vegetables since he's vegetarian as part of our Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Raw seafood dish. I still don’t know a graceful way to eat whole shrimp like this without going all in with my hands, so I was glad to eat it in the privacy of our room with no spectators except for disgusted F… hey at least it wasn’t live.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, was glad to eat the shrimp in the privacy of the room because it was messy to eat! Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, was glad to eat the shrimp in the privacy of the room because it was messy to eat!

Dessert
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: Dessert

After this dinner F and I went to soak in the private onsen we rented (making it my 3rd onsen visit of the day since I had already visited the indoor and outdoor onsen segregated for women earlier to try those before they switched out the next day to the other 2 of the 4 at the ryokan). Then we opened some sake from our ryokan in room fridge and snuggled into our futon cover while watching TV.

They didn’t have many channels and so for our Christmas show they seemed to be showing a local feed of those holiday shows at elementary school where kids perform for parents, which was a hoot because it seemed the classes were sized at only 8-10 kids all under the age of 7 and of mixed understanding levels of the dance routine they had learned. Super cute and funny.

Traditional Japanese Breakfast

I woke up early to visit the last two indoor and outdoor onsen, and then we went to breakfast at our designated selected time. Breakfast was served in a communal dining room, and when we entered after giving our room number they already had a table with part of our breakfast set up. They also had another long table to the side where anyone could go up and pick up a few additional sides to add to breakfast.

Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Breakfast came in specific time slots that we could select from. When we arrived, it was a combination of a set meal already ready for us, we could choose whether we wanted white rice, brown rice, or porridge, and there was also a small buffet of side dishes to choose from.

Here’s a better look at my specific setting. The main course you can see is the salmon in the upper left, and in the top middle is a tofu hot pot dish with mushrooms that is being heated from a small fire below. There is also fruit, some sort of custard thing in the yellow bowl, and a trio of three little bites in a lacquered tray.
Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we arrived, it was a combination of a set meal already ready for us, we could choose whether we wanted white rice, brown rice, or porridge, and there was also a small buffet of side dishes to choose from. The main course you can see is the salmon in the upper left, and in the top middle is yudofu (a tofu hot pot dish) that is being heated from a small fire below it. Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - a tofu and mushroom broth, salmon, fruit, some sort of custard thing in the yellow bowl and a trio of three little bites in a lacquered tray

For the tofu hot pot dish with mushrooms, there is another accompanying dish of sauce as well to further flavor it. There also is another dish that seemed to have some sort of melon soup.
Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - For the tofu and mushroom hot pot dish, it is being heated by a flame underneath it and there is another dish with sauce in it to add more flavor A melon soup as part of Kaiseki Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a rice porridge along with your breakfast.
You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a porridge along with your kaiseki or traditional Japanese breakfast set at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a porridge along with your kaiseki breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Part of the breakfast were these two dishes, an egg and a custardy mayo tomato lettuce thing you see in the shiny silver foil wrapper. And yum there’s more of that miso soup with lots of little clams in it.
Part of the kaiseki or traditional Japanese breakfast set at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei Part of the breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - egg and a custardy mayo tomato lettuce thing in the shiny silver foil wrapper

I didn’t take a photo of the side buffet, but here are some of the items I picked out to add to my rice and soup set: eggplant, tofu, some fried vegetable.
Eggplant, tofu, some fried vegetable from the side buffet at breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

And here’s our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko
Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko

Staying at a ryokan was one of my biggest highlights of my trip to Japan. We got so relaxed at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei and it was such a much needed break after a week in Tokyo and before our next week in Kyoto and Osaka. Generally F and I are the kind of travelers who like to go out a lot – our lodging is just a place to sleep and can be no frills, and usually it’s location that matters most to us. In this case though, we went out of our way to visit this ryokan and it was so worth it that we wish we could have stayed another day just to do more nothing but eating, soaking in Onsen, and resting. We had made a choice when planning our trip to either have one night in a ryokan like this, or spend one night at Mount Koya at a Buddhist Temple – and we obviously picked the more pampering ryokan onsen experience over the spiritual and simple commune to try a monk’s life for a day.

The simple serenity staying at the ryokan nourished us in a way we didn’t know we needed, and it wasn’t just about the food (although definitely wonderful) that I shared above. The hospitality was warm yet also gave us our own space. There was no hustle of crowds or noises within the ryokan walls, and it seemed everyone was speaking in whispers to maintain the peacefulness of the atmosphere. And there’s the way onsen water heat just melts your body balanced with the chiller outside air and while gazing at the wind blowing snow off Mount Fuji that is somehow mesmerizing at the time and unforgettably memorable to me still now looking back.
One of the rotenburo, or outdoor onsen, at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
One of the rotenburo, or outdoor onsen, at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei that I visited, during a brief 10 minutes when I had it all to myself
What did you think about the traditional dinner or breakfast I shared – do you think you could eat it? Would you rather dine in your room but sit on the floor at low tables, or be able to sit at tables and chairs like in the dining room at breakfast? What is your ideal view for an outdoor hot tub?

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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Japan Travel: Onsen by Mount Fuji

February 23, 2016 by 5 Comments

In my last Japan Travel post, I highlighted our visit to see the Jigokudani Snow Monkeys famous for keeping warm and bathing in natural hot springs in part of the Japanese Alps. A few days after that day trip from Tokyo to the monkey hot springs, F and I headed to human hot springs in the mountains. Here’s a look at how I researched an onsen for us and where we stayed – Wakakusa no Yado Maruei by Mount Fuji.

In the early morning Wakakusa no Yado Maruei will swap the men and ladies' indoor and outdoor onsens. So, there are 4 and you can experience 2 the first night and you can experience the other 2 (1 outdoor, 1 indoor) in the morning since they are always gender segregated. This is the indoor one downstairs, which was the better indoor one since the other one was just like a swimming pool. This indoor one had 2 - a special vitamin mineral bath in one room, and in the other one it was all rocks and had a waterfall!
In the early morning Wakakusa no Yado Maruei will swap the men and ladies’ indoor and outdoor onsen designations from the evening.  So, there are a total of 4 onsen and you can experience 2 the first night and you can experience the other 2 (1 outdoor, 1 indoor) in the morning since they are always gender segregated.

Finding an Onsen Experience Right for You

First, a few definitions and traditions that you need to know as you are searching for an onsen to visit:

  • Ofuro: a deep soaking tub and you usually do not change the water between people who use it (you usually use it one after another in the evening) because it takes so much water to fill, plus it’s more for relaxation than cleaning yourself as you need to wash before entering. Think of it sort of like a hot tub but without the bubbles and jets. Some ofuro are for one, but others can fit two people.
    Ofuro in our room at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
    Ofuro in our room at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
  • Sento: a public bathhouse with many ofuro, the water used may be heated tap water or hot spring water
  • Onsen: a term meaning hot springs in Japan, aka the water is naturally heated from within the earth. Keep in mind that just because an onsen has the hot water doesn’t necessarily mean the bathtub itself is a natural hole in the ground, it includes man-made facilities that pump hot spring water into them.
  • Rotenburo: a term meaning an outdoor hot spring bath, the tub may be natural (like a waterfall) or man-made with a view to natural surroundings and open to fresh air.
    Example of the upstairs rotenburo at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we checked in this was the rotenburo marked for women. Then by morning it had switched over so I was able to visit the other rotenburo which was smaller but had a direct view of Mount Fuji instead of of Lake Kawaguchiko like here. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
    Example of the upstairs rotenburo at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we checked in this was the rotenburo marked for women. Then by morning it had switched over so I was able to visit the other rotenburo which was smaller but had a direct view of Mount Fuji instead of of Lake Kawaguchiko like here. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. I have a great memory of sitting in it alone shortly after a mother and her two kids had left so I had it to myself, and looking out into the lake and seeing a crane fly low, skimming over the water. This was the first onsen I went into and after that I got over the naked requirement because it was clear no one was looking or cared.
  • Ryokan: a traditional Japanese inn. They usually have tatami floors in the room and no bed as instead the staff will set up futon mattresses in the evening for guests to sleep. There are no chairs either – instead there will be a low table where you will kneel to enjoy tea or dine if meals are brought to your room. Many times onsens are offered by ryokan so that you can stay the night after your legs feel like jelly from all the soaking and relaxation.
    At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, this is the main room after removing our shoes in the foyer and walking through our sliding door screen. You can see a little closet with onsen supplies (robes, a plastic bag for carrying things to the onsen rooms) on the left, and our private onsen with a view of a small rock garden and Mount Fuji to the back behind the glass, after the massage chair
    At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, this is the main room after removing our shoes in the foyer and walking through our sliding door screen. You can see a little closet with onsen supplies (robes, a plastic bag for carrying things to the onsen rooms) on the left, and our private onsen with a view of a small rock garden and Mount Fuji to the back behind the glass, after the massage chair
  • Yukata: a casual kimono robe where the left side is folded over the right and then the robe is tied closed with a sash. Many ryokan will provide yukata for their guests so you can change and stay in them, wearing the provided yukata and slippers wherever you go inside the Ryokan. The robes are unisex – just make sure to tie it with left over right as the opposite way is for the dead.
    Us in our yukatas on the observation deck of Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - yes the yukatas were provided by the ryokan. I mapped it and from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, a walk Mount Fuji is only 30 km away from here
    Us in our yukatas on the observation deck of Wakakusa no Yado Maruei – yes the yukatas were provided by the ryokan. I mapped it and from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, a walk Mount Fuji is only 30 km away from here
  • Hot Spring Resort Town: This is an area that offer many facilities with onsen, and often you can visit multiple of these facilities as they are all part of a network for that town, traveling between each one in your yukata! Two famous resort town areas are Kurokawa Onsen (by Mount Aso, south of Fukuoka) and Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma (200 km north of Tokyo in the montains)
  • Hot Spring Theme Park: Essentially a modern take of a Hot Spring Resort Town but built as a single large business instead of a destination of many cooperating businesses.  Some parks are traditional like Ooedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba just outside Tokyo and Japan’s first hot spring theme park. Others are more themed and allow bathing suits and have specialty baths like Hakone Kowakien Yunessun/Mori-no-Yu that offers green tea spa, coffee spa, and wine spa (Seriously! You can see photos of these on Atlas Obscura); and meanwhile Spa World in Osaka recreates hot springs from around the world in its amusement park.

Onsen are a huge popular activity in Japan, and has been part of Japanese culture for a long time as individual homes did not use to have individual ofuro. So people went to a communal public bath to not only wash but also socialize. Ok technically, the washing happens individually at small stations with faucets and a hand held shower head and a stool for sitting along with provided soap and shampoo products, which you see to the right of the photo below. Then the socializing happens while soaking in the shared tubof some sort  (natural or man made) after cleaning yourself. This is still true today – I saw families staying here for mother / daughter and also small groups of girlfriends who came and enjoyed onsen, chatting while relaxing in the hot water.

One of the indoor onsen I visited during my stay at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we checked in this indoor onsen on the first floor was for women and there was another indoor one for men. Then by morning it had switched over so I was able to visit the other indoor one previously marked for men- it was even nicer because it was styled as an indoor waterfall, and also had an additional mineral bath onsen and a sauna. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei.
One of the indoor onsen I visited during my stay at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we checked in this indoor onsen on the first floor was for women and there was another indoor one for men. Then by morning it had switched over so I was able to visit the other indoor one previously marked for men- it was even nicer because it was styled as an indoor waterfall, and also had an additional mineral bath onsen and a sauna. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei.

Meanwhile, the sento that are still in business, since ofuro are more common in homes, are now upgraded by often adding minerals or infusions to their tap water, or additionally having saunas, massages, and other spa services available (one example I considered was Spa LaQua in Tokyo Dome City open 22 hours a day- there’s a great blog entry about it by GaijinPot).

It is totally possible to visit and enjoy a relaxing hot bath wherever city you are staying as there is so much volcanic activity in Japan (doh, islands formed by such activity) that there are literally thousands of establishments with access to water heated naturally by the earth.

The questions you need to ask yourself in choosing your onsen experience are

1. How long do you want to stay? It is totally possible to visit some onsen as part of a day trip where you do not spend the night, such as at the Hot Spring Theme Parks (some outside Tokyo and also Osaka), or by using day passes you purchase at some Onsen. There are some where instead of bathing, you can just soak your feet for a partial experience via foot bath called ashiyu. You can find ashiyu in a variety of places, including even in public parks, airports (example: Kagoshima) and trains like the Yamagata Line Shinkansen.

On the other hand, devoting a whole day to the onsen experience will give you the full relaxation that will help you understand why onsen are so important and popular in Japanese culture that they love even bathing at home in the ofuro to get their fix until they can go to an onsen.

2. Will you be ok being naked? Most onsen are segregated by male / female, and you must be naked – no bathing suits. If you don’t feel comfortable enough, then you may want to choose a Hot Spring Theme Park that allows bathing suits.

There are also a few that have co-ed onsen – if you are hoping to share the experience with your opposite ex partner you don’t necessarily need to seek the co-ed ones.  Instead just rent a private onsen (usually if they are available, you can rent them by the hour). And, with the private onsen rental no one sees you naked except whoever you share the private rental with.
The private onsen that we rented for an hour at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei- we didn't know it had a Mt Fuji view because we went after dinner and it was dark, official photo from the ryokan
The private onsen that we rented for an hour at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei was less than $15 an hour for use by both of us. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei.

3. Finally, where do you want to be? You might browse based on looking for one that is within a day trip away from a major city you are in like Tokyo or Osaka. You could search based on a rotenburo view you want (such as a mountain, or the ocean, or forest and rivers, or of cherry blossom trees). Another filter might be because you want to try lots of different kind of onsen you would go progressive onsen visiting in a location that has multiple onsen in the same facility,  or an onsen town.

One additional note: tattoos are still viewed as subversive in Japan. This is changing with newer generations but many Onsen ban tattoos. They may enforce this rule with no exception even though it’s clear you are not yakuza (Japanese gang members) or they may look the other way if no other patrons complain. One way to help this is to cover any visible tattoos with bandages, or inquire if the Onsen is strict with this rule.

Onsen by Mount Fuji

For us, the answers were that we wanted to stay overnight, we wanted a view of Mount Fuji, and we wanted a private ofuro or rotenburo with a view of Mount Fuji to enjoy as part of the room. I also looked for a ryokan that had multiple onsen on the property so I can experience different set ups, and a private onsen that we could rent just for the two of us.  F has an upper arm tattoo he didn’t try to cover up, so the in room Onsen and time we rented at the private Onsen were his main experiences while I visited every one on property, so the in room and private ones were important criteria.

I found all of this with Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. As my previous spreadsheet planning post could probably help you guess, I totally used a spreadsheet to check off different amenities to compare them with the name, location, url, price, and various features of course. There’s a section at the end of this post of the websites I used for research.

The location of Wakakusa no Yado Maruei is technically alongside Lake Kawaguchi, but with Fujisan only 30 km away,  it felt like we were only next door. After we arrived at the train station (Kawaguchi-ko Station), we followed instructions to go to the Information Center connected to it where the woman behind the desk called Wakakusa no Yado Maruei for us so they could get us using their shuttle. They run their shuttle so you use it to get to the train station after check out and they bring you to the ryokan for check in.

I was already super stoked even at the train station because the train you take to get here (Fujikyu Railway, not covered by JR pass) passes right by Mount Fuji: look at the view from the train window at the Fujisan stop (2 stops away), and at Kawaguchiko station when we got out! The stop in between Fujisan and Kawaguchiko is Fuji Q Highland – a roller coaster amusement park with Evangelion World, Thomas the Train land, and just a casual view of Mount Fuji. The train stop is closer to the park than even the handicapped parking spots for cars in amusement parks in the US.
View of Fujisan from Kawaguchiko Station when disembarking the Fujikyu Railway car View of Mount Fuji from the Fujisan stop while taking the Fujikyu Railway View of Mount Fuji from the Fujisan stop while taking the Fujikyu Railway

When we checked in, we were asked what time slot we wanted our dinner brought to our room, and also what time slot we wanted for breakfast in a common room. The front desk is also where you can inquire about renting the private onsen. After checking in, they brought us to seated area with windows overlooking Lake Kawaguchiko and welcomed us with green tea and a tea snack.
At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, after checking in at the front desk they took us to a room that seemed like an empty cafe with tables and chairs, and sat us at a table with a view of Lake Kawaguchiko to welcome us with tea and a tea snack At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, after checking in at the front desk they took us to a room that seemed like an empty cafe with tables and chairs, and sat us at a table with a view of Lake Kawaguchiko to welcome us with tea and a tea snack At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, after checking in at the front desk they took us to a room that seemed like an empty cafe with tables and chairs, and sat us at a table with a view of Lake Kawaguchiko to welcome us with tea and a tea snack

Then, we were taken to our room and given a small tour of the room including showing us how we shelve our shoes to wear slippers, how the toilet room had slippers to change into (this was also true even of the public restroom in the ryoken – there were just washroom slippers awaiting anyone who went in), and where to get the yukatas and also our little plastic drawstring bags to carry the complimentary washcloth, hair brush, scrunchee, etc. to the onsen. In the back past the massage chair there was a 3 part wash area – a tiled room with a sink area, another tiled room with the ofuro tub you could fill with hot spring water and open the window into a rock garden area and a view of Mount Fuji, and one final tiled room with a shower. Here’s a look at the tatami floored traditional Japanese room.
After opening our front door, there is a small foyer for us to remove our shoes and change into our slippers at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei After opening our front door, there is a small foyer for us to remove our sheos and change into our slippers at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. On the right is a bathroom, with bathroom slippers. Looking into our main room from the sliding door at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei At our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, this is the private onsen with a view of a small rock garden and Mount Fuji to the back. You can see the wind blowing some of the snow off Mount Fuji back there behind the trees

After dinner, staff snuck in while we were at the private onsen and moved the table and set up our futon.
Our futon setup by staff at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Going up to visit the observation deck (just one floor above the rotenburo floor) gives you a preview of what the rotenburo what the Lake Kawaguchiko view and the other rotenburo with the Mount Fuji view would be:
View from the rooftop of the lake at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Later when I went into the outdoor women View from the rooftop of the lake at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Later when I went into the outdoor women's onsen for the day, it was also a view of the lake from this side View from the observation deck at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Mount Fuji, Fujisan! The viewfinder was free and pretty cool to look at the details of the the mountain View from the observation deck at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Mount Fuji, Fujisan!

As you may have seen me mention above, there were 4 onsen available to visit at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. They are divided by men and ladies – with each getting one indoor and one rotenburo for the evening, and then by morning they are swapped so you can visit the other two. When we checked in, the rotenburo for ladies was the Lake Kawaguchiko view and a marble indoor one, then in the morning the ones I visited for ladies was a rotenburo with the view of Mount Fuji and the indoor one featured a waterfall setting and also an additional mineral bath. Both the indoor ones also had a sauna room.
One of the rotenburo at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - they have one with the Lake Kawaguchiko view that is larger, and then a smaller one with this seemingly insanely close to Mount Fuji view. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
One of the rotenburo at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei – they have one with the Lake Kawaguchiko view that is larger, and then a smaller one with this seemingly insanely close to Mount Fuji view. Photo from Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Part of the wonderful experience of the ryokan was also having our dinner in our room. In the next Travel Tuesday post I’ll show you what our traditional Japanese dinner was like, as well as our breakfast the next day.

Have you stayed at a ryokan before, or is staying at a ryokan or visiting an onsen on your bucket list? Would you ever visit an onsen town, or onsen theme park?
At the rooftop of our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei with Fujisan only 30 km away

More Resources on Onsen and Ryokan

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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