The Less-Traveled Onsen Road

Recommended Length: 2 Days

Rent a car and take a road trip around the Nikko area's less-visited hot spring areas. Lose yourself in the tranquil country and quaint onsen baths.

Day 1

Nikko Station / Tobu-Nikko Station

By car

70-minute drive

Daytrip Onsen

Kawamata Onsen

After passing the spectacular Setoaikyo Canyon and the south edge of Lake Kawamata, you will arrive at Kawamata Onsen. In addition to steam rising from the hot water, you’ll see a dramatic geyser or two alongside the river. The hotels and ryokans of this hot spring resort are dotted along the valley and lakeside, and have relaxing open-air baths from which you can enjoy the dramatic lake and mountain scenery.

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HOT SPRING

By car

7 minutes on buses bound for Meotobuchi from Senshintei-Mae bus stop to the last stop. Then walk 90 minutes to the Okukinu Onsen area or take a courtesy bus operated by your accommodation.

Accommodation

Okukinu Onsen

Okuniku Onsen is one of the hardest hot spring resorts to visit in the area. Cars are forbidden here, so it’s only accessible by ryokan shuttle bus or a 90-minute walk on a mountain road. Those travelers who take the time to visit are rewarded with abundant hot springs, unspoiled nature and complete seclusion—and in winter, the great pleasure of yukimiburo (bathing while taking in a snowy scene). There are four springs at Okuniku Onsen, each of which has different properties: Kaniyu, Hatchonoyu, Teshirozawa and Nikkozawa.

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HOT SPRING

End of Day 1

Day 2

Okukinu Onsen

By car

75-minute drive

Daytrip Onsen

Yunishigawa Onsen

Following their defeat in the Genpei War (1180-1185), fleeing Heike (or Taira) warriors stopped here when they discovered an abundant hot spring on the riverbank. The mineral-rich waters helped to heal the warriors’ injuries, and they decided to settle by the spring, establishing Yunishigawa Onsen. Today, along with the resort’s soothing springs and magnificent nature, visitors can enjoy irori ryori (hearth cuisine) in which dishes are cooked over a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.

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HOT SPRING

By car

30-minute drive

Daytrip Onsen

Kawaji Onsen

About 11 kilometers upstream from Kinugawa Onsen is Kawaji Onsen, first discovered in the Edo period and said to help wounds heal. The resort lies where the Kinugawa and Ojikagawa rivers meet, and has about 10 hotels and ryokan. You can also buy the Yumeguri Yuko Tegata here, a ticket that gives you access to several of the baths in the area. Because of the quiet, mountainous location, visitors at Kawaji Onsen can immerse themselves in the open-air baths on the river bank, taking in the rustic beauty of the area in each season.

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HOT SPRING

By car

40-minute drive

Nikko Station / Tobu-Nikko Station