Loved everything.

Absolutely in love with this place. Incredibly lucky to have been able to visit this amazing site. Recommended staying at least 2 nights to fully make use of the space.

Stayed in March 2025

An amazing place. Lovely food and welcoming staff. Highly recommend the snow shoe tour with Kiku.

Stayed in March 2025

This is not an issue, just a note to those who would go, Hatcho No Yu takes a while to get to. That is what makes it great, because you really can escape from the world. Just give yourself time to get there and back, and give yourself at least a couple days there to really enjoy it.

This is my second time at Hatcho No Yu, and I will go back every time I’m in Japan. There’s no better place to escape from the world. From the food, to the room, the staff and the location, everything is absolutely perfect. It truly is a hidden hotspring inn with everything that comes to mind when you think of what one would be.

Stayed in February 2025

Absolutely gorgeous location, with wonderfully hospitable staff. Room was clean and warm

Stayed in February 2025

If only the transfer schedule was a little more clear. Adding that transfer will come to meet you for every bus coming to Meotobuchi (instead of having 16:30 as time when last transfer departs, which is an hour before the last bus) would definitely help.

Everything was perfect. Room warm and comfortable, staff was very accommodating and spoke brilliant english, dinner and breakfast were something out of this world. Baths are also exceptional and I was even gifted by the good weather to have an opportunity to bathe when it was snowing and then observe the starry sky. Location is fantastic.

Stayed in February 2025

Long (1h+) check-in and food preparation times at early bus arrivals - somewhat understaffed to meet peak demand. Additionally, due to the nature of the facility, expect common areas etc. to be cold during winter - thermostat in the guest room was initially set at 18c before requesting it to be turned up (you cannot do this yourself), after which the room was comfortable 20+c.

Food was amazing, environment is great, the design is consistent and interesting. The baths were also good.

Stayed in December 2024

No proper shower in cabin

Exclusive

Stayed in November 2024

It was under construction while we were there which definitely deterred from the atmosphere. There was also quite a people stomping up and down the hallways and opening and closing doors in the middle of the night (other guests using onsens?)… wasn’t too bad but woke me up.

Loved the staff food and onsens / overall vibe and setup! Super beautiful place with amazing outdoor onsens. Staff were super friendly and accommodating while the food was superb.

Stayed in November 2024

It is a mission to get there using public transport, from Asakusa to the lodge it took us about 5 hours. But it's absolutely worth it, plus the bus journey is beautiful. Try and do 2 days. The actual lodge is large and if you have sore hips or knees I would imagine the stairs etc could be tricky..

This place is superb. It was the best sleep in 5 weeks in Japan, the outdoors private thermal bath was excellent, the food was beautiful, they accomadated me being vegetarian. The onsens were great, outdoor ones being hotter than indoors. The national park it's in is beautiful. The staff are amazing, just delightful.

Stayed in November 2024

The onsen is split into 2 parts, a shower + indoor pool and the outdoor pool. The shower area's cleaning time was 0830 to 0930hrs and the outdoor cleaning time was 0930 to 1030hrs This made the use of the onsen after breakfast a little rush as we where not informed of the timing at check-in.

I would like to compliment all staff for make our staff most memorable. A special mention for April who was most proactive and alway met us with a smile.

Stayed in November 2024

If you have large luggage, note that the route to the cabins is the furthest among the different accommodation types, and there are multiple stairs (both up and down) along the way with no accessibility options (at least based on what we saw). This also applies when walking to/from the eating area as the eating area is near the main entrance. You could probably get staff to help but we personally did not try to ask for that. Also, not dislikes but just a couple things to note: - The accommodation is in the national park area so if you're driving, you'll need to arrive at a parking lot and take a provided shuttle bus to/from the accommodation. The accommodation does provide complete instructions on how to get there (drive/public transport) but do factor in the time needed for this. If driving, note that the route can be challenging for newer drivers. - The listing for this cabin states that there are 2 bathrooms, but it actually refers to 1 room with the toilet, and another with the bathtub/shower area.

Staff were very friendly and there was support for many languages (personally used English and Chinese). The cabin was big and spacious and the bathroom was awesome! With the half board included, it was pretty good value. Though we arrived on a foggy day, the place was beautiful in Autumn when we could see it clearly the next day.

Stayed in October 2024

During the daytime the mixed onsen area is actually visible from the certain spots in the inn. Need to book the shuttle service from the main carpark area to the inn but they are contactable only via email or phone call. Unable to connect via direct message thru booking.com app

In the forest surrounded by trees and a waterfall within the compound of the inn. Quiet, secluded and relaxing. Waterfall is visible from mixed outdoor onsen area and women only outdoor onsen. Japanese style Bedroom is spacious and comfortable. Breakfast and Dinner were delicious. Staff were very helpful. Recommend to hike from main carpark to the inn during autumn from late Oct to early Nov for the amazing colours.

Stayed in November 2024

The onsens and the hiking were fantastic. Perfect location for autumn colours.

Stayed in November 2024

The information about how to get to and from the train station was inadequate/incorrect. The information implied that there was a shuttle bus from the Kinugawa Osen Station but actually you had to get a public bus to the Moetobuchi car park to meet the shuttle bus to Hacho No Yu. It is an hour and a half bus ride then a half an hour shuttle bus ride. On the way back we got off the shuttle bus and had a 2 and a half hour wait for the bus to the station. The staff could have advised us to get and earlier or later shuttle bus so there wasn’t such a wait.

A wonderful place located in an amazing place high in the mountains. The hot pools were beautiful and you could sit in the water and gaze at the waterfall and the autumn leaves. Friendly staff and fabulous food. Each meal was presented as if it was a work of art- with a range of courses on pretty crockery. Great for walking and we saw monkeys nearby.

Stayed in October 2024

Once booked, do not try to communicate with the hotel via Booking.com. They don't seem to monitor it, but once you arrive you'll see that this is probably because they prioritize top-notch in-person service over online communication. You MIGHT have better luck with calling them directly or having a japanese speaking person call on your behalf. The only way to access this onsen is by taking their shuttle from Meotobuchi parking lot, which runs a few times a day (reference their website and booking.com listing for times). There are only a few city buses from Kinugawa Onsen to the Meotobuchi parking lot, so plan your travel accordingly.

Exceptional onsen experience. The staff is lovely and hardworking. Everything was super clean and the meals were absolutely delicious (a 5-star breakfast and dinner are included with your stay, lunches are available for purchase and equally delicious)! The bathrooms are shared, but plentiful. Hiking in the area was wonderful and easily accessed right from your doorstep. There is a cute outside dog on the grounds. FYI: There are single sex hotsprings as well as mixed, all are nude. This secret onsen is a remote mountain inn and you should come with the expectation that this is a true getaway from city conveniences. It takes a bit of travel time and coordination to get to, but is well worth it!

Stayed in October 2024

Building work going on- but it was the weekend so no actual noise.

The location was amazing, we had a lovely log cabin with very helpful staff. The changing of the leaves beautiful. Fabulous bus and shuttle journey into the park- worth the effort to get there…

Stayed in October 2024

The slippers were all one size. They were too big for my feet so I kept tripping on them. They were too small for my partner. The pillows are flat.

Everything! We stayed for two nights the third week of October. The trees ranged from just beginning to change color or were 30% there so it was a good mix of autumn plus greenery. So beautiful and the air smelled so good! The staff were all amazing. The food is delicious. We got breakfast and dinner. We had our own private onsen and it was so worth it to be able to wake up and hop on right on our balcony. Bring your own towels if you can as extra will cost you 400 yen each. You can wear the towels they provide at the hotel into the onsen. There are four outdoor onsen. One is women only. The other three are mixed bath. From 9-10pm daily those are reserved for women only. We got the smallest room with a private onsen and private bathroom. It was way bigger than expected! See pictures. We did not order breakfast or dinner with our booking but were able to place the orders once we arrived. It was cold up there! We traveled from Asakusa and the weather was warm enough for shorts but once we got up the mountain, it was very cold. We regretfully could not join any of the night activities like star gazing. Bring long pants and jackets if you are staying in autumn and winter. Here is advice for traveling up: 1) You need a reserved seat on the limited train. You don't need a physical card. Email confirmation is good enough. Just tap in with your IC card. So the trip is the cost of the reserved seat plus IC card payment. Make sure you have enough on your card. 2) The bus that takes you to the parking lot takes cash only. They can provide change. When we went it was 1570 yen per person from their recommended station to the parking lot. 3) Let Hatcho no Yu know in advance which of the free shuttle time you are taking. This will let them plan how many shuttles to send. There will be room for you. Even if they don't respond don't worry. You cannot walk the distance from the parking lot. It is about a 30-45 minute ride up the mountain.

Stayed in October 2024

More guests than expected

Location - beautiful

Stayed in October 2024

The majority of the restaurant wait staff lack any knowledge of the menu and other hospitality skills

Absolutely beautiful location and wonderful room and facilities, although there were a few minor maintenance issues noted around the property.

Stayed in October 2024

We chose a villa room. The location, deep in the mountain wilderness, is superb. Great hiking. The facility is beautiful. The meals are superb. The staff are lovely. The nicest onsen we've seen and there are some mixed bathing areas which is great for couples. If you are prepared to travel there (we travelled from Kyoto which was a long day of trains and buses) you will not be disappointed.

Stayed in October 2024

Breakfeast time (7:30) is a bit early and not flexible. Everything else was perfect.

We went there at the end of our 2 1/2 week Japan travel for three nights. This is a wonderful retreat with an outstanding Onsen experience (three mixed outside hot spring onsen pools and another one outside onsen for woman only. All have a relaxing waterfall view. We were supplied with Yukata clothing and had delicious Kaiseki meals. On our last morning, without asking for it, we received a continental breakfeast instead of the Japanese one. We participated in a nice star gazing tour and did a great hike to the marshland (about 12 km, 4 hours there and back). We strongly recommend to come for more than one night, as travel there takes almost a day.

Stayed in August 2024

Magic secluded place , run by lovely and professional young people

Stayed in August 2024

The place is wonderful , in the very core of Nikko national park. The dinner and the breakfast were magic. The magic was also in the onsen. I highly recommand this ryokan

Stayed in July 2024

Absolutely amazing location, food, setting, and activities. It's quite a long ride from nearby major cities, but the Hacho bus shuttle from the national forest parking lot aligns perfectly with the city buses, which take 1.5h from Kinugawa Onsen Stayion and run at least four times daily. Alternatively, the hike from the parking lot to the hotel is only about an hour or so, though it can be steep. The space itself is truly the perfect retreat. Secluded, with beautiful nature hikes (from mild to intense, with stellar views of old forest and Japan's highest wetland). Incredible tasting menu style meals for breakfast and dinner. Best curry I've ever eaten, a la carte at lunch time. The Superior Cabin room was absolute paradise, with comfortable beds and a relaxing river noise and beautiful views. Loved the onsens, embedded in the middle of the forest by a river. Amazing and accommodating staff, who can all communicate in English as a bonus!

Stayed in July 2024