Onsen Towns Near Tokyo: Hakone, Kusatsu, Atami and More

Several of Japan's best-known hot-spring towns are within one to three hours of Tokyo, so an onsen night fits easily into a short trip. Hakone is the closest and has the most to see. Kusatsu has the most famous water. Atami is the quickest to reach by bullet train, and Kinugawa and Ikaho are quieter choices. Each can be visited for a day, but the real experience is a night in a ryokan with dinner and a morning bath.

Five towns to choose from

• Hakone — about ninety minutes from Shinjuku. A mountain area of many small hot-spring villages, with a lake, museums, a ropeway and views of Mt Fuji on clear days. The widest choice of ryokan, at every price.
• Kusatsu — about three hours by train and bus, or a direct bus from Tokyo. Known for very hot, strongly mineral water that wells up in the Yubatake, the steaming spring field in the centre of town.
• Atami — about forty-five minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen. A seaside resort with ocean-view baths, and the gateway to the Izu Peninsula.
• Kinugawa — about two hours from Asakusa. Large riverside hotels in a gorge, easy to combine with the shrines of Nikko.
• Ikaho — about two and a half hours. An old town built up a long flight of stone steps, with two kinds of spring water, one iron-brown and one clear.

How to choose

For a first visit with sightseeing, choose Hakone. For the water itself and a traditional town to stroll in a cotton yukata, choose Kusatsu or Ikaho. For the shortest journey, or a sea view, choose Atami. With children or a larger family group, the big hotels of Kinugawa are practical.

Day trip or overnight?

All five towns have public baths and hotels that admit day visitors for a fee. Still, most of the pleasure is in staying: arriving mid-afternoon, bathing before a multi-course dinner, and bathing again at dawn. Our guide on how to stay in a ryokan explains what to expect.

Tips

• Learn the basics. Wash before you enter the bath, and keep towels out of the water; see our onsen etiquette guide.
• Tattoos. Some baths still refuse guests with tattoos. A room with a private bath avoids the question.
• Book early for weekends. Saturday nights, autumn-leaf season and the New Year fill first.

Our 2-day Hakone itinerary and guides to Kusatsu and the Izu Peninsula and Atami go into detail.