Looking Into Ryokan Arasawaya

I've been slowly looking into campgrounds, day-trip hot springs, and places to stay that seem reachable without a car.

This time I looked into "Ryokan Arasawaya" as an option for those days when I'd rather skip camping and do a hotel-cation instead. I'm an indoorsy person and a paper driver (I have a license but never drive), so a place I can walk to from the station and relax in, with a private bath and a room to myself, caught my eye.

A Small Ryokan with Only 3 Rooms, 5 Minutes from the Station

This ryokan is in Okutama, Tokyo. According to the official website, it was founded 100 years ago and the building is 41 years old. There are only 3 guest rooms, so the whole place gives off a cozy, snug feeling.

Here's a bullet-point summary of the main info I found on the official website.

• Access: Apparently it's a 5-minute walk from JR Okutama Station. I couldn't find anything about a pickup service on the official website.
• Rooms: It seems there are 3 rooms: Odaijin (8 tatami mats + 8 tatami mats, up to 6 adults), the Gromwell room (6 tatami mats, up to 3 adults, with a toilet), and Atago Tengu (10 tatami mats, up to 4 adults).
• Wi-Fi: Apparently it's available in all 3 guest rooms and the dining area.
• Approximate rates (tax included): Room only on weekdays is 9,900 to 16,500 yen. With 2 meals, it's 19,800 to 24,200 yen on weekdays, 22,000 to 27,500 yen on days before holidays, and 27,500 to 38,500 yen on special peak days. The listed amounts are just a guide, and there seems to be a note saying to check the booking page for details.
• Booking: Apparently you can book through the online booking page on the official website, or by phone. They sometimes can't answer the phone while attending to guests, and in that case the site says to leave your name and phone number on the answering machine.
• Closed days: From 2 p.m. on Tuesday through Wednesday, apparently.
• Check-in and check-out times: I couldn't find them on the official website. It might be a good idea to confirm when booking.
• Parking: Apparently there are 5 spaces (2 in the first lot in front of the ryokan and 3 in the second lot).

I also couldn't find extra costs like the bathing tax or children's rates on the official website. It might be a good idea to ask before booking. The official website is here.

Komorin

A 5-minute walk from the station sounds easy enough even for a non-driver like me. And having only 3 rooms makes me think it'd be a quiet stay, which really appeals to me.

Enjoying Tsuru no Yu Onsen Water in a Private Bath

The main attraction of this ryokan seems to be the bath. The hot spring water comes from Tsuru no Yu Onsen, and it's described as a mildly alkaline sulfur spring, also known as the "beauty bath."

According to the official website, Tsuru no Yu was submerged in 1991 because of dam construction. The site says it was later revived by combining three sources and pumping the water up from the bottom of the lake.

There are two private baths, "Ichi" (up to 4 adults) and "Ni" (up to 2 adults), and apparently they were renovated in January 2022. It seems each guest room gets to use them privately, and the hours were listed as 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 11 p.m. Since it looks like you can soak without worrying about other people, I thought that's a really nice setup for an indoorsy person like me.

A Night with the Hearth, Folktales, and the Dining Room "Akabeko"

The hearth area also seems to be a feature of this ryokan. It's a space guests can use freely after bathing or eating, and apparently if you reserve in advance, you can have someone tell you Okutama folktales.

Meals are served in the dining room "Akabeko," where it seems you have dinner and breakfast. They introduced dishes made with local ingredients, such as river fish dishes and handmade konnyaku sashimi with wasabi.

The banquet halls hold up to 40 people on the 3rd floor and up to 18 on the 1st floor. But with only 3 guest rooms, for a solo or small-group trip like mine, it looks like most of the time would be spent relaxing in the room.

Day-Trip Options and Nearby Spots You Can Probably Walk To

Besides overnight stays, an announcement dated May 2022 on the official website said they had started a day-trip meal plan and a day-trip hot spring plan. The day-trip hot spring plan is a private use of Tsuru no Yu Onsen, by reservation only, limited to 1 group per time slot.

• Time slots: It seems to be 10:30 to 11:30, 11:45 to 13:15, 13:30 to 14:45, and 18:45 to 20:15. There's also apparently a stay plan of up to 6 hours from 15:00 to 21:00 that includes dinner.
• Payment: Cash only for all plans, apparently.
• Booking: It seems they accept reservations through the day-trip page on Jalan or by phone.
• Things to note: I couldn't confirm the prices from the official announcement, and I don't know whether the plans are still running. If you're thinking of using it, it'd be best to check the latest information.

I also looked into the surrounding area based on the official website. Thinking about it without a car, I got the impression that there are lots of spots within walking distance.

• Okutama Visitor Center: Apparently a 4-minute walk from the ryokan.
• Trekling (bicycle rental): It seems to be a 4-minute walk from the ryokan.
• Okutama Mukashi Michi (the old trail): The station is a 5-minute walk from the ryokan, apparently.
• Hikawa International Trout Fishing Spot and Mugi Soba Taro Cafe: Both are an 8-minute walk from the ryokan, apparently.
• Okutama Onsen Moegi no Yu: Apparently a 4-minute drive from the ryokan and a 10-minute walk from JR Okutama Station.
• Hatonosu Gorge (7 minutes by car), Lake Okutama (12 minutes by car, with a bus stop), and Nippara Limestone Cave (20 minutes by car): These were introduced as sights a little farther away.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I entered this facility's location (Hikawa, Okutama, Tokyo) into the official "my Area Connectivity Simulator," and the overall rating came up as "C."

I got this result by actually using the tool myself. It's only the tool's rating, so the actual connection will probably vary depending on the spot and conditions inside the building. If you think you'll need mobile data on your trip, it might be a good idea to check ahead of time.

According to the official website, Wi-Fi is available in the 3 guest rooms and the dining area. Since this is a place where you'd spend a lot of time in your room, it seems worth keeping in mind. If you're curious, please try the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself too.

Komorin

The rating was C. But since Wi-Fi is apparently available in the rooms, maybe it wouldn't be much of a problem inside the ryokan. For things like map apps when I'm walking around outside, I'd want to get everything ready beforehand just in case.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my impression of Ryokan Arasawaya is that it's a small ryokan with 3 guest rooms, 5 minutes on foot from JR Okutama Station, where you can enjoy water from Tsuru no Yu Onsen in a private bath.

It seems to have all the little pleasures of a quiet stay inside the ryokan, like folktales by the hearth and river fish dishes. It's close to the station, so I felt it would be easy to get to even for a non-driver like me. On the other hand, I couldn't confirm things like the check-in time or the current prices and availability of the day-trip hot spring plan on the official website. It might be a good idea to double-check before booking.

For Rakuten Mobile, the official tool gave a C rating. If you're concerned about your connection, please check with the official Rakuten Mobile tool beforehand.

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Related Links

• Official Site