I Looked Into Bihada no Yu Kinokuniya Ryokan

Along with campgrounds, I also occasionally look into hot spring ryokans for those days when I decide, "let's skip camping and go for a hokans (hotel + vacance) day instead," and I keep the notes here on this blog. I'm more of an indoor type myself, so this kind of research might actually suit me better.

This time I looked into Bihada no Yu Kinokuniya Ryokan, located in Ashinoyu Onsen in Hakone. I came across a mention of a private bath designed to recreate an Edo-era hot spring retreat, which caught my interest, so I went to check out the official website. By the way, the official site is a bit unusual in that it won't connect over https—you have to use http to view it—which gave me a bit of trouble.

What Kind of Ryokan Is Kinokuniya?

This is a hot spring ryokan located in Ashinoyu, Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture. According to the history page on the official website, it was founded in 1715 (the 5th year of the Shotoku era). With roughly 300 years of history, the top page also mentions that Emperor Meiji once stayed here, so it seems to have long been known as a venerable hot spring inn. It's also said to be associated with Rentaro Taki's composition "Hakone Hachiri," and appears to have a history of being cherished by writers and artists.

The main building offers two room types: Kisshotei and Shunkanro. Kisshotei is a wooden two-story building from the early Showa era with a retro atmosphere and no bath in the room, while Shunkanro is a reinforced concrete three-story building with rooms that include a bath and toilet. In addition, there appear to be two annex buildings, Hibitei and Miyamatei, each with its own open-air bath fed by the hot spring source, offering what looks like a stay with a bit more of a special feel. The main building listed rates starting from 12,000 yen for two people sharing a room with two meals included, but the Miyamatei annex was listed separately as "starting from 45,980 yen per person," so the way rates are presented seems to vary slightly by room type—worth double-checking when you book.

As for access, the official site describes about a 30-minute bus ride from Hakone-Yumoto Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway, or, if driving, a route via the Gotemba or Atsugi interchanges on the Tomei Expressway. I couldn't find clear check-in or check-out times stated anywhere in the official site's text, so I honestly can't say anything definite about that.

Komorin

Just hearing that this inn has been around for 300 years makes me sit up a little straighter. I don't drive myself, so if I went I'd be relying on the bus, but honestly that feels like part of the travel experience too.

Checking Out the "Skin-Beautifying Spring" Sources and Private Baths

The biggest highlight of this ryokan might just be the hot springs themselves. Apparently, it has two types of hot spring sources: a sulfur spring that naturally wells up on the property, and a spring drawn from a source called Yunohanazawa. Both are said to have properties believed to help with neuralgia, poor circulation, and chronic skin conditions. The private bath called Shotoku no Yu, designed so guests can compare the two spring sources side by side, left a particularly strong impression on me with its concept of recreating an Edo-era hot spring retreat.

The main bathhouse, called Yukoden, has separate indoor and open-air baths for men and women, and guests can apparently use it from arrival until 10 a.m. the following day. Besides Shotoku no Yu, there's another private bath called Kotan no Yu; the fee is 2,000 yen for a 30-minute session, and reservations seem to be taken at check-in. However, since Shotoku no Yu is explicitly stated to be for overnight guests only, day-trip visitors would apparently only have access to the main bathhouse and the private hot spring bath (2,000 yen per person). Day-trip bathing hours seem to change depending on the day of the week, so if you're planning to go, I'd recommend checking the official site's announcements beforehand just to be safe.

There's also a hot spring stand run directly by the ryokan on the property, offering a delivery service for the naturally occurring sulfur spring water, along with a stand that's available 24 hours a day. That might be an interesting point for hot spring enthusiasts. On the other hand, I couldn't confirm details about Wi-Fi or parking anywhere in the official site's text, so I can't say anything definite there.

Checking Out Nearby Tourist Spots Too

The sightseeing page on the official site featured photos of Hakone Shrine, the Lake Ashi cruise, Owakudani, Togendai Station on the Hakone Ropeway, and Amazake Chaya, among other spots. Since the shore of Lake Ashi is apparently about a 10-minute drive away, this location seems well suited to using the ryokan as a base for exploring Hakone. That said, the official site doesn't list the exact travel time to each spot, so that's something I felt would need to be double-checked separately.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using Rakuten Mobile's official "My Area Coverage Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C." I'm noting this here just as a record from my advance check.

Since the Ashinoyu area is nestled among the mountains, signal conditions might vary somewhat depending on the exact spot. If you're planning to stay and connectivity matters to you, it's probably a good idea to check with the same tool yourself beforehand.

Komorin

A rating of C is a bit of a concern, but if you're planning to just relax at a hot spring ryokan, maybe it's worth considering a trip where you don't worry too much about signal in the first place.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, Bihada no Yu Kinokuniya Ryokan struck me as a hot spring ryokan with a memorable combination of two spring sources backed by 300 years of history and a private bath designed to recreate an Edo-era hot spring retreat. The rooms seem to range from the calm, understated style of the main building to annex rooms with their own open-air hot spring baths, so there seems to be plenty of choice depending on what you're looking for.

As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the result came back as a C rating, so if connectivity matters to you, it might be worth checking with the official tool beforehand for peace of mind. Reservations seem to be accepted both through the official website and by phone, so if this ryokan caught your interest, be sure to check it out.

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Related Links

• Official Site