I Looked Into Chichibu Yumoto Bukou Onsen (Annex)

Not just campsites — as an ongoing series on this blog, I've been researching, bit by bit, accommodations that could work for those days when you think "let's skip camping and do a hokans (hotel + spa) day instead." This time, as part of that "hokans detour" category, I picked a facility that combines a day-use hot spring with overnight stays.

This time I looked into the annex of "Chichibu Yumoto Bukou Onsen." What caught my eye was that all 12 rooms are standalone cottage-type units, and the fact that guests can use the main building's hot spring for free seemed like a pretty good combination for an indoor type like me, so I decided to put together a summary.

What Kind of Facility Is the Annex of Chichibu Yumoto Bukou Onsen?

Chichibu Yumoto Bukou Onsen is a day-use hot spring facility located in Yokoze, Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture, and it looks like there's an annex built specifically for overnight stays on the same grounds. The annex apparently has 12 rooms in total, all standalone cottage-type units, each with a floor plan of 4.5 tatami mats plus 6 tatami mats, accommodating 1 to 4 guests. Unlike a hotel where rooms are connected by hallways, each unit here stands on its own, which seems like it would suit people who want to relax without worrying about their surroundings.

For the room-only plan, the official website lists a starting price of 5,980 yen (tax included) per night. Besides the room-only option, it seems you can also choose plans that include breakfast, or breakfast and dinner, but I couldn't find a detailed price chart broken down by room type or season on the official site — it looks like you need to check the actual amount through the booking system.

• Check-in/check-out: Check-in at 3:00 PM, check-out at 10:00 AM the next day. Apparently, check-in takes place at the main building's front desk rather than at each individual annex unit
• Booking method: It looks like you go through an external booking system via the "Check Availability & Reserve" link on the official website. Reservations by phone also seem to be possible
• Parking: Free parking for around 100 cars, and each annex unit apparently comes with its own covered parking space
• Access: The nearest station is Yokoze Station on the Seibu Railway, about a 10-minute walk away. On weekends only, there's apparently a shuttle bus running hourly between the station and the facility, so as someone who doesn't drive, that shuttle bus really caught my attention

Komorin

As someone who barely drives despite having a license, having a shuttle bus from the nearest station — even if it's weekends only — is pretty great news for me. It's probably worth checking the operating hours in advance.

Checking Out the Room Facilities and Amenities

Inside the annex rooms, it looks like all the basic amenities are covered — TV, refrigerator, hair dryer. Amenities needed for an overnight stay, like a toothbrush set, razor, comb, towels, yukata, and slippers, are also apparently provided free of charge.

• TV/refrigerator: Apparently included in every unit
• Amenities: A toothbrush set, razor, comb, hair dryer, towels, yukata, and slippers all seem to be provided free of charge
• In-room bath: I couldn't find any mention on the official site of individual units having their own bath, so it seems bathing is basically meant to be done at the attached main building

As for whether each annex unit has a kitchen or Wi-Fi, I couldn't find any mention of this on the official site. Sources seemed to differ on this point too, so I wasn't able to pin down a clear answer. If this matters to you, it might be worth contacting the facility directly before booking.

The Main Building's Beautiful Skin Bath Hot Spring, Sauna, and Other Facilities

If you stay at the annex, it seems you can use the main building's hot spring for free, but only on the day of check-in. The main building's hot spring is a simple sulfur spring with a pH of 11.1, which is apparently why it's called the "Beautiful Skin Bath." There are reportedly two types of open-air baths: a cypress (hinoki) bath and a rock bath.

The sauna zone reportedly includes a dry sauna named "Showa Strong Style," a cold plunge bath using groundwater, and an outdoor relaxation area with lounge chairs — a setup that looks like it would appeal to sauna fans too. The facility also seems to have the following on-site:

• Large communal hall: Apparently 90 tatami mats in size, with a view of the Yokoze River, and karaoke is available too
• Private rest rooms for rent: Available for a fee (4,400 yen for 3 hours, 1,100 yen per extra hour, up until 5:00 PM at the latest, reservation required)
• Gift shop: Seems to stock Chichibu souvenirs and camping gear
• Manga corner: With around 10,000 volumes, I got the impression that as an indoor type, I could easily spend a lot of time here
• Restaurant: Open 11:00 AM–3:00 PM and 4:00 PM–9:00 PM (last order 7:30 PM), open every day of the year, it seems. The signature dishes are apparently the Chichibu Gozen set meal and the Chichibu specialty waraji katsudon (giant breaded pork cutlet rice bowl)

There's also a note that if you have tattoos or body art, you can still enter the facility as long as you wear a designated cover sticker (220 yen).

Nearby Places Worth Checking Out

As for nearby sightseeing spots, there's Terasaka Tanada (rice terraces) about an 8-minute walk away, and the trailhead for Mount Bukou is apparently within Yokoze town as well. Limited to winter season, the Ashigakubo Ice Pillars area is also said to be nearby. For food, candidates include the roadside station Kajuen Ashigakubo, and ENgaWA Ekimae Shokudo, which is directly connected to Yokoze Station. That said, I couldn't clearly confirm the specific travel times from these spots to Bukou Onsen on the official website.

If you venture a bit further, Chichibu city itself apparently has Hitsujiyama Park (Shibazakura Hill), Chichibu Shrine, and the day-use hot spring Seibu Chichibu Station-mae Onsen Matsuri no Yu. It seems like a good idea to combine a stay here with a plan to explore the Chichibu area more broadly.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, it didn't show a determination — instead I got a message along the lines of "currently undergoing temporary maintenance." I tried a few times, but in the end, the result comes out as undetermined.

Because of this, as of right now, I wasn't able to confirm the Rakuten Mobile signal conditions around this facility, including whether or not it's good. To sum up, it's probably best to treat this one as "unknown" for now.

Komorin

This isn't the first time I've run into a case where the signal check doesn't give a result, but this is exactly the kind of situation where I'd really encourage you to try the tool yourself before heading out. I plan to check again at a different time too.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, my impression of the annex at Chichibu Yumoto Bukou Onsen is a place where all 12 rooms are standalone cottage-type units, and guests can enjoy the main building's Beautiful Skin Bath for free. The facility seems to have a full lineup of features — a manga corner, a large communal hall, a sauna zone — that even an indoor type like me could spend a long time enjoying. The weekend-only shuttle bus from the station was also a point that seemed helpful for someone like me who doesn't drive.

That said, there were a few things I couldn't fully confirm just from the official website, such as detailed pricing by room type and whether each annex unit has Wi-Fi or a kitchen. If any of these points matter to you, it might be worth contacting the facility directly before booking. As for Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the result came back undetermined this time, so it's probably a good idea to check with the official tool in advance if needed.

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Related Links

• Official Site