I Looked Into Komadori-so, an Inn at the Headwaters of Okuchichibu

In this series, I keep researching campsites, day-use hot springs, and cottage lodging facilities one by one, and writing up what I find in blog posts.

This time, I looked into "Komadori-so," an inn located at the headwaters of Okuchichibu. As someone who leans more toward indoor activities, what first caught my attention was that you don't need to pitch a tent, and it apparently comes with a set of woodworking experiences and a hot spring bath too. That was enough to make me want to dig a little deeper.

What kind of facility is "Komadori-so"?

This facility is located in the Nakatsugawa area of Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture. Officially, it seems to be positioned as a group of facilities combining the Saitama Prefectural Forest Science Museum with the lodging facility Komadori-so. At the Forest Science Museum, you can apparently take part in woodworking experiences, though pricing seems to vary depending on what you make and any events running at the time, so it looks like you'd need to contact the facility directly for details.

While researching, I noticed that because of its name, this facility sometimes gets introduced as a campsite. However, it doesn't seem to have any sites set up for bringing your own tent or for car camping. Lodging appears to be limited to the main building of Komadori-so or one of its eight cottages. If you're researching this place specifically for tent camping, that's probably worth keeping in mind beforehand. Also, there seems to be another campsite in Chichibu City with a similar-sounding name (the name is written slightly differently across sources), so it might be worth double-checking the exact facility name when searching.

There are five Western-style cottages and three Japanese-style cottages, each with a capacity of five people. Room-only rates apparently start around 31,000 yen per cottage per night. Check-in is at 3 PM and check-out is at 10 AM. I also saw a notice mentioning that payment is cash only, so if you're planning a visit, it might be worth preparing for that in advance. Reservations can apparently be made through the official website's web reservation form, or by phone.

Facilities and bathing details that caught my eye as an indoor type

Personally, what interested me most was the hot spring bath in the basement of the Komadori-so main building. It's apparently fed by a natural hot spring source drawn from Otaki Onsen's Mitsumine-no-yu, and it seems to be open not just to overnight guests but also for day-use bathing. There's reportedly a separate bathing tax of 150 yen, though it looks like children under three can use it for free.

In terms of facilities, there appear to be flush toilets, multi-purpose restrooms, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms, along with a roofed barbecue area. Free parking seems to accommodate roughly 55 to 70 regular vehicles, with space set aside for larger vehicles too, so it seems reasonably set up for guests arriving by car. There's also a shop on the Komadori-so grounds. That said, I couldn't find any clear mention of Wi-Fi on the official website. While there is a note that AC outlets are available inside the cottages, I'll leave the availability of Wi-Fi itself as unconfirmed.

At the neighboring Nakatsugawa mountain stream fishing area, there's apparently a free life jacket rental service (limited to the first 15 people), so it looks like you could enjoy trout fishing in addition to the woodworking experience and hot spring, all in a single day. Mitsumine Shrine is about a 40 to 50 minute drive away, and the roadside station Michi-no-Eki Otaki Onsen is roughly 30 to 40 minutes by car, so if you're able to drive, it seems like a location where you could combine your stay with some sightseeing in the area.

Komorin

Being able to enjoy both a hot spring and a woodworking experience without needing a tent feels like a pretty great combination for someone like me who leans toward indoor activities. Though the cash-only policy is something I'd need to remember ahead of time, or I might end up scrambling on the day of the trip.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using the official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as a "C." Actual signal conditions on-site will likely vary depending on your device and surroundings, but it still seems worth checking in advance.

Since this is a mountainous location along a stream, it might be a good idea to leave yourself some margin when it comes to connectivity. If you're a Rakuten Mobile user considering a stay here, it seems wise to check your communication options ahead of time as needed.

Komorin

Seeing a C rating gave me the impression that this really is a mountain-valley kind of facility. I think it's probably best to just relax and not worry about signal while soaking in the hot spring, at least.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, Komadori-so, the inn at the headwaters of Okuchichibu, struck me as a cottage lodging facility where you can enjoy both a woodworking experience and a basement hot spring fed by a natural source, all without needing to pitch a tent, while still getting a taste of nature. Since there are no tent sites, this might not quite match what you're looking for if you're searching for a campsite, but for indoor types drawn to hot springs and woodworking experiences, it seems like a good fit.

As for Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the result came back as a C rating, so if you're planning to use this facility and connectivity matters to you, it might be worth checking for yourself using the official Rakuten Mobile tool as well.

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Related Links

• Official Site