I Looked Into Hakone Kowakien Motoyu Mori no Yu

My hot spring and campsite research project has ended up covering quite a few facilities along the way. This time, I'm putting together notes on it as part of my ongoing look at facilities in the Hakone area.

This time, the facility that caught my attention was Hakone Kowakien Motoyu Mori no Yu. I had previously looked into Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, the swimsuit-required hot spring facility, but I learned there's also a bathing area within the same property where you go in without a swimsuit, so I decided to look into that one too.

Mori no Yu Is 'Another Hot Spring' Inside Yunessun

The first thing I found out while researching is that Hakone Kowakien Motoyu Mori no Yu isn't really a standalone facility - it's run by the same company and sits on the same property as Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, which is known as a swimsuit-required attraction-style hot spring. While Yunessun is a swimsuit area, Mori no Yu seems to be positioned as the clothes-off bathing section, essentially a typical day-trip hot spring area. Even the official website shares the same top page with Yunessun, with Mori no Yu introduced as one section within it.

The location is in the Ninotaira area of Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, and it's apparently operated by Fujita Kanko Co., Ltd. Business hours are 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM (last entry 7:30 PM), and it's said to be open year-round, though there may be closures for facility maintenance. It seemed like a good idea to check the official website before heading out.

For pricing, when using Mori no Yu on its own, it apparently runs on a three-tier system: 1,500 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children on weekdays, 1,700 yen for adults and 1,100 yen for children on weekends and holidays, and 1,800 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children during peak season. There's also a discount available for guests aged 65 and over or those with disabilities, which seems to apply to up to two accompanying companions as well. There's also a combined pass with Yunessun, which seems well-suited for anyone who wants to check out both the swimsuit area and the clothes-off bathing area. As for reservations, general bathing apparently doesn't require one, but private baths need to be booked in advance through an external reservation site, and phone reservations aren't accepted for those (though general inquiries can apparently still be made by phone).

Komorin

I hadn't realized Yunessun and Mori no Yu were bundled together like this, so as I was researching I found myself nodding along, thinking, 'Ah, so that's how it's set up.'

The Combination of a Shigaraki Ware Pottery Bath and a Garden Open-Air Bath Caught My Eye

In terms of facilities, one of the highlights seems to be a garden open-air bath with views of the mountains of Hakone. It's described as having an open, airy design, offered as a type of open-air bath where you can soak while feeling the outside air. The indoor bath also apparently features large windows, designed so you can enjoy the scenery regardless of the weather.

Personally, what caught my attention was the Shigaraki ware pottery bath. It's located in a spot surrounded by greenery, and apparently at night you can soak while gazing up at the stars - which sounds appealing even to an indoor person like me. There also seems to be a reclining bath where you can lie down while soaking, along with saunas separated by gender. I couldn't quite confirm the specific sauna details from the official website text alone, so it's probably best to check the on-site signage for more.

The private baths also looked well-stocked - apparently there are two types within the Mori no Yu building called 'Kutsurogi' and 'Yutori,' plus six rooms on the Bettei Yasuragi side numbered Ichi through Roku, for a total of eight private baths with fresh, continuously flowing hot spring water. Among these, the 'Roku no Yu' room is described as barrier-free, allowing you to bathe directly from a dedicated wheelchair, and the bath itself is apparently built a bit deeper than usual, which sounds like a thoughtful design choice. Private bath use requires advance reservation, and the price apparently ranges from a few thousand yen up to around 10,000 yen depending on the time slot and room type.

As for rest areas, the lobby and lounge were apparently renovated in March 2025, and there now seems to be a rest area on the third floor, a free rest room on the second floor, and a lobby lounge, among other spaces. Having multiple places to relax sounds like it would help during busy times.

Access - Look for the 'Kowakien' Bus Stop on the Hakone Tozan Bus Line

For access, the route apparently involves taking the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto Station, then a Hakone Tozan Bus for about 20 minutes to the Kowakien bus stop, right near the facility. There are also routes described that go via Odawara Station by bus, or by Shinkansen Kodama to Odawara. I don't drive myself since I only have a paper license, so I'm not really picturing driving there, but for those coming by car from the Tokyo direction, it's apparently about an hour via the Odawara-Atsugi Road. There are roughly 500 parking spaces across two lots, with the first two hours free. Since longer stays apparently incur a daily rate, it seems worth checking that in advance too.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this facility's location using Rakuten Mobile's official "My Area Network Simulation" tool, the overall rating came out as C. Depending on where you are inside the facility, the connection quality might vary in places. If you're a Rakuten Mobile user planning to visit this facility, this could be one more thing worth checking beforehand.

Komorin

I'll be honest that it came back as a C rating, but maybe that's fine - while you're soaking in a hot spring, you probably don't need to be checking your phone anyway.

Wrapping Up

To sum it all up, my impression of Hakone Kowakien Motoyu Mori no Yu is that it's a clothes-off, day-trip hot spring where you can take your time enjoying a variety of baths, including a garden open-air bath and a Shigaraki ware pottery bath. Combined with the fact that you can also use Yunessun on the same property, it seems like a place where you can choose based on your mood that day - whether you feel like playing around in a swimsuit or soaking slowly in the bath. The Rakuten Mobile signal condition came back as a C rating, so if that's something you're curious about, it's worth checking with Rakuten Mobile's official tool.

This article includes a referral link for Rakuten Mobile's employee referral campaign. For details, please see our Disclaimer & Advertising Notice.

Related Links

• Official Site