Looking into Kankoso

I've been researching campsites, day-trip hot springs, and inns in a series, focusing on whether you can get there without a car and what the Rakuten Mobile signal is like.

This time I looked into Kankoso. What got me curious was thinking that a ryokan close to a station would be a great destination when I change my mind and go from "let's skip camping today" to a hotel-staycation. I have a driver's license but never drive, so I'm basically a paper driver, and just hearing "you can walk there from the station" was enough to get me interested.

What Kind of Place Is Kankoso?

It's a ryokan in Okutama Town, Nishitama District, Tokyo. The official reservation site describes it as standing along a lush natural gorge while being just a 5-minute walk from JR Okutama Station. The Okutama Town tourism association site calls it a small inn with a homey feel, so my impression is that it's more of a cozy little place than a lively hotel.

Here's what I found out from my research.

• How to book: Apparently you can book online through the official reservation site (Kankoso reservation site). However, it seems three of the rooms can only be booked by phone.
• Plans: There seem to be plans with dinner and breakfast, dinner only, and breakfast only, all priced per person per night.
• Price: The price isn't shown unless you pick a date, so I couldn't confirm it this time. On the tourism association site, it looked like the two-meal plan was listed in the under-15,000-yen range as a rough guide.
• Bathing tax: Apparently it's an extra 150 yen for adults, payable in cash only on site.
• Check-in and check-out times: I couldn't find them on the reservation site's top page or the facility information. It would be safer to confirm before booking.

Komorin

It was a bit disappointing that I couldn't find the price or the check-in time. It looks like I'd need to enter a date to find out.

I'm Curious About Looking Down on the Stream from a River-Side Room

The rooms I could see on the reservation site came in three Japanese-style types.

• 6-tatami river-side room: A 6-mat Japanese-style room overlooking the Nippara River stream, apparently for 2 to 3 guests.
• 8-tatami river-side room: Also overlooking the stream, an 8-mat Japanese-style room that seems to be for 3 to 4 guests.
• 6-tatami mountain-side room: A quiet 6-mat Japanese-style room on the mountain side, apparently for 2 to 3 guests.

All of them are non-smoking, and the listed amenities included a TV, phone, air conditioner, air purifier, humidifier, towels, bath towels, a toothbrush set, yukata, slippers, and WiFi. The two river-side types also mentioned free WiFi, an air purifier, and a humidifier. As someone who likes to stay in and relax in my room, the river side looked the most appealing, with that view of the stream below.

It seems there are separate baths for men and women. The plan description had a note saying that children aged 7 and over can't use the bath for the opposite sex. The tourism association site's introduction called it a skin-friendly "beauty bath" using Okutama hot spring water, but I couldn't confirm the water quality or whether it's free-flowing from the source in this research.

Meals seem to be available through the plans that include dinner and breakfast. For young children aged 3 to 5, dinner is a kids' menu and breakfast is the same as the adults'. For ages 6 to 12, meals are the same as the adults', and apparently children 12 and under don't get the yukata amenities.

A 5-Minute Walk from the Station: Can You Get There Without a Car?

For access, it's about a 5-minute walk from JR Okutama Station, and both the reservation site and the tourism association site say the same thing. It looks like you can take the train, walk from the station, and head straight into the inn, so as someone who doesn't drive, I thought the location was reassuring.

The reservation site also says it's easy to get to Lake Okutama and the Nippara Limestone Cave. But there's no mention of distance or travel time, so I couldn't confirm how you'd actually get there. If you plan to go sightseeing, it would be better to look that up separately.

If you're going by car, there's apparently a free parking lot on the grounds. I couldn't find how many spaces it has.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I checked this facility's location with the official "my Area Network Simulation" tool, and the overall rating showed as "C".

If you want to use Rakuten Mobile data here, it's probably best to keep that in mind. Since it's in a river valley, maybe the signal strength changes depending on where you are. That's just my guess, though, and I couldn't confirm how calls or data actually feel in practice.

The rooms are listed as having WiFi, but I couldn't tell how fast or stable it is. If you're planning to work or stream videos, it might be a good idea to ask the inn beforehand. If you're worried about the signal, please also try the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself.

Komorin

As a Rakuten Mobile user, the C rating did make me a little uneasy. Then again, you could also see it as an inn where you just relax in a room overlooking the stream.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my impression of Kankoso is that it's a homey ryokan about a 5-minute walk from JR Okutama Station, with guest rooms that look down on the Nippara River stream.

It looks easy to reach by train and on foot without a car, and I think the location makes it an easy candidate when you'd rather relax at a quiet inn instead of camping. On the other hand, I couldn't confirm the room rates, the check-in time, or details about the bath in this research. Before booking, it's safest to check through the official reservation site or by phone.

The Rakuten Mobile signal came back as a C rating on the official tool. If you're concerned about your connection, please check with the official tool yourself too.

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Related Links

• Official Site