I Looked Into Chichibu Ogano Onsen Ryokan Ryozanpaku

On this blog, I've been working my way through hot spring inns and campgrounds around the Kanto area, checking out whichever ones seem reachable. This time, I decided to expand my range a bit to the Chichibu area of Saitama Prefecture.

What got me started was that this inn had come up as being part of the same group as "Hoshine no Yu," a place I looked into before. Since it's run by the same group, I got curious about what differences there might be, so this time I looked into Chichibu Ogano Onsen Ryokan Ryozanpaku.

What Kind of Inn Is Ryozanpaku?

It's a hot spring ryokan located in Ogano Town, Chichibu District, and apparently the water quality is classified as alkaline simple hot spring. The source is called the Ogano Onsen Daireuji Spring, and the water reportedly has a pH of 10.0 or higher, making it strongly alkaline. It's apparently nicknamed the "smooth, silky water," known for its gentle feel on the skin.

The inn apparently underwent a rebrand in November 2024. Before that, it seems day-trip bathing was available, but now it operates exclusively as an overnight ryokan. Since it looks like you can no longer just drop by for a day visit, if you're planning to go, it's probably best to plan on staying overnight.

Check-in is listed as starting at 3:00 PM, with check-out by 10:00 AM. The rate for one night with two meals seems to range from around 13,000 yen to about 30,000 yen per adult, depending on the season, plan, and room type—there appears to be quite a gap between peak and off-peak seasons. Reservations can apparently be made through various booking sites linked from the official website, as well as by phone.

Checking Out the Baths and Room Facilities

What really caught my eye while researching was that every single room comes with its own private open-air bath. Across all 15 rooms (though some booking sites list it as 11 rooms), it seems like no matter which room you choose, you get access to your very own open-air bath right in your room. As someone who prefers staying indoors, being able to soak in a tub without having to walk all the way to the communal bath seemed like a pretty appealing point.

The building also has an open-air bath attached to the main communal bathing area called "Shoryu no Yu," as well as a private reservable bath that reportedly uses mineral-rich water containing baked lithosphere stone. For anyone wanting a different atmosphere from the in-room bath, it seems like there are multiple options to choose from.

The rooms are Japanese-Western style, apparently furnished with Simmons mattresses. Since there's no need to put away futons like in a typical Japanese-style room, it seems like real care has gone into the bedding as well. Wi-Fi is reportedly free throughout the building and in every room, which also seems to make it easy to feel right at home.

As for meals, it seems the format switched to all-inclusive after the rebrand. Meals appear to be served in a semi-private dining area featuring Japanese kaiseki cuisine, structured so you don't have to worry about extra charges. Parking is free and can apparently accommodate anywhere from 30 to 100 vehicles, so that's probably not something to worry too much about if you're driving.

Komorin

Hearing that every room has its own open-air bath made me think it'd be reassuring even on days when I don't have the energy to head to the communal bath. As someone who prefers staying indoors, this kind of setup makes me happy.

A Quick Look at Nearby Sightseeing Spots

Near the inn is Hosshoji Temple (Hannya Ofune Kannon), known as the 32nd temple on the Chichibu pilgrimage route, which seems to be about a 3 to 5 minute drive away. Around the same distance are the Ogano Fossil Museum and Hannya no Oka Park, apparently. If you want to go a bit further, there's the Chichibu Muse Park about a 10 minute drive away, and the Michi-no-Eki Ryogami Onsen Yakushi no Yu roadside station about 10 to 15 minutes away by car. It reportedly takes about 15 to 20 minutes by car to reach the Michi-no-Eki Chichibu roadside station or Chichibu Shrine in the city center.

While relaxing at the inn all day sounds nice too, the location also seems well-suited for squeezing in some sightseeing during the day before heading back.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this location using the official My Area Network Simulation tool, the overall rating came out as "C."

If you're planning to join online meetings or exchange large amounts of data during your stay, it's probably worth checking your connectivity options in advance. Since free in-building Wi-Fi is apparently available, it seems like that might come in handy for connectivity needs.

Komorin

A "C" rating is a bit of a concerning result. Even though there's in-building Wi-Fi, if you're worried about signal, I think it's reassuring to check ahead of time.

Wrapping Up

Putting it all together, Chichibu Ogano Onsen Ryokan Ryozanpaku struck me as an inn suited for people who want to soak in a hot spring at leisure right in their own room, since every room comes with its own open-air bath. Being able to enjoy the strongly alkaline "smooth, silky water" right in the room felt pretty appealing to me too, as someone who leans toward staying indoors.

That said, the Rakuten Mobile signal came back with a "C" rating, so if connectivity matters to you, it's probably worth planning around using the in-building Wi-Fi as well. If you're concerned about it, it's a good idea to check for yourself using the official Rakuten Mobile 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