I Looked Into Shinanoki Ichinoyu

On this blog, I try to look not only into campsites, but also into places that could work for those days when I think, 'let's skip camping and go do a hotel getaway instead.' My collection of hot spring inns and hotels has been slowly growing too.

This time I looked into Shinanoki Ichinoyu, located in the Sengokuhara area of Hakone. It seems the Ichinoyu group runs several inns throughout Hakone, but this one caught my attention because of the two different hot spring sources you can enjoy there, plus word that it has a barrel sauna. So I decided to organize what I found.

What Kind of Inn Is Shinanoki Ichinoyu?

Apparently this is an inn run by the Ichinoyu group, located in Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture. It's made up of two buildings, the Main Building and the Annex, and it seems the Main Building doesn't have an elevator, so you'd need to use the stairs to reach the large communal bath. It looks like the inn operated under a different name at some point in the past, but it's currently running under the name "Sengokuhara Shinanoki Ichinoyu."

Apparently there's parking for 41 cars, provided free of charge. That said, it seems you need to request it in advance, and guests are responsible for managing their own valuables.

• Booking method: Besides online reservations through the official website, it seems you can also book by phone or email through the Ichinoyu reservation center
• Check-in guideline: Because of when dinner starts, the official page seems to recommend checking in by 6 PM. The standard check-in/check-out times appear to be based on info from booking sites, and I couldn't find explicit mention of them in the official site's main text
• Walk-in use: Meals generally aren't available to non-staying guests; it seems this is reserved for guests staying at the group's inns

Komorin

I'm a "paper driver" (someone with a license who barely drives), so getting there by car feels like a big hurdle for me, but having a decently sized parking lot might be great news for anyone who can drive. It also sounds like the bus stop is only about a minute's walk away, so it seems accessible by public transportation too.

Two Hot Spring Sources and a Private Barrel Sauna Seem to Be the Highlights

The biggest feature of this inn does seem to be that you can enjoy two different hot spring sources. The open-air bath apparently uses Owakudani Onsen (an acidic spring with a source temperature of around 64.7°C), while the indoor bath uses Ohiradai Onsen (an alkaline simple spring with a source temperature of around 65.6°C). Both are circulated baths, but it sounds like the setup lets you move back and forth between two baths with different water qualities. The open-air baths attached to many of the guest rooms apparently use the same two sources as well.

The official site apparently states clearly that there's no rental private bath option, but since many guest rooms have their own open-air baths, it seems fairly easy to get a private soak anyway. Day-trip bathing is also available, apparently, so it could be an option for anyone who wants to stop by without staying overnight.

What caught my attention even more was the private barrel sauna located on the Annex grounds. It can apparently be used by up to 4 people at a time, and swimwear is required. It seems to also come with a löyly (sauna steam) feature and a cold plunge bath at around 16°C, with the room temperature reportedly rising to somewhere around 90–100°C. Day-trip use also seems to be possible, though during busy periods it may be limited to overnight guests only, so it might be worth checking in advance if you're interested.

Guest Rooms and Meals - Points of Interest for an Indoor Type Like Me

It looks like there are several room types available across both the Main Building and the Annex. The Main Building apparently has a few room types with open-air baths, as well as Japanese-style rooms with a toilet but no bath. The Annex seems to consist of 4 room types, all of which come with open-air baths. That said, I couldn't confirm detailed figures like room size, capacity, or the exact number of rooms on the official site.

Meals seem to center on creative Japanese cuisine, with Yonezawa beef shabu-shabu available in spring and summer and sukiyaki in autumn and winter. Signature dishes mentioned include simmered whole red seabream and red seabream simmered with grated daikon, and there also appears to be a plan that includes all-you-can-drink. Breakfast is apparently a Japanese-style set meal served in three shifts, including dried fish. For multi-night stays, it seems the menu changes on the second day too, which sounds like it would keep things interesting even for someone like me who prefers staying indoors.

It seems there are many areas within the building where free Wi-Fi is available, and front desk services like free rentals of go and shogi sets and wake-up calls also appear to be offered. The fact that the entire building is non-smoking might also be reassuring if you want a comfortable stay.

Komorin

With two kinds of hot springs, a private sauna, and meals that feel almost like in-room dining, it seems like you could be completely satisfied without ever stepping outside. As someone who leans indoor, this kind of place where everything is "self-contained within the inn" really catches my interest.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked this location (Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi) using Rakuten's official "My Area Communication Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "C."

Given that this is a mountainous area of Hakone, it seems like a good idea to check the signal situation ahead of time. Since the inn apparently offers free Wi-Fi throughout the building, that would likely be the way to go for staying connected. If you need to rely on your phone's cellular connection for work-related communication, it might be worth planning around this.

Komorin

I use Rakuten Mobile myself, so a C rating is a bit of a concern. But since there's in-house Wi-Fi, it might not be so bad to just focus on the hot springs and sauna and rely on Wi-Fi for connectivity during the stay.

Getting There and Things to Do Nearby

If traveling by train and bus, the route seems to be taking the Hakone Tozan Railway from Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto Station, then transferring to a Hakone Tozan Bus and getting off at the "Shinanoki / Hakone Highland Hotel" bus stop, from which it's apparently about a 1-minute walk to the inn. Routes using the Odakyu Romancecar or highway buses from the Shinjuku area were also mentioned. I couldn't find any mention of a shuttle bus on the official site, so it doesn't seem to offer one.

Nearby, the Hakone Glass Forest Museum is apparently within walking distance, while the Pola Museum of Art, the Lalique Museum Hakone, and the Sengokuhara silver grass fields are also reachable by car. It seems like the kind of location where, after fully enjoying the hot springs and sauna at the inn, you could head out to a museum for a change of pace.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, Shinanoki Ichinoyu struck me as a hot spring inn where you can comfortably spend your whole stay without leaving the premises, thanks to its two hot spring sources, guest room open-air baths, and even a private barrel sauna. The meals also seem to feature seasonal creative Japanese cuisine, which is quite appealing to someone like me who prefers staying indoors.

On the other hand, Rakuten Mobile's signal came back as a C rating, so it's probably best to plan on relying on the in-house Wi-Fi for connectivity as well. If this is a concern for you, you can check it yourself using Rakuten Mobile's official tool, so it might be worth doing before your visit.

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Related Links

• Official Site