I Looked Into Ubuya

I've looked into a few hot spring inns around Lake Kawaguchi so far, and this time I decided to look into "Ubuya."

I heard it's proud of its hot springs with views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, and it seemed like it could be just the spot for a hot-spring hotel getaway ("hokansu") after getting some exercise while camping, so I got curious and looked into it.

The Short Version

It seems like an inn that really prioritizes the view, since every room offers a view of Mt. Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi, and the hot spring "Fuji no Yu" is also apparently built with that Fuji view in mind.
Based on my actual measurement this time, the Rakuten Mobile signal came out as a "C" rating, so the connectivity side of things might need a bit of caution.

I've summarized the details below.

What Kind of Inn Is Ubuya?

Ubuya, located in the Fuji-Kawaguchiko Onsen area, is apparently a hot spring inn in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture. It seems to be just a few minutes by car from the Kawaguchiko Interchange on the Chuo Expressway, and about a 10-minute taxi ride from Kawaguchiko Station, with a phone-reservation shuttle service also apparently available.

It seems to have a concept centered around "celebrating life," with plans apparently offered for occasions like 60th birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and a child's first birthday. The inn reportedly has around 51 rooms (though I couldn't confirm this explicitly on the official site), giving off the impression of a fairly large-scale establishment.

As a rough guide, accommodation rates seem to start around 34,100 yen per person for a one-night stay with two meals, based on two adults sharing a room, though I couldn't find a unified price chart on the official site—rates seem to vary by booking site, so it's probably best to check directly on each site when actually booking. Check-in is from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and check-out is at 11:00 AM. Dinner apparently can't be served after 7:00 PM, with no refunds in that case either, so it seems worth keeping arrival time in mind.

Komorin

As someone who barely drives, just having a shuttle service available lowers the psychological hurdle quite a bit for me. I'd love to try that shuttle from Kawaguchiko Station someday.

Checking Out the Fuji-View-Focused Hot Springs and Room Amenities

The inn's pride and joy, the "Fuji no Yu" hot spring, apparently offers seven types of baths: a large indoor bath, an open-air bath, a lying bath, a sitting bath, a combined sitting-and-lying bath called "Meguriyu," and a sauna—all reportedly designed to offer views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. Operating hours are apparently 3:00 PM to midnight and 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM the next morning, with the sauna only available from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The water quality is reportedly a calcium-sodium chloride-sulfate spring (a mildly alkaline, hypotonic, high-temperature spring), and you can apparently also drink natural groundwater called "Fuji no Meisui," said to be Mt. Fuji's melted snow filtered through lava, so that seems like something to enjoy alongside the baths. Note that there don't appear to be any private baths available.

Room types: In addition to a 46-square-meter Japanese-style room with a bed and a 56-square-meter Japanese-style room with an adjoining room, there are apparently seven types of Japanese-style rooms with private open-air baths (ranging from 59 to 113 square meters), making for quite a wide lineup. That said, the baths in the rooms with private open-air baths are apparently not hot spring water, which seems worth keeping in mind.
Lounge: There's apparently a lounge with windows overlooking Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, equipped with massage chairs, and it seems to be available for use at any time during your stay.
Table tennis lounge: A facility where you can apparently enjoy Ubuya's original "hot spring table tennis."
In-house facilities: The first floor apparently has a shrine called "Konohana no Yashiro" (the Ubuya shrine), along with an attached gift shop selling Yamanashi and Kawaguchiko souvenirs.
Meals: Currently, only a buffet and a shabu-shabu course are apparently offered, with the shabu-shabu featuring a distinctive style using a house-made dipping broth.
Accessibility and allergy accommodations: The inn apparently offers wheelchair rentals (reservable in advance), low-allergen menus free of egg, dairy, wheat, and soy, and accommodations for removing 27 other allergens (with requests needed up to 7 days in advance).

Children can apparently stay from age 0, with ages 0 to 2 staying free without meals or bedding, preschoolers aged 3 to 6 charged at 50% of the adult rate, and elementary school children charged at 70% of the adult rate. The entire building, including room balconies, is apparently non-smoking, with a separate smoking room provided. On the other hand, pets are apparently not allowed, though information about nearby pet hotels is reportedly available. I also came across information suggesting there are 50 free parking spaces, but since I couldn't confirm this explicitly on the official site, anyone planning to use the parking lot might want to double check at the time of booking.

Nearby attractions apparently include the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, museums along Lake Kawaguchi, sightseeing boats, and bicycle rentals, along with dining spots like Houtou Fudou, Tenka Chaya, and Teuchi Udon Takegawa scattered around the area, so it seems like a location where you could enjoy exploring the surroundings in addition to the hot springs.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

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

Since it came out as a C rating, the impression might change depending on where in the building you are and the time of day. Since this seems like a place where you'd likely spend a lot of time relaxing in the hot springs or lounge, it seems worth checking connectivity in advance if that's a concern for you.

Komorin

Honestly, that C rating caught my attention too. It looks like free in-house Wi-Fi is available, so relying on that might be the more realistic option.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum it up again, Ubuya struck me as an inn whose appeal lies in views of Mt. Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi from every room, along with the "Fuji no Yu" hot spring offering seven types of baths. It also seems to be well equipped with amenities for relaxing on-site, like a concept geared toward celebratory occasions, a table tennis lounge, and a lounge with massage chairs. That said, there were some details I couldn't fully confirm on the official site, like parking specifics and a unified price chart, so when actually considering a reservation, it seems reassuring to double check via booking sites or by phone. Since the Rakuten Mobile signal came out as a C rating, if that's a concern, it's probably worth checking with Rakuten Mobile's official tool.

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