I Looked Into Yokotei

I'm Komorin. On this blog, I go through hot spring inns and campsites one by one, starting with places I might actually be able to visit, and write up what I find. This time I decided to switch things up a bit and cover an inn where you can actually stay overnight, rather than just a day-trip hot spring.

This time I looked into an inn called Yokotei, located in Nagatoro, Saitama. I came across the name while researching something related to Eiichi Shibusawa, and I got a bit curious after learning that the inn's name was apparently given by Shibusawa himself. It's said to be located along the Nagatoro gorge, and even as someone who's more of an indoor type, I felt like the scenery there might be worth checking out.

What Kind of Inn Is Yokotei?

Yokotei is a hot spring inn located in Nagatoro, Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture, apparently operated by Nagatoro Recreation Hotel Co., Ltd. The inn's name is said to have been given by Eiichi Shibusawa, and it appears to stand quite close to Nagatoro's famous rock formations and the gorge.

Check-in starts at 3:00 PM, and depending on the plan, it seems late check-in up to 10:00 PM may be possible. Check-out is by 10:00 AM. For a one-night stay with two meals included, the rate for two adults sharing works out to roughly 13,000 to 17,000 yen per person, while room-only stays or stays with breakfast only run around 7,700 to 11,000 yen per person as a rough guide. There's also apparently a day-trip BBQ plan starting from 2,750 yen (tax included) per adult, so it seems there's some flexibility to use the place for a day visit rather than just an overnight stay. Day-trip bathing has apparently been available in the past too, but it seems advance inquiry is required, so if you're interested, it's probably worth checking the official website first.

Reservations can apparently be made through the official website's online booking system, as well as through major booking sites such as Rakuten Travel, Jalan, Yahoo! Travel, JTB, and Yukoyuko, and phone reservations also seem possible. Access-wise, it's about a 5-minute walk from Kami-Nagatoro Station on the Chichibu Railway, and pickup service also appears to be available. If you're driving, it's roughly 20 kilometers and about 25 minutes from the Hanazono interchange on the Kan-etsu Expressway via National Route 140.

Checking Out the Baths, Rooms, and Other Facilities

For the baths, there's an indoor communal bath for men called Koen-no-yu and one for women called Sekirei-no-yu, along with an open-air bath overlooking the Arakawa River and the Nagatoro gorge. That said, the water isn't described as natural hot spring water but rather as heated water with active minerals added, so that's something worth knowing ahead of time.

Another point of interest was the private bath called Hyakuju-no-yu, which was apparently newly added in March 2022. It's step-free and barrier-free, costs 2,500 yen (tax included) for a 45-minute session, and reservations seem to be handled on a first-come, first-served basis at check-in.

As for the rooms, all 22 face the river. Options include 10-tatami Japanese-style rooms (with either a bath and washlet toilet, or just a toilet), as well as larger 15-tatami and 16-tatami rooms. The barrier-free room (a 10-tatami room plus a 5-tatami adjoining room) is designed with almost no steps, so it's apparently possible to enter with a wheelchair. Wi-Fi is free throughout the building and in every room, which was reassuring to hear as someone who's more of an indoor type.

For meals, dinner can be served either in a dining hall or in your room (there's apparently even a plan that guarantees in-room dining), featuring Japanese-style set meals made with local mountain and river ingredients, as well as pork shabu-shabu. Breakfast appears to be served in a dining hall.

Komorin

I thought it was a quietly nice touch that both the barrier-free room and the private bath are step-free — that could really come in handy if you're traveling with family or older relatives.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I checked using the official "My Area Coverage Simulation" tool, entering the location of this facility (the Nagatoro area of Nagatoro Town). However, instead of a normal result, all I got was a fallback message saying something like "currently undergoing temporary maintenance," with no information I could use to judge the actual signal conditions.

Because of this, I'm treating the Rakuten Mobile signal result for this location as unknown this time. Since I couldn't say for sure whether it's good or bad, I'm just reporting what I was actually able to confirm as-is. Given that Nagatoro sits along a gorge, terrain might have some effect on the signal, but that's purely my own speculation.

Komorin

Not getting a result at all is actually a fairly rare pattern, and honestly my reaction was "huh, really?" Cases like this might be exactly when it's worth checking for yourself before actually heading out there.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, my overall impression of Yokotei is that of an inn well suited to enjoying the Nagatoro gorge scenery, with every room facing the river and both an open-air bath along the Arakawa River and a barrier-free private bath. Between the story behind its name, said to have been given by Eiichi Shibusawa, and the fact that Wi-Fi is available free in every room, I felt this could be a good fit for anyone who wants to quietly enjoy the view.

On the other hand, when it comes to Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, my check this time came back as unknown, without any clear result. If you're a Rakuten Mobile user considering a stay in Nagatoro and this is a concern for you, it might be worth checking for yourself with the official tool as well.

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Related Links

• Official Site