Access

Local Train Station: Konbu
From Tokyo: From Tokyo station take the the Jo-etsu Shinkansen to Yuzawa station. From Yuzawa, take a public toward Asagai, getting off at Kaikake Onsen. The ryokan is a short walk away. The ryokan has a shuttle that can pick you up.
Travel Time: Tokyo to Yuzawa, 1 hr 20 min. Yuzawa to Kaikake Onsen bus stop, 25 minutes. The ryokan is a ten minute wal from the bus stop. Total travel time approx. 2 hrs.

Location/Contact Info

Address: 686 Oji Minamata, Yuzawamachi, Minamiuonuma-gun
Tel: 0257-88-9911
Fax: 0257-88-9912
Web: www.kaikake.com/onse... (Japanese only)

Accommodations

Price: Rates range from Y9,000 to Y16,000 (including breakfast and dinner). The ryokan has 28 Japanese-style rooms.
Days Closed: None
Day Visit Option: Weekdays, Y1,000; weekends, Y1,200 (10:30am to 1200pm).

The Water

Onsen Specifics: Four outdoor baths, four indoor baths; separate bathing only. Open 24 hrs. for guests.
Water Good For: Eye ailments, eye fatigue, cuts, burns, muscle pain, nervous disorders.
Water Composition: Chloride (sodium chloride)

Located within the boundaries of the Jyoshinetsu-Kougen National Park, on the banks of the Kassa River, and at at altitude of about 2,500 feet, Kaikake Onsen-kan is a held in high regard by onsen lovers in Japan. The area's hot springs have a long history. During the Sengoku period, around 700 AD, many well-known warriors came here to heal their wounds (and sometimes just to hide out from enemies and relax). Today, people come to Kaikake Onsen not only to be in its natural setting, but to soak in waters known to have a curative effect on eye ailments.

The ryokan goes to some effort to copy the old-style manner in which hot springs were illuminated for nighttime use. In the old days, oil lamps would provide light for nighttime bathing. Well, the ryokan no longer uses oil lamps, but it claims to have made special efforts to light the springs in a way that mimics the use of old-fashioned lamps.

And although the hot springs belongs to a single ryokan, Kaikake Onsen-kan, the management allows day visits, so it's not a bad idea to consider visiting the onsen on a day trip from Tokyo.

The Buzz

The owner of the ryokan is reportedly "very friendly," and the food in the restaurant is "tasty." One web site comments that the baths are "in great harmony with the natural setting."

Many online comments reflect on the winter being the best time to visit, noting that the hot spring's beauty is enhanced by the snow.

Web reports comment of the water temperature being perfect for long, long soaks. "Don't rush your stay by coming for just a day visit," says one report. "Better to stay the night so you can take long baths."

Reader Comments

Onsen in Northern Hokuriku