Hottarakashi Onsen

The onsen was pretty clean, affordable, and has outdoor area, but very basic. They dont have sauna/steam or other recreational features, only hot pools (1 indoor and some outdoors). The outdoor area is quite big and has many hidden corner for someone who doesn’t really comfortable being naked in front of others. The water was not too chlorinated and was okay for my skin and hair to get soaked in long period. I went there during night & end of winter, so got only city view and the hot spring was just perfect for the winter cold. They provided towel (for extra charges) and basic shampoo & shower gel. It’s recommended if you want to try traditional Japanese onsen.

This was an incredible experience, the view from the baths was gorgeous mountaintops. I highly recommend going for sunrise as it was cooler so you could enjoy the heat of the baths more (we arrived at 5:15am and there were already around 100 people in line). Everyone was really accepting although no one seemed to speak english so you had to figure most things out for yourself. Lockers were available for valuables whilst in the onsen, and we were allowed in with tattoos. No public transport available to the onsen, would be a hard walk on the side of a road up a mountain, taxi/car recommended. Definitely go if you are in the area!

Nice natural hot spring “Onsen”. Genders are separated and you got to be completely naked. Price is reasonable too at 800 yen entry and 1000 yen for a towel. Taxi from Ishiawa train station is about 4000 yen for one way. Tattoos seemed to be ok too. Went in with a big dragon tattoo and no one complained. Also, I saw one Japanese man with a large koi fish tattoo on his leg. Food options are available. Great view of Mt Fuji. Apparently amazing for sunrise. Shower before going into the water, not when you get out.

The onsen with the greatest view in Japan. It's open as early as sunrise, so you can take a bath while watching the beautiful sunrise over the mountain range in Yamanashi. There is two onsens available, one of which has the signature view and newer, which is the one I went for. There is a restaurant at the top which serves the popular fried boiled egg which taste amazing after soaking in the onsen bath.

Gorgeous location, great prices (only 900 yen or $6 for a bath), and tattoo friendly, which was the main reason I picked this location. I stayed at the nearby Fruit Park Fujiya hotel and hiked about 35 minutes up to the Onsen. Very rural feel. I wish there’d been less fog for a better view of Fuji, but maybe next time.