Ryuguden Honkan

Never thought I’d do an onsen but my missus was going and the masseuse was booked (meaning I couldn’t do a massage at the same time) so I did an onsen instead. For the benefit of others that don’t know what they’re doing: 1. You can hire towels for ¥600 as at Nov 2025. 2. You strip off naked at your locker and only bring the small towel. 3. You sit down on a stool and wash yourself with the provided soap and wash your hair with the shampoo. 4. You hop into in pools with the small towel on your head. 5. Once finished in the pools (indoor/outdoor/sauna) you can wash off again or use the big towel to dry yourself. The positives with this onsen are indoors there’s a nice view of the lake and outdoors there’s a lovely view of mt Fuji. Nobody pays attention to you being naked so just go for it.

I really enjoyed this onsen. The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful, and even though it was a rainy day, it actually made the experience feel even more relaxing. The place was almost completely empty, so we had most of the facilities to ourselves, which made it even more special. There is both an indoor and an outdoor pool, as well as plenty of showers to use before entering the baths. The outdoor area was especially soothing with the sound of the rain. There’s also a dedicated relaxation area where you can unwind afterwards and take your time before heading back out. Overall, it was a wonderfully calming experience and a great place to disconnect and recharge. I would definitely visit again.

Wonderful experience! Over the moon and felt like royalty 🤣 Was definitely an honor to be indulging in one of the ol’emperor’s favorite onsens. Too bad no photos are allowed in the onsens LOL The view was stunningly gorgeous. One of the spots that we loved so much along the way was the long corridor connecting to the next door hotel building , an absolute showstopper.

The best day spa I’ve ever experienced since coming to Japan. Everything was spotless. Some reviewers complained about the moldy-ness of the sauna- well, it’s not there. And yes there are water spots on the glass window but is to be expected when there is steam constantly from the hot spring. The outdoor bath 😘 the view of the mountains during winter, gorgeous!

Okay experience but not really worth the price. No finish sauna for the women and the men’s sauna was a bit smelly due to the Japanese way of putting towels in the sauna. View on the lake was quite nice though. The missing resting area within the Onsen makes you wanna leave after 1.5h.