Onsen for couples

Hi there!
I'm planning a travel with my boyfriend to Japan in mid of November and I want to know a good ryokan for couples.

I'm looking for something very traditional, not western hotel like. And natural warm water!

Is there someone here who had a great experience to share?

Thanks in advance! =)

It would be easier to recommend if you are able
to be more specific of the areas you are visiting. There are so many onsens in Japan, and Japan is a vast country.

Actually I don't mind about the location. I just want to know the possibilities that people here may have experienced. I'm open to recomendations!

I might be biased, but if you're up for anything and don't have a region in mind yet, then try to get off the beaten city path and look for romantic onsen getaways in rural places--and they're everywhere. Out of the Shimane onsen areas I know, Yunotsu in Oda City is part of a world heritage site and retains old-timey charm. Tamatsukuri Onsen in Matsue City has more amenities and things to do nearby, and has more updated and decorative ryokan to choose from. Sagi-no-Yu in Yasugi City has a nice little ryokan across from Adachi Museum of Art (home to the nationally top-tanked Japanese garden), and I know for certain they have a family bath you can book. Yunotsu and Tamatsukuri have a variety of ryokan to choose from, and many will have a family onsen you can book a time for you and your boyfriend to use privately. Out of these, Tamatsukuri is my personal favorite.

As for looking for the right ryokan, Rakuten might be your best bet, but I'm not sure how many are listed on the English version of the website. You could also check out this site, but it certainly doesn't cover all your options: http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/

Thankfully in my onsen experience across Japan, I don't recall any lukewarm onsen except for a few free outdoor footbaths--however, many of those can get extremely hot all year round!

Actually I don't mind about the location. I just want to know the possibilities that people here may have experienced. I'm open to recommendations!


TAKEFUE is so special, very much for special occasion, could be an experience of a life time. I highly recommend the place :

​http://www.takefue.com/english/tourism/index.html

Thank you so much for your recomendation guys! =)

I'll read about them carefully! Seems to be a great experience. I heard that autumm is a great time to visit Japan due the food. Seems soome these places offers some good traditional food too!

Go to Hakone. There is plenty of ryokan onsen inn there. I went to Hoeiso Onsen where it Japanese Traditional and I love it! I get to go bath outside by the river and enjoyed the views.

Takaragawa Onsen (http://www.takaragawa.com/english.html) has mixed bathing in a beautiful riverside location, which is ideal for couples. There are also inside baths which are single-sex. They have both Japanese and Western rooms, and provide meals both in-room and in the restaurant. They're very good, and provide English-speaking guides when you check in so you don't get lost. You can purchase rooms through their site or through Rakuten.

If you're going near Fujisan, 'Yukemuri Fuji no Yado Ooike Hotel' has a chartered onsen that you can reserve. There is also a couple of tubs segregated by gender. One has an amazing view of Fujisan.

We had a great time there. Be sure to request a traditional Japanese room, since they also have Western style rooms. Our room was a traditional Japanese room with a fantastic view of Fujisan.

You should be able to find it through Google or PM me and I'll send you the address.

The only problem with Hakone is that the water has a lot of sulphur in it, so it smells like you wouldn't believe. The water at Takayama is good (stayed at Tanabe Ryokan and would recommend it, also Hotel Associa is good for the Onsen but isn't traditional), and Kamikouchi is really nice too (stayed at Onsen Hotel and loved it, onsen is really good), Kanazawa had nearly black water which I think was due to iron content (stayed at Hotel Hakuchoro which is really good, but more of a hotel), Karuizawa is nice (Tsuruya, brilliant especially because it caters well to first timers and westerners). Iwamotoro at Enoshima has great onsens though I don't know whether it is really natural water. I don't know whether you wanted a bath where you can go in together. None of those places had private baths that I can recall.

I bookmarked this question from 2012. It has Uji's top 9 hotsprings in Japan, and in Uji I trust:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+94500

It also contains the Rakuten Travel Ranking, and the Jalan Ranking.

This is probably a good list to start with. When you book a hotel, you might want to select Ensuite Private Bath, so that you can enjoy the bath together. JAPANiCAN has this as one of it's filters. This will cost more, but it may make the experience better. Not every location will have these. I would suggest putting in the Oita prefecture (Beppu, Yufuin) and then click on the filter to see what pops up.

I hope this helps...

In terms of a private, natural onsen for couples, how about UNESCO-listed Tsuboyu at Yunomine Onsen? It's essentially a timber shed built around a small bath in the hot river water, and can only be used by 2 or 3 people at a time, in a 30 min allocated timeslot. That doesn't sound like long, but the water is hotter than usual so you won't want longer anyway http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4953.html
There's lots of lovely minshuku nearby.http://www.hongu.jp/en/onsen/yunomine/tsuboyu/
http://japan-web-magazine.com/japanese/worldheritage/index/tsuboyu.jpg

What sat said.
Plus Yado no Lamp, edge of Noto peninsular. Pool that looks out to the sea. Sounds of waves at nights. Private onsen bath.

Plus Urashima Hotel, Kii-Katsura station, south of ise, east of Nachi no Taki
Beautiful and large, this property requires a boat to get to and boast 7 onsens and a private onsen and a rock bath. One of the 7 onsen is Japan largest's cave bath. (maybe only cave bath)

I know Kurokawa has a cave hot spring, so I know there is at least one besides the two at Hotel Urashima:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4575.html

At the Hotel Urashima, I like the lower sea cave better than the upper one. You are closer to the water, and can hear the waves chashing against the rocks as you soak in the pool. If you go there, get the buffet at the upper resteraunt, and ask when the Tuna carving demonstration is.

They are everywhere but if the onsen bath is attached to a room, you pay a lot and the bath is the smallest.
If you want a regular or low rate and kashikiri time chartered private, there are many for a day use but most are indoor. To stay a night the selection will be more limited.
If you happen to go to Yufuin, Kyushu, Yawaraginoyu Yadoya has 3 outdoor onsen baths as kashikiri private for free & the ryokan rate is on the low side.

Erin, Takaragawa Onsen looks really great, do you know if they allow people come and use the hot springs without staying the night? The website doesn't say and there's no contact infor given.
Or does anyone know of mixed gender onsens within a couple hours of Tokyo that allow use of the onsen without staying the night?

durrink, I don't think I can pm you as you were logged in as a guest, but if you see this, I'd be interested in how much it was for renting a private onsen at the Yukemuri Fuji no Yado Ooike Hotel that you recommended.
I found it on google but didn't see rates for the onsen rental.

Takaragawa Onsen looks really great, do you know if they allow people come and use the hot springs without staying the night?

Yes, they do and I think that's how most people visit Takaragawa Onsen. More info on this page:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7463.html

Or does anyone know of mixed gender onsens within a couple hours of Tokyo that allow use of the onsen without staying the night?

Sure, what's your range? I'd recommend the Okuhida area which has quite a few mixed gender baths.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5942.html