Hacchonoyu

Published: Aug 11, 2026

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

OkukinuHacchonoyuhidden onsenwalk-in onlyNikko

Representative image — not a photograph of this location.

There are four inns in the Okukinu hot spring group, at the head of the Kinugawa valley inside Nikko National Park, and no public road reaches any of them. Private cars stop at the Meotobuchi car park, and from there it is a forest track: 4.5 kilometres and about an hour and twenty minutes on foot to Hacchonoyu. Staying guests can book a shuttle; day visitors walk.

The reward is water that has not been touched. The springs here rise naturally and the baths run entirely on free-flowing untreated water — no heating, no recirculation, no top-up. The open-air baths date from 1929 and sit beside a waterfall, with a mixed bath, a women-only bath looking at the falls, and log-cabin buildings that have grown up around them. The whole area calls itself the last hidden hot spring of the Kanto region, which for once is close to literally true: an hour and twenty minutes of walking is the entry fee.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Day bathing 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Shuttle for staying guests departs Meotobuchi at 12:00, 3:00 and 5:30 PM, by advance booking

Closed: Open year-round | Access severely limited by snow from December to March — confirm before travelling

Entrance Fee

Day bathing ¥800 | Free parking at Meotobuchi | Bus Kinugawa Onsen Station to Meotobuchi around ¥1,570

Best Season

Late October–early November for autumn colour on the trail | June–October for the easiest walking

Visit Duration

Half a day minimum including the walk | Overnight recommended

Getting There

Access Information

Kawamata, Nikko, in the Okukinu hot spring group. Private cars must stop at the free Meotobuchi car park; the road beyond is closed to general traffic. From there it is 4.5 km, around 1 hour 20 minutes, on the walking trail, or a shuttle bus for staying guests only, which must be booked in advance and departs at 12:00, 3:00 and 5:30 PM. Bus from Kinugawa Onsen Station to Meotobuchi costs around ¥1,570. Day bathing ¥800, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, no reservation required.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Day visitors walk. There is no way round it.** The shuttle from Meotobuchi is for staying guests only and must be booked in advance. If you are coming for the bath alone, budget nearly three hours of walking on top of the bath itself, and start early enough to be back before dark. **The day-bathing window is six hours.** Nine to three. Working backwards, that means leaving Meotobuchi by about 1:00 PM at the very latest, and realistically by mid-morning. **Carry everything.** There are no shops on the trail and nothing at Meotobuchi. Water, food, a towel, and a torch if there is any chance of finishing late. **Consider staying.** The point of Okukinu is being there in the evening, when the day walkers have gone and the only light is the inn. Rooms are booked well ahead, particularly in autumn. **Snow closes it.** The trail and the access road are in serious snow country. Winter access is limited and conditions change quickly — confirm with the inn before setting out between December and March.

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