6 Onsen Inns in Western Japan with Mystical Cave Baths - Only in this Region!

Traveling around sightseeing spots with friends you can't put your mind at ease, enjoying travel gourmet to your heart's content, and talking late into the night at the inn... The best part of a girls' trip is that you can forget about your daily hustle and bustle and enjoy yourself to your heart's content. While you and your friends are busy, choosing a place to stay is important because you plan to go on a trip. However, to be honest, all accommodations are similar... Have you ever thought that? Then choose an inn where you can have a unique experience!

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If you want a unique experience, we recommend staying at an inn with a cave bath! A ``cave bath'' is a bath with onsen inside a natural or hand-dug cave. It is rare in Japan to find an inn where you can take a bath inside a cave. There is something mysterious inside the cave that will make you forget the time. Let's have a rare experience and create common memories with friends ♡ This time we will introduce 6 inns with "cave baths" in western Japan. You can take a trip that is a little different from the usual.

Ogawa onsen Hotel Ogawa is an inn surrounded by mountains. This is an inn where you can enjoy Ogawa onsen which has been open for about 400 years, in five uniquely designed baths. It is located about 15 minutes by car from the Hokuriku Expressway Asahi IC in the direction of Unazuki. There is also a free shuttle bus from Kurobe Unazuki onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and Tomari Station on the Ainokaze Railway, making it easy to access from afar. Listen to the sound of the murmuring stream at an inn on the banks of a river.

The ``Kimono Room'' is a luxurious Japanese-style room with a spacious space and a beautiful view of greenery from the large windows. If you sit on the sofa prepared by the window, you will be able to enjoy the spectacular view of nature. It would be nice to lounge around on the tatami mats together while feeling the natural air coming in through the windows ♪ I think you can spend a peaceful time away from everyday life.

There are 5 types of baths: a natural cave open-air bath, an open-air bath "Renge no Yu", an open-air rock bath, a cypress barrel open-air bath, and a large public bath. It is irresistible for onsen lovers. When you visit, you definitely want to take a bath at the "natural cave open-air bath" located about 8 minutes on foot from the inn. It is a cave formed by the solidification of Yunohana, and is designated as a natural monument. Since it is a mixed bath, don't forget to rent a bathing suit at the front desk. You can take a bath while feeling the beauty created by nature with your whole body.

*The cave is closed from December to early April every year, so if you plan to use the cave bath, we recommend making a reservation from May to November.

If you want to enjoy a sense of openness, we recommend the women-only open-air bath “Renge no Yu”! This is also about an 8-minute walk from the inn, but if you think that a superb view is waiting for you at the end of the road, you will arrive in no time. You can enjoy the cool scenery of green mountains and flowing water to your heart's content! It is because it is an unexplored inn that you can enter such an exciting onsen. Let's go home while chatting on the way home. The wind feels good on your burning body. There are also large public baths and other baths, so let's enjoy the hot spring tour as long as time permits.

*This is also closed from December to early April every year.

"Kabeyu Natural Cave onsen ryokan Fukumotoya" is about 30 minutes by car from JR "Bungomori Station". The inn is located along a clear stream, and the air is so clear that you can sometimes see fireflies in the summer. Inside the building, which has a history of about 100 years, there are chests of drawers and old items from the time of the establishment, and you can feel the atmosphere of good old Japan. The warm hospitality of the owner and local ladies will warm your heart. Interacting with the locals is one of the best parts of traveling.

The room is a Japanese-style room with a nostalgic retro atmosphere. If you open the window of the room full of atmosphere, you can see the refreshing river. The air is filled with negative ions and makes you want to take a deep breath. Make some tea and relax. Dinner and breakfast are served at the meal on the first floor. You can enjoy delicious rice grown in-house by Fukumotoya and country cuisine made with local ingredients. All the water used at the inn comes from onsen source. Your body and mind will be relaxed by onsen and delicious food.

This is the famous "open-air cave bath"! It is a carefully selected natural onsen that has been gushing out for about 300 years. It's built to blend in with nature, so there's no feeling of pressure. The water is lukewarm at about 39 degrees, so long baths are OK. It's a mixed bath, but even if you don't have the courage to go into a mixed bath by yourself, it's easy to do it with a friend. There is also a hand-dug cave bath exclusively for women, so why not try both and enjoy the different tastes?

There is also a private bath. You can have a girl talk without worrying about anyone. The stately bath will make you feel as if you have traveled back in time.

source:Contribution of mno

``Nachi-Katsuura Onsen Large Cave onsen Spring Bokido Hotel Urashima'' is located in Nachi onsen Katsuura Town Wakayama. If you walk for about 5 minutes from JR Kii-Katsuura Station, you will see the Katsuura Port sightseeing pier. The hotel is located on a cape created by the rise of the ocean floor, so you board a shuttle boat from this sightseeing pier and head to the hotel. You will be excited from the beginning of your journey! The hotel consists of a total of four buildings, including the ``main building'' and the ``mountain building'' located on top of the mountain. There are 393 guest rooms, making it seem like the entire cape is a hotel.

This is the shuttle boat "Urashima Maru" from the sightseeing pier to the hotel. Let's ride a turtle like "Urashima Taro" and head to "Hotel Urashima" which is not Ryugu Castle. There is no doubt that girls' trips will be exciting with extraordinary experiences like Japanese folk tales!

The rooms in the four buildings have different views and room types, so you can choose according to your preferences and number of people. We recommend the rooms in the Yamanouekan. The room is located on top of a mountain with a great view, and you can see the endless Pacific Ocean with a large panorama of more than 270 degrees. On days with good weather, you can also see the sunrise over the horizon. If everyone bathes in the light of the morning sun, it will be a pleasant start.

There are five onsen scattered around Hotel Urashima, and you can enjoy visiting them. Among them, the natural cave bath ``Bokido'' is recommended. It is said that it was named after Yorimichi Tokugawa of Kishu during the Taisho period, who praised it as ``so comfortable that it makes you forget to go home.'' You can enjoy an impressive natural cave hot onsen with a width of about 25 meters, a depth of about 50 meters, and a height of about 15 meters. The Pacific Ocean spreads out beyond the cave, and the dynamic relationship between the cave and the sea will leave you speechless.

This is another cave onsen "Genbudo". There is also a washroom inside the cave, so if you line up with your friends and wash, you might be able to enjoy it as if you were on a school trip. The dynamic rock surface and onsen created by natural waves will give you powerful energy.

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Approximately 20 minutes by car from JR Misumi Line Misumi Station, Yurakutei. There is also a shuttle service to the nearest bus stop, so it is safe for those who come by train. Legend has it that when the first owner of the temple was bowled by a dream, onsen sprang up. You can enjoy two types of hot spring water, the colorless and transparent "white hot water" and the dark brown "red hot water". Many guests come just for the cave bath, making it a popular inn.

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There are two types of rooms here, one with a view of the garden from the window and the other with a view of the countryside. You can feel the nostalgic feeling of the Showa period from the carefully maintained rooms, and you will feel at peace. Recommended for girls who want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The heartwarming scenery of the garden has an excellent healing effect ♡

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After taking a break, let's head to the famous "large cave bath"! If you go to the back of the open-air bath, there is an entrance to the cave bath. It's like an entrance to another world, and it's kind of exciting...

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Beyond the entrance is a large cavern bath measuring 33 meters in length! Apparently it was hand-dug by the inn's family! The cavern bath was slowly and steadily carved out over time, and it's so impressive that it's hard to believe it was hand-dug. As you go deeper into the cave, you'll notice that there is a lot of hot spring mineral deposits at your feet, which is proof that onsen is of high quality. This large cavern bath, open-air bath, and indoor bath all have red water, while the rock bath has white water. Men and women take turns bathing, so please enjoy all onsen.

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The cave bath is not the only highlight of the inn. The food is also popular. For dinner, enjoy a creative kaiseki course made with seafood from Amakusa. A lineup that will satisfy fish lovers, with plenty of volume! Breakfast is grilled fish and
You can enjoy comforting Japanese dishes such as local Fukurengi tofu and the inn's recommended fish bowl miso soup. Coffee brewed with onsen water has a mellow taste that soaks into your body after just waking up.

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Kurokawa Onsen onsen Shinmeikan is located about an hour by car from Hita IC. This historic inn was founded in 1903 and is famous for its cave bath, which took 13 years to carve with a single chisel. The surrounding area is a onsen town, and there are also cafes and souvenir shops. It's also a good idea to wear a yukata and take a walk to find your favorite spot.

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Cave bath entrance for women only. It feels like you're in a movie. The inside is a little cramped, so it is recommended that you wear a yukata so that you can quickly put on and take off your clothes.

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A changing room in a rustic cave. Women's trips are the best because you can share rare experiences right away!

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amazing! I can't believe it was carved with just a chisel! Not only onsen, but also the steam inside the cave will keep you warm to the core. After taking a bath, take a break by the hearth to cool off your body's hot flashes. In addition to cave baths, there are rock baths, cave baths, and family baths.

Dinner is a multi-course meal with wild vegetables as the main dish. Freshwater fish and meat grilled over the charcoal fire in the hearth are exceptionally delicious. It is an irreplaceable blissful moment to enjoy gourmet food with all five senses, not just with your tongue. Try local sake to accompany your meal.

Approximately 30 minutes by Furusato Taxi from Noto Airport (reservation required). ``Noto Kujukuwan Hyakurakuso'' stands on a hill overlooking Kujukuwan Bay. You can see the spectacular view of Kujuku Bay from everywhere in the hotel, including the lobby, observation bathroom, guest rooms, and meal, and you can enjoy the view that changes with the hour to your heart's content. There is also a pier where you can enjoy fishing, so you can forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and relax in nature.

The ``Gulf Suite Kaiyu'' is a high-class suite that overlooks the spectacular view of Kujuku Bay, and comes with an open-air bath. A hammock is placed on the terrace, making for an open and luxurious stay. There is also a premium lounge and meal exclusive to the 9 suites, perfect for a reward trip with friends ♡

The interior of the lit-up cave is very photogenic…♡ The cave is filled with deep sea water drawn from a depth of 320m, about 3.7km offshore from Kujuku Bay. You can spend a blissful time both physically and mentally in the fantastic light and mineral-rich deep sea water.

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How about fishing at the exclusive fishing pier that juts out into Kujuku Bay? Drop the fishing line on the idyllic sea, and it will be exciting to see who can catch the most! The best location just to see the sea. Your mind will relax.

onsen are one of the real pleasures of traveling, but there are probably few people who have experienced a “cave onsen”. There is no doubt that you will be thrilled by the rugged rock surface and the rising steam of the cave, a sight that you can not easily experience. Let's go on a special girls' trip that is a little different than usual ♪