A relaxing trip to Minakami onsen! 6 ryokan and hotels selected from a female perspective

In the midst of your repetitive daily routine, don't you sometimes wish for some time to do nothing or just a little time for yourself? Sometimes it's nice to take a relaxing trip just for yourself, without having to worry about anyone else... It might be nice to spend your time in a luxurious way. Minakami Onsen is just a 2-hour bullet onsen ride away from Tokyo, making it the perfect place to experience something out of the ordinary! Enjoy a relaxing, adult time at Minakami onsen, a place beloved by literary figures such as Yosano Akiko and Kitahara Hakushu.

If you're traveling alone as a woman, we recommend a comfortable inn with a calm atmosphere! Why not relax and unwind in our famous onsen and spend some time relaxing? In this article, we will introduce inns selected from a female perspective. We have collected hotels and ryokan that are as easy to access as possible, with shuttles from the nearest station or that are easily accessible by public transport.

*This article was created based on information from April 2023. Please check the official website for the latest information on plans.

"MICASA" is ryokan where you can feel the warm hospitality that only a small ryokan can offer. As the name "My House" in Spanish suggests, you can take off your shoes at the entrance and walk barefoot in the tatami lounge and wooden corridors. You can also use the free shuttle service between Minakami Station with an advance reservation, so even solo travelers can feel at ease!

There are 5 types of guest rooms in total. All rooms are Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats, so you can relax and enjoy your time lying down on the tatami! The Japanese-style room shown in the photo is 8 tatami mats + 6 tatami mats, and is divided into 2 rooms, so you have a lot of freedom in how you spend your time in the room.

The two large baths we are proud of are "Yama no Yu" and "Stone no Yu", both of which are natural hot springs! "Yama no Yu" is an open-air bath with a magnificent view of the Minakami mountains, while "Stone no Yu" is a spacious indoor bath with a high ceiling and large windows. In addition to the large bath, we also have private baths! They are free on weekdays and available for a fee on weekends and holidays, so we highly recommend the private baths for those who want to enjoy bath time without worrying about being seen by others.

meal is a satoyama country cuisine that focuses on local production for local consumption for both dinner and breakfast. You can enjoy the "taste of mom" made by the landlady. The main course of dinner is sukiyaki using specialties such as Joshu Wagyu beef, handmade konjac, and Joshu black pork from Gunma! Breakfast is a Japanese set meal that is gentle on the 1st or 2nd meal floor, with kiln-cooked rice and a Japanese set meal that is easy to eat at home. ♪

"Minakami Onsen Minakami Kogen Hotel 200" is a resort hotel complex that combines a ski resort, golf course, and activity facilities on a vast 6.6 acre site. Some people may think that a resort complex is only for families and not suitable for solo travelers, but there is no need to worry! There are many great points for solo travelers, including the free shuttle service from Jomo-Kogen Station or Minakami Station, which can be used by making a reservation in advance! You don't have to worry even if you don't have a car.

There are two types of rooms available for single guests: resort twin or standard twin. The photo shows a resort twin room. It is clean and has a cute color scheme. You can relax while looking at the magnificent view from the room.

Hot onsen are essential for refreshing yourself! Minakami Onsen Minakami Kogen Hotel 200 has a large public bath in the hotel building and an open-air bath called Rinraku in a separate building. Both are free to use! The spring quality is alkaline simple sulfur onsen and alkaline simple onsen respectively, so you can enjoy two types of onsen in one night. Enjoy the beauty water with its high pH and viscosity to your heart's content!

We recommend the buffet for both dinner and breakfast. meal has a wide variety of 60 types of Japanese, Western and Chinese food! The recommended menu changes monthly, and the roast beef that the chef cuts in front of you is very popular♪ For breakfast, they are proud of their freshly baked bread and freshly made omelettes, both of which can be enjoyed at "Shirakaba Dining" on the first floor. If you want to enjoy a more luxurious dinner, you can enjoy Italian courses, shabu-shabu, and mizutaki at "Restaurant Fujiwara" on the 11th floor◎

"Tanigawa onsen Minakami Sanso" is an irresistible inn for onsen lovers. It has three private hot springs! Located at the very back of Tanigawa onsen, it is a perfect ryokan for adult women, with beautiful views from the lounge and rooms. It also offers a shuttle service between Minakami Station, which is great for solo travelers.

For solo travelers, you can choose from the standard Japanese-style room (8 tatami mats + 3 tatami mats) shown in the photo, or a room with a semi-open-air bath with natural hot spring water facing Mt. Tanigawa. Both rooms are relaxing Japanese-style rooms where you can fully enjoy the nature of Mt. Tanigawa. The scent of the mountains, the sounds of nature, and the comfort of the tatami mats will gently soothe your tired mind. It's perfect for some luxurious time doing nothing!

The extremely popular onsen, which are said to "make your skin feel like it's sucking you in," are all 100% natural spring water! The women's bath has two indoor baths, the "Ancient Cypress Bath" and the "Rock Bath," as well as an open-air bath called "Gekko-no-yu." You can enjoy a magnificent view from the bath, and at night you can see a sky full of stars...♪ You'll definitely find yourself soaking in them for a long time!

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You can meal at the meal restaurant "Shikitei" or at the restaurant "Hagetsutei". Dinner is a seasonal kaiseki with plenty of carefully selected seasonal ingredients. Breakfast is a Japanese set of rice cooked in a kiln. It's easy to neglect meal when you're busy. Why don't you enjoy it slowly in a calm atmosphere?

About a 5-minute walk from JR Yubiso Station. Located in the Yubiso onsen area, the inn that exudes a sense of nostalgia is the Minakami onsen onsen Yubiso Onsen Tenku no Yu Nakaya Hotel. The warm atmosphere is sure to relax your mind! You can spend a relaxing time here.

Another great thing about this place is that they have rooms that are perfect for solo travelers! The 6 tatami compact Japanese-Western room with a semi-double bed (1 unit) shown in the photo is a renovated room for solo travelers. You can relax here, just like you would in your own room at home.

You can enjoy the hot onsen in three ways: the large public bath, the "Open-air bath in the sky (Ki no Yu/Ishi no Yu)," and the private bath "Relaxing Dark Bath (Tsuki no Yu/Hoshi no Yu)." In the open-air bath in the sky, you can have the magnificent mountain scenery and the starry sky all to yourself.

Dinner is a Japanese, Western and Chinese-style meal served in your room. in-room dining without having to worry about being seen by others is a great point for solo travelers. Breakfast is a buffet centered on Japanese side dishes that will make you feel like you're at home. Reminiscing about the nostalgic breakfast at grandma's house, let's start the day off right with a warm feeling♪

If you go along the Okutone Yukemuri Kaido road through the hot onsen town, you will come across the inn "Minakami Onsen Shoubun." After passing through a garden that captures the beauty of the four seasons, you will arrive at this rural inn that feels like you have come to another world. It is a space that is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. If you make a reservation in advance, there is also a free shuttle service to Minakami Station, so it is perfect for those who want to relax at the inn.

All guest rooms have an open-air bath and are spacious, measuring over 49㎡. You can relax in onsen whenever you like and for as long as you like. It's also nice that you can choose between a room in the main house or a detached building. The room in the photo is a guest room with an open-air bath in the detached building [Kaido].

The bath in the guest room with an open-air bath [Kaido] is semi-open-air. Being able to bathe in such a bath as much as you like is so luxurious! In addition to the guest rooms, there are two private baths, "Keisetsu-no-Yu" and "Iwa-no-Yu", which you can also use for free! It's irresistible for onsen lovers...♡

The mountaineer cuisine that Minakami Onsen Shoubun is proud of is a rustic dish that is a refined version of local cuisine, characterized by its delicacy and boldness. The breakfast is a hearty meal, with piping hot miso soup, sweetfish dried overnight, homemade sausages, and onsen eggs! Start your day off right with a full charge of energy and have a productive day!

"Pension Asanebou" is an inn that boasts an English garden and a private open-air bath. The warm welcome from the four mascot dogs (golden retrievers) is a unique soothing point! There is no shuttle service, but if you take the "Yunokoya/Takaragawa bound bus" from Minakami Station and get off at "Kyozuka", you will arrive in about 2 minutes on foot.

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If you are traveling alone, you can stay in the twin room shown in the photo. It is a simple and relaxing room. After checking in, take a stroll through the 1000m2 English garden. You can enjoy the seasonal changes of flowers, mainly 70 kinds of roses. There are tables in the garden, so we recommend having a coffee or a drink.

You can use the two indoor baths and the open-air bath for private use. Both are free and are timed for 40 minutes. The open-air bath is especially popular for its changing scenery throughout the year! Enjoy the beautiful scenery created by nature all to yourself!

meal are served in the dining area. Dinner is European home cooking, centered around the specialty baked pie, and breakfast is an English breakfast with freshly baked croissants, which is very popular. The owner's wife's warm home cooking is sure to soothe your tired soul!

Minakami onsen is one of the leading onsen areas in Japan. The quality of the spring water at each inn is excellent, so all you have to do is choose an inn that allows you to spend your time the way you like! Lounging on tatami mats? Indulging in delicious food? Relaxing while looking at the scenery...? Find the inn that's perfect for you and head out to enjoy the day!