Nikkou swa onsen
Hot Spring Overview
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Nikkosawa Onsen is a hidden‐spring inn located in Kawamata, Nikkō City, Tochigi Prefecture, and is the inn deepest in the Oku‐Kinugawa Onsenkyo. With a history dating back to 1841 (late Edo period), it was originally opened as a simple bath hut.
The inn draws from multiple sources. The indoor baths are separated by gender, while the two‐tiered open‐air bath is generally mixed‐gender. Day‐trip bathing is available from 9:00 to 15:00 for ¥600, and overnight stays (with two meals) run about ¥9,800 per person.
Housed in a wooden structure styled like a mountain lodge, the indoor baths feature dedicated changing rooms for men and women, and the outdoor baths have simple shelters for undressing. As a proper ryokan, it offers all the basic amenities and is staffed full‐time. Though the outdoor bath is normally mixed‐gender, it is reserved for women only from 19:00 to 21:00, and during mixed hours bathers may wear towels.
Hot Spring Details
Practical Info
Visit Log
Bath Types
Facilities
Access Information
From JR Agatsuma Line’s Kinugawa‐Onsen Station, take a bus for 75 minutes and alight at Mefukazawa Parking.
From there, it’s about a 1 hr 30 min walk along a maintained trail; the final incline is moderately steep.
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About Secluded Rating
Access (Difficulty to Reach)
Over 1 hour walk
Scenery & Atmosphere
Untouched nature
Onsen Value
Historic unique spring
Although the 1½-hour hike exceeds the typical 10–30 min “secret‐spring” access definition for Level 3, the well‐maintained path and full inn services balance the challenge. Overall, it still rates as Level 3: managed by a dedicated innkeeper with full facilities, yet accessed only by a relatively demanding mountain‐trail hike.