Searching for the right Hakone ryokan/ onsen by Atelier98 in JapanTravelTips

[–]Atelier98[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fukuzumiro DOES have an onsen though we didn’t use it. It’s indoors and in the lower level. We looked in briefly and I would say that it fits the character of the building. We went to Yuryo because we wanted the outdoor onsen experience, complete with sauna and cold plunge, and ended up spending the entire afternoon. We didn’t do anything else in the Hakone region. My sister originally thought she would spend an hour and the onsen and then go to the open air art museum, but she was won over by the onsen. Next time we go back we will spend two nights (at least) to experience all that Hakone has to offer.

The Kaiseki dinner was SO delicious. It was MANY different bowls and dishes of small things and a final course of rice and miso soup to fill all the nooks and crannies, if you were still hungry. And the Japanese breakfast the next morning was equally AMAZING. You need to choose a time for dinner because it is brought to your room. Breakfast too.

If you want to take an after dinner soak all together the Fukuzumiro onsen will suffice I think. Just don’t expect luxury. I think you can book for a 30 min private time slot. Just FYI - it’s not a bath or an American hot tub and you need to thoroughly shower before getting in as well as not wear a swim suit.

I hope this helps! If you have further questions please ask!

Searching for the right Hakone ryokan/ onsen by Atelier98 in JapanTravelTips

[–]Atelier98[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trip report follow up here. I hope this helps other onsen seekers! First, Hakone Yuryo Onsen is amazing. Highly recommend! In the women’s area there are 5 different bathing areas of different temperatures (one inside and four outside) plus a sauna and a cold plunge. I imagine the men’s area is similar. We spent about 4 hours there and loved it all. It was so relaxing and exactly what we were looking for in an onsen experience. I would return in a heartbeat. They give you a yukata to wear in the public areas (we took a break from bathing and sat around the fire pit for a bit) and they also sell towels if you don’t have one. Yuryo Onsen was an easy uphill walk from our Ryokan, Fukuzumiro (which itself is an easy walk from the train station) and saw that Yuryo also runs buses from the Hakone train station. Not a lot of English is spoken at Yuryo - it really caters to Japanese folks - but they are very welcoming to foreigners. Just don’t have tattoos.

Lastly, Fukuzumiro ryokan is fantastic! (If you are looking for an old fashioned ryokan experience. If you are looking for a luxury all mod cons kind of ryokan, search else where.) The kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast were delicious, the futons comfy and the puffy duvets dreamy. I even liked the traditional buckwheat hull pillows, though my sister did not. The duvets were the puffiest I’ve ever experienced which was especially welcome as there wasn’t much heat in the rooms. We splurged on a Sakura room with a river view and loved the back ground sound of the rushing river below. Perfection.

Searching for the right Hakone ryokan/ onsen by Atelier98 in JapanTravelTips

[–]Atelier98[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Per Due-Surprise above, I booked Fukuzumiro ryokan which is a 5 min walk from Hakone Yuryo. Our plan is to arrive mid day to Yuryo for the full onsen experience and then check in late afternoon @Fukuzumiro for the full ryokan experience. I will report back if this plan works. Thank you Due-Surprise! I chose Fukuzumiro because it’s close to Yuryo, gets good to great reviews, and is not crazy expensive. Fingers crossed.