HAKONE: Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun
For full itinerary, read Japan Trip 2017: 7D6N Spring in Tokyo & Hakone
Here is one of the must do in Hakone, dip into the hot spring water!!! Hakone is one of Japan’s most popular hot spring resorts. There are many bath houses and ryokan around this area. Most of the ryokan here open their bath to walk in visitors at a fee while some only cater for overnight guests. If you are too shy to have a dip in the public bath, make a visit here where you can wear your swim suit and luxuriously splash the hot spring water!
Hakone Kowaki-en Yunessun
Yunessun Hot Spring & Spa Resort is more like a water theme park than hot spring alone, a leisure facility that best for families and friend to come together. It is divided into zones; Yunessun is the themed pool where you can have fun and enjoy the dips in your swim suit; Mori No Yu is the open-air hot spring that filled with Japanese atmosphere but this is considered as a naked zone (men and women in separated bath, of course).
Many thanks to Japan Walker, the interesting travel magazine about Japan, for introducing this awesome theme park. It was indeed an amazing experience in this theme park to me and I walked out with the doink doink smooth skin after dipping in the hot spring water for hours.
Purchase the ticket at Yunessun front desk, you will be given a wristband that works like your wallet. You can use it at the restaurants, vending machine inside this area without worrying your valuables. They will total up and bill you before leaving the facility. So, worry not and get to the locker, change and then enjoy the splashing moment.
You may rent your swimsuit here if you didn’t bring yours along.
The Swimsuit Zone, Yunessun is pretty huge, there are The Gods’ Aegean Sea once you enter and Dr Fish Foot Bath with Dr Fish (chargeable at ¥ 100 each time) nibble the dead skin away. What makes this place interesting is the drink-themed spa such as Green Tea Spa which is riche of catechins, Japanese Sake Spa where real sake is constantly drip out from the wooden cask, Coffee Spa, Wine Spa and another spa changes every month according to the theme. It was the maple syrup theme during my visit. These pools are more than just coloured water. They are actually filled with real drink except they are only “drinkable” to the skin. I could smell the aromatic scent of the coffee.
Don’t miss out the “pouring” performance that is scheduled 3 times a day at the Coffee Spa and Wine Spa. Get to know that the coffee is brewed at low temperature hot spring water with the coarsely ground beans using the flannel drip method and then poured into the pool barrel-by-barrel.
Wine Spa. Said to be loved by Cleopatra and Queen Mary in the past as a “rejuvenating bath” and will make your skin smoother and glowing with the dose of antioxidants in the wine.
At the outdoor section, there is Rodeo Mountain with slides where the kids love; Dragon Waterfall, Hot Spring Cave and the open-air hot spring with a picturesque view. This was the place I enjoyed the view of Sakura in the dip. So soothing!!!
Before leaving, you may get some Hakone souvenirs from the Mio Mall in this building. I bought some bath salt, packed in a variety of flavours such as Ramen flavours, Collagen, Sake, Wine and etc.
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun
1297 Ninotaira,
Hakone-machi,
Ashigarashimo-gun,
Kanagawa 250-0407, Japan
Tel. +81 (0)460-82-4141
Fax. +81 (0)460-82-4136
Getting here:
Ride the Hakone Tozan Bus or Izuhakone Bus in the direction of Moto-hakone-ko/Hakone-machi and get off at the Kowakien Stop. Yunessun Inn is a 5-minute walk via the indoor connecting passageway from Hakone Kowakien Yunessun.
it is approximately 40 minutes from Odawara Station, 20 minutes from Hakone-yumoto Station
Ride the Izuhakone Bus in the direction of Kojiri/Hakone-en and get off at the Yunessun Inn Stop.
It is approximately 40 minutes from Odawara Station, 20 minutes from Hakone-yumoto Station
Admission fee:
Yunessun (Swimsuit Zone): Adult ¥ 2,900; Children ¥ 1,600
Mori no Yu (Naked Zone): Adult ¥ 1,900; Children ¥ 1,200
Both zones: Adult ¥ 4,100; Children ¥ 2,100
