Hottarakashi Onsen — Acchi-no-yu

A view bath that opens an hour before sunrise — from the night lights of the Kofu basin to Mt Fuji at dawn

Hottarakashi Onsen sits on a hillside at about 700 m above Fuefukigawa Fruit Park in Yamanashi city, a day-use open-air bath famous nationwide for an overwhelming view: from rotenburo with barely a roof or wall — “hottarakashi” means “left to itself” — you look down over the whole Kofu basin to Mt Fuji beyond. Its signature is the opening time: it opens every day one hour before sunrise, so from the tub you watch the basin’s night lights fade into dawn and Fuji’s silhouette turn red (around 6:00 in December–February). There are two separate bathhouses. “Acchi-no-yu” (“that bath over there”), covered on this page, is the larger one added in 2003 and faces east, best for sunrise and night views; the original “Kocchi-no-yu” (“this bath here”) is half the size with Fuji straight ahead, but closes at 17:00 on weekdays and shuts for winter. Each has its own ¥900 ticket, and if you can’t decide, rolling the dice at reception is the house tradition. The water is a strongly alkaline simple spring of pH 9.6–10, slippery and gentle; the source is cool so it is heated, but the big outdoor tubs run mild — ideal for long, scenic soaks. There is no sauna, and with no roof the rain and snow fall straight into the bath, which is all part of the “left to itself” charm. The on-site diner Momotaro serves a morning set (rice topped with a fried egg) and the famous deep-fried soft-boiled egg, the standard post-dawn meal, and the shop’s souvenir tenugui is a collector’s item among onsen fans. Public transport is limited to a 10-minute taxi from JR Yamanashi-shi Station, so a rental car (25 min from Katsunuma IC) or a bus tour from Tokyo is realistic. Fuji is sharpest in the morning and often hazes over by midday — come at dawn. Open daily until 22:00 (last entry 21:30).

Tips & cautions

- Opens one hour before sunrise (about 6:00 in Dec–Feb), until 22:00. Open daily. Check sunrise time the day before and arrive 30 min early — there is a queue for the first bath.

- Acchi-no-yu and Kocchi-no-yu are charged separately; no re-entry. Kocchi-no-yu closes at 17:00 on weekdays and for winter.

- Fuji is clearest in the morning and often hazy by afternoon; night views are from Acchi-no-yu.

- No roof over the rotenburo — rain, snow and strong sun come straight in. Winter dawns are below freezing; move quickly from changing room to bath.

- The water is mild — hydrate during long soaks, and seniors should watch for body-heat loss.

- Tattoos: famous tourist onsen with no confirmed policy — ask at the desk.

- No public transport — book the return taxi (about ¥2,000 to Yamanashi-shi Station); taxis are scarce at dawn.

- Afterwards, the Momotaro morning set and fried soft egg, then Fruit Park walks and Katsunuma wineries.

Getting there

~10 min by taxi from JR Yamanashi-shi Station (Chuo Line), Yatsubo 1669-18, Yamanashi city — above Fuefukigawa Fruit Park. From Shinjuku, Limited Express Kaiji to Yamanashi-shi in ~1 h 30 min (services stopping at Enzan or Yamanashi-shi). By car ~25 min from Katsunuma IC or ~30 min from Ichinomiya-Misaka IC on the Chuo Expressway; large free car park. Tel. 0553-23-1526.