Northern Kanto | Popular hotels and Ryokan (Japanese inn) based on reviews!

Absolutely! For a fantastic gensen kakenagashi experience with great views in Kinugawa Onsen, I highly recommend the Kinugawa Plaza Hotel. This hotel boasts an incredible location, directly overlooking the breathtaking Kinugawa Gorge. They have special guest rooms called "Sui" which feature your own 100% pure, free-flowing private open-air bath (rotenburo). You can choose rooms facing either the mountain stream or the mountainside, both offering serene views. The hot spring water itself is a mild alkaline simple spring, known for being gentle on the skin. You can enjoy this wonderful onsen water not just in those private room baths, but also in their charming communal open-air baths and the spacious indoor public baths (daiyokujo). When it comes to dining, you're spoiled for choice! The Kinugawa Plaza Hotel has four different restaurants offering a variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, all prepared using fresh, local ingredients.

Located at the highest point in onsen(hot spring) Onsen, this hotel offers a great view. From the garden open-air bath, you can enjoy the famous hot springs of Kinugawa while looking out at the Nikko mountains in all four seasons. This luxurious hotel allows you to experience Japanese hospitality and onsen(hot spring) culture, and is popular with foreign tourists as well.

For a graduation trip with a group of 5, especially if you're looking for great value (or what we call "cos-pa" – cost performance – in Japan!), you really can't go wrong with Itoen Hotel Kusatsu. They have spacious rooms that can actually fit up to 8 people, so your group of 5 will have plenty of space to hang out. The real highlight for many groups, especially students, is the dining: Dinner: It's an all-you-can-eat buffet with a huge variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes. Plus, it includes unlimited soft drinks AND an all-you-can-drink alcohol menu (beer, sake, shochu, wine, etc.) – perfect for celebrating your graduation! Breakfast: Also a generous buffet with both Japanese and Western options, including fruits and fresh juices to start your day right. Now for the onsen – which is what Kusatsu is famous for! They have fantastic large public baths with gensen kakenagashi (100% pure, free-flowing hot spring water directly from the source). These public baths also feature an outdoor bath (rotenburo), a sauna, and a cold water bath (mizuburo) to cool down. A huge plus for groups, especially if some members are new to onsen culture: They offer free private reservable baths (kashikiri buro)! This is a fantastic option if anyone in your group feels a bit hesitant about the communal bathing culture (being nude with strangers). You can enjoy the onsen experience just with your friends. And for more group fun: The hotel offers free table tennis. There are also karaoke rooms you can use for free (usually for one hour per group). These are super popular, so if you want to belt out some tunes, make sure to book your karaoke slot as soon as you check in!

 I have never seen a hotel buffet with this much variety. And what's more, it's all delicious. The second you walk into the dining hall, the sheer selection is almost dizzying. Then, there’s the bathing area—which is just as overwhelming in its size and the number of baths available. They offer several different water temperatures, so you can choose whatever suits you best. It's like a "buffet of baths," too. On top of all that, the staff are clearly well-trained and very pleasant.

This inn is located along the Kinugawa River, and has a small number of rooms, so you can relax and enjoy a quiet stay. You can see the Kinugawa River from your room and from the private open-air bath, so you can spend some quality time with your mother and child. The open-air bath is very quiet and has the atmosphere of a hidden hot spring, so you can relax and unwind.

This is a European-style resort hotel located at an altitude of 1,200 meters. Surrounded by the "Baelz Forest," it’s a place where you can spend a truly healing time immersed in nature. They offer an attractive Japanese, Western, and Chinese buffet, featuring menus centered around local Gunma ingredients. They hold seasonal fairs with different themes, so you'll never get bored no matter how many times you visit. The buffet isn't just for dinner; they offer it for breakfast as well. The fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth omelets, cooked one by one right in front of you, are very popular. The onsen includes indoor baths and open-air baths with free-flowing spring water (gensen kakenagashi), and there is also a sauna. Furthermore, there are five different types of private, reservable open-air baths. A free shuttle bus is available to get to the "Yubatake" (Kusatsu's symbol) and the Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal.

This hot spring inn faces the Kinugawa Valley. The open-air bath along the Kinugawa River has a nice view, and when it's quiet you can hear the murmuring of the river. The rooms are pure Japanese-style rooms with a good view of the hot spring town. The rooms are 8 tatami mat Japanese-style rooms with a wide veranda.

If you're going with your friend's family, I really recommend "Hotel Village"! The dinner buffet has an incredible variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese food—it's so much fun just deciding what to get. You can also get freshly prepared steak and sushi from the live kitchen. They also have plenty of kid-friendly favorites like french fries, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and desserts, so it's a huge relief even if you have picky eaters. I think it's the kind of buffet where everyone, both adults and kids, can truly eat their fill of all their favorite things.

It is a 3-minute walk from the nearest station, Kinugawa Koen Station, so it is recommended as it can be reached even without a car. There are various types of rooms, including rooms with a panoramic view of the Kinugawa River and rooms with open-air baths. You can fully enjoy the Japanese atmosphere. There are three types of hot springs: a large bath, an open-air bath, and a private family bath. The large bath has a large window from which you can soak in the water while looking out at the nature of the Kinugawa River. The open-air bath feels like a hidden hot spring surrounded by nature. Meals are Japanese kaiseki cuisine with local seasonal ingredients. If you contact them in advance, they will take care of allergies as much as possible.

 If you're looking for a quiet place to stay in Kusatsu Onsen, I highly recommend Boun. It's a 'shinise,' a long-established ryokan (traditional inn) with a rich history, so it has a wonderfully calm and sophisticated atmosphere. It's not loud or chaotic at all; it's the perfect place to truly appreciate some quiet, 'adult' time alone. But the main highlight, without a doubt, is the onsen (hot springs). They have baths drawing from two different spring sources, "Sai no Kawara" and "Bandai-ko," which is actually quite rare, even for Kusatsu. With six different baths right in the ryokan, you can enjoy 'yu-meguri' (onsen hopping) without ever leaving the building. The outdoor bath (rotenburo) is especially tranquil. It's the perfect spot to just relax and gather your thoughts in peace.

 If you're looking for a hotel with a buffet in Kusatsu Onsen, I recommend "Hotel Ichii." It's in a prime location, standing right in front of the "Yubatake," Kusatsu Onsen's famous symbol. It was super easy to just step out for a quick walk at night to see the Yubatake all lit up. The buffet hall just had its grand opening in 2024, so it's very clean. And, of course, the food was delicious with plenty of variety. If your main priority is strolling around the onsen town, I highly recommend it.

This hotel is located a 5-minute walk from Kinugawa Onsen Station. For dinner, they serve sashimi and boiled yuba. You can also enjoy local Nikko kaiseki（a traditional Japanese multiple course meal ）. The dining area has large glass windows, so you can enjoy your meal while looking at the well-maintained courtyard, which is a recommended point. In addition to the rock bath, the hot spring also has a Japanese-style bath called "Oedo Ukiyo-buro" with a shoji window and a bath shaped like a real boat called "Yakatabune," making it a fun-looking hot spring that is perfect for soaking while having fun with friends.

ホテルサンシャイン鬼怒川は、渓谷沿いの眺めの良い場所にあり、すべてのお部屋からもその美しい景色を楽しめます。大浴場や露天風呂などで、湯量豊富な天然温泉を堪能できます。夜ともなれば満天の星空も満喫していただけますよ。また、北関東の特産品や栃木県ならではの食材を活かしたお食事も評判です。郷土色満載のお料理に、外国人のご友人にもきっと喜んでいただけることでしょう。

If you want to enjoy a traditional, relaxing atmosphere in onsen(hot spring), I recommend onsen(hot spring) Onsen Sanraku. Unlike large hotels, this place is small and cozy, and time flows at a leisurely pace inside the building. The staff are very attentive and will warmly welcome you even if you visit alone, so you can relax. The large public bath and open-air bath facing the Kinugawa River are also atmospheric and sure to soothe you.

This is a special inn where you can experience the hospitality of charcoal. When you bathe in Tansumi-no-Yu, which is made with special charcoal, the charcoal placed in fish baskets and the benefits of Kinugawa Onsen combine to leave your skin smooth and silky. The bathtub is covered in charcoal, which stimulates the soles of your feet, and the far-infrared rays of the charcoal warm you to the core. There are also charcoal rooms where you can enjoy the soothing effects of charcoal, with walls made from natural materials that have charcoal mixed in and binchotan charcoal hidden in the bedding. Meals can be enjoyed at the dining area or in your room.

At Manza Hotel Juraku, meals are served buffet Buffet for breakfast and dinner. There are over 50 types of Japanese, Western and Chinese cuisine to choose from. They offer everything from classics like sushi and roast beef to sweets. The baths are spacious indoor baths with 100% natural hot spring, and the open-air baths offer Breathtaking view of Manza without any obstructions such as manmade structures.

This inn has a homey feel, surrounded by nature and with a small number of guest rooms. The bathtub in the large communal bath is not very large, but the natural beauty spreads out before your eyes and you can enjoy the quiet environment. There is also a private open-air bath with a sofa room, so it was the perfect place to relax in private. There is also an affiliated hotel about a minute's walk away, and you can also use the large public bath there, so you can enjoy Visiting hot springs in different baths. By the way, this open-air bath was spacious. The dining area is a semi-private room, and the main course is a kaiseki meal featuring seafood unique to Yugawara. The famous soy milk sleet hotpot was also delicious. It is also in a good location as it is close to tourist attractions.

This hotel is convenient for accessing Shika-no-yu at the foot of Mt. Nasu. The hotel is located in Nasu Yumoto Onsen. Shika-no-yu is 1.1 km away, and can be reached in 3 minutes by car. It has twin rooms suitable for couples, so it is recommended. The accommodation price is also within budget, with plans starting from 10,800 yen for one night with two meals. The hotel is proud of its extensive Buffet meals, including tuna sashimi, sushi, freshly fried tempura, and chilled chawanmushi made with Nasu Goyo eggs.

This onsen(hot spring) inn is located in the heart of Kusatsu's onsen(hot spring) town, right next to the Yubatake. It boasts a Japanese and Western dinner buffet, with a wide variety of dishes made with seasonal ingredients, from Japanese dishes like sushi and tempura, to tempura fried right in front of you by the chef, and sukiyaki made with local brand beef. This is a recommended inn where you can not only fully enjoy the atmosphere of onsen(hot spring) town, but also enjoy delicious food.