Kinugawa
Discover Kinugawa
Kinugawa Onsen, known as the "okuzashiki" (奥座敷) or "inner salon" of Tokyo, was opened to development in the early Meiji period, and it became a major destination for those wanting to escape the noise and congestion of the city. The name "Kinugawa" literally means Angry Demon River. The exact provenance is unclear, but the most likely explanation is that this comes from the raging waters within — although the river is now dammed and considerably more placid. The central area is home to several hotels and ryokan, most with their own hot springs. Unfortunately, due to a decline in group tours and the failure of the area's regional bank, Ashikaga Bank, in the late 1990s, several of the larger hotels have gone under, and their empty hulks scar an otherwise picturesque location: in 2005, the bestselling book Ugly Japan proclaimed it the 3rd ugliest place in the country. Still, the resort is home to dozens of hotels, pensions, and ryokan, and the area--together with nearby Kawaji--still attracts over 2 million visitors each year.
What to Experience in Kinugawa
Taste of Kinugawa...
Most guests eat at their lodgings, but there are a scattering of restaurants just outside Kinugawa Onsen station. The recession of the 1990s hit Kinugawa hard and many hotels struggle with low occupancy rates (or have been outright shut down). This means there are some pretty good bargains to be found, especially off-season.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsTobu Railway operates frequent service to Kinugawa from their terminal at Asakusa Station in Tokyo, which is connected to the Toei Asakusa and Tokyo Metro Ginza subway lines. Conventional commuter services take around 3 hr - 3 hr 30 min depending on the time of day and cost ¥1550, with several transfers required. A more convenient way to travel to Kinugawa is on one of Tobu's direct limited express services, which take 2 hours and are operated with either the older SPACIA trains or the newer Revaty trains. Services depart every 30-60 minutes, costing ¥2890 for the SPACIA or ¥2990 for the Revaty. All services conveniently stop at the station for Tokyo SkyTree. The limited express trains that offer direct service to Kinugawa are called Kinu (SPACIA trains) and AIZU (Revaty trains), with the latter continuing on to the Aizu region. There are also Kegon trains that you can use, but you'll need to change to a local service at Shimo-Imaichi to reach Kinugawa....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Kinugawa is fairly spread out. You can either use the infrequent buses, or the expensive taxis. If arriving by train, be sure to check if your lodgings are closer to Kinugawa Onsen or Kinugawa Kōen station. There is little to see in Kinugawa Onsen itself, but the Nichien Momiji Line, the highway connecting Kinugawa and Kawaji, makes for a fairly scenic drive. Loll about in hot springs (Kinugawa-Onsen, 鬼怒川温泉). More adventurous types may also want to try battling against angry demons by rafting in the Kinugawa River. While Kinugawa Onsen offers a pleasant and relaxing experience, some areas of the hot springs are clusters of abandoned buildings. These are hotels that have faced economic problems, and those who like ruins can take a walk from the center of the town to a big uninhabited area.
Where to Stay
The recession of the 1990s hit Kinugawa hard and many hotels struggle with low occupancy rates (or have been outright shut down). This means there are some pretty good bargains to be found, especially off-season.
Money & Budget
Most guests eat at their lodgings, but there are a scattering of restaurants just outside Kinugawa Onsen station. The recession of the 1990s hit Kinugawa hard and many hotels struggle with low occupancy rates (or have been outright shut down). This means there are some pretty good bargains to be found, especially off-season.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Kinugawa
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.
Buildings and misty mountains in a town square.
This was shot in Kinugawa-Onsen, a little city located in the northern area above Tokyo. It was a really foggy day, but being surrounded by mountains and inhaling fresh air was still beautiful and relaxing.