Top choice in Central Honshū
They hardly come more traditional than this inn split over three buildings, the oldest of which is the riverside 1936 No 1 Annexe. Guests have 24-hour use of adjacent Takaragawa Onsen: early-morning bathing gives you the opportunity to experience that sense of real tranquillity that can be hard to grasp during crowded peak times.
Note that the dinner banquet may include bear-meat soup; if you'd prefer not to eat this, ask for no kuma-jiru (熊汁) when reserving. A shuttle service is available.
28.9 MILES
Among gorgeously forested mountains and believed to be the home of the God of Water, Fire and Agriculture, this site has housed a shrine of some form for…
26.35 MILES
The big-ticket attraction of Chūzen-ji is this billowing, 97m-high waterfall. Take the 1930s elevator down to a platform to observe the full force of the…
Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park
25.75 MILES
The former summer residence of Italy's ambassadors (from 1928 to 1997) has a pleasant sun terrace with excellent views across Chūzen-ji lake. Walking here…
29.4 MILES
Yubatake is the main attraction in the town centre and the source of hot-spring water in the area. Its milky-blue sulphuric water flows like a waterfall…
25.48 MILES
This shrine complements those at Tōshō-gū in Nikkō as part of the same Unesco World Heritage site, and is the starting point for pilgrimages up Nantai-san…
25.97 MILES
This eponymous temple, located on the lake's eastern shore, was founded in the 8th century and houses a 6m-tall Kannon statue from that time.
14.77 MILES
This lovely little museum displays memorabilia from the life of author Kawabata Yasunari, the first Japanese recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature,…
14.77 MILES
This lovely little museum displays memorabilia from the life of author Kawabata Yasunari, the first Japanese recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature,…
25.48 MILES
This shrine complements those at Tōshō-gū in Nikkō as part of the same Unesco World Heritage site, and is the starting point for pilgrimages up Nantai-san…
3. Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park
25.75 MILES
The former summer residence of Italy's ambassadors (from 1928 to 1997) has a pleasant sun terrace with excellent views across Chūzen-ji lake. Walking here…
25.97 MILES
This eponymous temple, located on the lake's eastern shore, was founded in the 8th century and houses a 6m-tall Kannon statue from that time.
26.35 MILES
The big-ticket attraction of Chūzen-ji is this billowing, 97m-high waterfall. Take the 1930s elevator down to a platform to observe the full force of the…
28.9 MILES
Among gorgeously forested mountains and believed to be the home of the God of Water, Fire and Agriculture, this site has housed a shrine of some form for…
29.4 MILES
Yubatake is the main attraction in the town centre and the source of hot-spring water in the area. Its milky-blue sulphuric water flows like a waterfall…