Hot Springs Hotels in Gunma Prefecture, Japan

Very nice Japanese style room overlooking the river and the tree filled riverbank hill. It was very private. Breakfast and dinner was served at the table and was excellent. Much variety of fish, chicken, pork, tofu, and vegetables. The overall atmosphere was very elegant and relaxed. The ryokan is located right on one of the bus stops for easy access from the train station. It is a short 10 minute walk to the main area of town. There are several onsen pools. Some rotate between men and women at different hours. Very clean with good amenities. Overall a very memorable stay.

A relax and nice view in Kusatsu. The hotel is located a bit far from bus terminal. However, there is a free shuttle bus service which connected with bus service. I strongly encourage the private onsen package where we can taste three different type of onsen in the hotel. My platinum ring changed colour, may be due to the acidity of onsen water😂. The dinner and breakfast inspired and it is good for family trip with a number of accessible service for elderly with physically limitations.

Highly recommend staying for two consecutive nights; the outdoor onsen in the snow was amazing! We stayed in a nine-person room, split into two separate spaces, and the rooms were very spacious. The 'one night, two meals' package for two days offered delicious and varied meals. On our last night, we added the all-you-can-drink option for less than 500 NTD per person, which was incredibly good value. Plus, there were free noodles available until 10:30 PM!

The room is clean, tidy, comfortable, spacious, bright and sanitary. It is very comfortable to live in. The breakfast and dinner are rich and delicious. I arrived early and the front desk arranged for us to check in in advance. The hotel's gold and silver soup is great and it is very comfortable to soak in!

Kanemidori is a short walk from the bus depot. The staff at the reception and restaurant in the hotel were all very nice and helpful. The futons and bedding in the room are very comfortable and warm for winter. You can also control your own in room heater. The hotel onsen is well maintained with full amenities: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face pack, hair treatment, and multiple types of lotion. We booked the room only but added on a dinner and breakfast at the hotel. Both meals were carefully prepared and delicious. The main tourist area is within walking distance of the hotel and you can go around in the yukata paired with the long and short kimono jackets provided by the hotel in the winter.

Pros: + Stunning outdoor onsen: The outdoor bath is the highlight. The natural scenery is beautiful, especially with the surrounding mountains and snow. + Tourist-friendly onsen: The resort provides special underwear so guests can comfortably enjoy the onsen without needing to be fully nude, which makes it much more accessible for international visitors. + Excellent kaiseki dinner: The traditional multi-course meal is well-prepared and delicious. Definitely one of the highlights of the stay. + Great atmosphere: The entire setting feels very authentic and relaxing, especially in winter. + Service meets expectations: Staff are professional and the hospitality is solid throughout the stay. Cons: - Outdoor bath is quite far from the main building: You need to walk through a snowy path wearing the traditional yukata, which can feel very cold and slightly inconvenient. - TV lacks modern app support: The in-room TV does not support apps like Netflix or other streaming services. - Tight schedule for check-in and check-out: The first shuttle bus arrives at the resort around 2:00 PM, leaving only a few hours before dinner at 5:45 PM. After dinner you can enjoy the onsen again until midnight, and it reopens at 5:00 AM. However, breakfast starts at 7:00 AM, and guests must check out by 9:00 AM to catch the 9:15 AM bus. This makes the morning feel rushed and limits the time you can spend enjoying the onsen. The rest of your day might be feeling tired. Despite a few inconveniences - mainly the walking distance to the outdoor bath and the tight check-out schedule. Takaragawa Onsen is still a highly enjoyable experience. The stunning outdoor, beautiful scenery, and great kaiseki dinner make it a memorable stay. If you're visiting Japan and want to experience a famous outdoor onsen, this place is definitely worth it and shouldn't be missed.

Remember to check the bus schedule when you go, as there are only a few buses (around 9 am, 2:30 pm, and 4 pm). Basically, you'll need to eat all three meals at the hotel. The round trip by bus down the mountain takes about 2 hours. The hotel doesn't include air conditioning. I went in early October and the temperature was 11 degrees Celsius, which was quite nice. Hiking was comfortable, and the scenery was superb. You can even ski in winter. WiFi isn't available in every hotel; the one I stayed at, the Forest Trail Inn, didn't have it—it was quite secluded! 👍

We had a very good overall experience at this onsen hotel. The atmosphere was relaxing, and we enjoyed our stay very much. We especially appreciated having an English-speaking staff member available — it made communication much easier and helped us feel more comfortable during our visit.

Excellent value for money, with a half-board package that included dinner and breakfast. Dinner was very generous, though the aftertaste was just average; the Jōshū beef was the highlight. Breakfast quality was superb. Very satisfied with the cleanliness and comfort.

The hotel is quite a walk from the bus center, and the uneven roads make it inconvenient for luggage; taxis are also scarce. The room is spacious, and the tatami area with heating was very comfortable. It was handy to be able to pick up yukata (robes) for men and women in the lobby. The service level at the hotel's front desk was generally poor. They didn't even bother with a fake smile, haha 😂. Japanese service is becoming more expensive and the quality is getting worse – a clear sign of decline. The hot spring pool in the hotel is very small and the facilities are quite old, so don't expect too much. My favorite part was still the Nishinokawara露天温泉 (outdoor hot spring) outside the hotel. It's 100% natural mountain spring water, so healing! For 800 yen, there are no services, no showers, and you need to bring your own towel. It was totally worth the trip and instantly made up for the round-trip train ticket from Tokyo.