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4.5
#2 of 67 onsen ryokans in Minakami-machi
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Everyone needs a place to lay their weary head. For travellers visiting Minakami-machi, Hoshi Onsen Chojukan is an excellent choice for rest and rejuvenation.
Rooms at Chojukan Hotel provide a refrigerator and air conditioning, and guests can stay connected with internet access.
In addition, while staying at Hoshi Onsen Chojukan guests have access to baggage storage. Need a place to park? Free parking is available at Hoshi Onsen Chojukan.
Looking to explore? Then look no further than Ogawa Castle Ruins, which is a popular Minakami-machi castle – and it is conveniently located a short distance from the onsen ryokan.
Hoshi Onsen Chojukan is sure to make your visit to Minakami-machi one worth remembering.
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I stayed in the main building before, but the cheaper main building was not available this time, so I stayed in the annex. If you value the hot springs and value for money, is the main building enough? In the annex, you eat in your room, but it's often easier to eat at a restaurant where you can order quickly...
The hot springs themselves, Choju-no-yu and Hoshi-no-yu, are perfect, with springs at your feet! The two back areas of Hoshi-no-yu, which do not have a free-flowing water from above, are a little warm in winter, but you can stay in the water for a long time, so you can choose the area you like. I did not enter Tamaki-no-yu, which was disappointing when I visited last time. (The strong chlorine smell from the circulation reduces the excitement of the other baths by half.)
There are some passionate comments about mixed bathing, but many men feel uncomfortable when women enter. (Although it is called a mixed bath, it is actually a men's bath.)
Even at Hoshi-no-Yu, which has four baths, you have to look at the other customers, the temperature, and where the water is coming from, so it's strict not to face the direction of the women's changing room, but the women-only hours here are only from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., which my wife complained about last time.
The charm of the rooms and the quality of the water are what make it so expensive, but it is true that the food is a little disappointing considering the cost of the room is over 20,000 yen.
(I think it's a little disappointing for young people who don't drink alcohol and just want to eat.)
I personally think it's important to be on the hot springs, so there are some negative aspects, but I still give it a perfect score.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nice rooms, good country location, excellent kaiseki dinners. Staff were helpful. Great onsen - large mixed bathing area, also fabulous small outdoor hot pool with little waterfall - separate times for male and female. Only 20 minutes away by car is the lovely craft village Takumi No Sato. Well worth a visit. Only major disappointment was that the wifi did not work in the rooms ( despite what Booking.com said on our reservation form) so had to go to communal lounge near the office to get reception.
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Date of stay: October 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a hot spring inn I've always wanted to visit.
I made a reservation and visited on a day when the hotel only had women staying.
I was able to enjoy the hot springs without worrying about time.
As I can't drive, I took a bus from Jomo-Kogen Station to Hoshi Onsen.
There were many ladies going to the same place, so I arrived safely without getting lost or feeling anxious.
It's best to prepare some coins in advance for the bus fare.
This time I stayed in the annex, a room with a kotatsu.
It was a clean and comfortable room, and once I got in the kotatsu, I felt like I wouldn't be able to get out.
The waitresses were cheerful and kept a comfortable distance from me, so I was very satisfied.
The hot spring water is lukewarm, so you can stay in for a long time.
However, since it's winter, open-air baths and baths with low temperatures are cold to begin with.
My body warmed up well and I slept soundly at night.
I felt completely refreshed.
I would like to visit again in a different season.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There was a special feature on hot springs with a special feel and this one was featured so we took a bus from Jomo-Kogen to get here. We were the only ones on the bus on our way there and back and it seemed like everyone else came by car. The inn is really deep in the mountains and feels like a hidden hot spring, and the mixed bathing Hoshi-no-Yu is a hot spring with a great atmosphere. The room and the bathroom tiles and lighting were lovely. The food wasn't just average food deep in the mountains either, but the Joshu beef plan was delicious. The staff were also diligent in taking care of the meals and it was a pleasure to stay there.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Great onsen and ryokan. The english internet booking site doesn't really work, so we used google translate and picked a plan off the Japanese booking site. You still need to understand Japanese style booking system so it might help to get a friend who knows Japanese to explain or book for you. The onsen is remote and as I read in a forum board somewhere there are only 4 buses a day (AM and PM) to get there, there is no pick up vehicle, but it's pretty easy once you figure it out. We printed off the Japanese page and asked info desk. The best way there is to Jomokogen via Shinkansen. Most people get there at check in and go straight to onsen. It was a great experience, 24-hour onsen. Dinner and breakfast was seasonal ryokan style, with lots of local and seasonal food. The main bathhouse is mixed bathing and they don't use towels to cover up (like they do at Takaragawan onsen), so if you're shy there are women bathing times in the other onsen (with rotemburo) or you can use the lady's only bath. If you onsen very late at night you can get the wonderful bathhouse all to yourself. Staff were super friendly (but didn't know much English - we know a little Japanese so not sure what to expect if you don't know any) . The room we got was facing the river and was very big. We will definitely return. If you time it well enough you can make this to be a day trip from Tokyo.
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Date of stay: September 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We went towards the end of February, though it was cold I would say it was still a nice time to go. Getting to the ryokan/onsen was a little hard but the bus trip was quite pleasant as it goes through rural Japan and we got to see some snow monkeys. The ryokan itself is very old, and mostly made out of a beautiful timber. The onsens were all quite nice as well but I'm not sure whether they were 'truly amazing' as some other reviews might suggest. All the onsens were made of timber, which made them smell/look nice but there were no other real defining features. The women onsen is quite small but it was very nice to have it there when the other onsens were either for mixed or male bathers.
We stayed for one night and I think that was enough. Though the ryokan is quite beautiful, we weren't sure there would be much to do except bathe, and there really wasn't. Our room was very traditional, a little worn in some areas but with an ensuite and balcony, it was quite comfortable. The dinner was a strange mixture of fantastic and terrible. We took it in our room and the young girl who waited on us was very sweet, even though she spoke little english. Our dinner came in batches, and was very confusing (I am half Japanese and I still struggled). As the food kept coming we realised they were all side dishes and there was no accompanying rice. As she prompted us to eat we did, until when we were nearly done and the rice came out, which I assume was suppose to go with all the dishes as they weren't quite right without it. We tried to eat/taste everything but a lot of it was not quite to our liking, as it was all very very traditional.
My partner and I went into the mixed onsen very late at night/early in the day, there was one other male bather but he left soon after. While it was nice, we both had an underlining disappointment with the place. We had both been to a few onsens before and this place didn't really set itself apart from the others. Personally I found the indoor-outdoor onsen pretty lovely, I went in the morning and had the whole onsen to myself. The temperatures of both onsens were perfect and the wooden taps were wonderful. Though, when my partner went at night, he found the outdoor onsen to be a little suffocating, as the steam had no place to go and just sat in the air.
Overall, I would say if you're reallllyy keen to see the traditional side of Japan this is for you. If not, then I don't think you will appreciate it as much as you could. We found our trip to Houshi onsen nice, but not worth it and quite disappointing.
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Date of stay: February 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent one weekend in the Houshi Onsen Chojukan ryokan and it was great. The staff is very kind, helpful and efficient. The communication with them was easy, even if they don't speak english very well.
The house is beautiful. Our room was spacious, with a small vestibule, a airy main room, a veranda and private toilets (unusual in traditional japanese hotels). The heating was working perfectly.
The dinner is amazing: served in the room and composed by 10 small dishes, a good way for discovering japanese specialities. Concerning the breakfest, be aware that it can be dificult to swallow for a western mouth!
The location isn't good if you wish to visit the region, as the Chojukan is located in a really remote area. The baths are great, especially that wich is outside. If your are travelling with your spouse/partner, you have to know that it will be difficult to enjoy bathing toghether: as there is a bath reserved for women, ladies don't go to the mixed bath when mens are using it, as a consquence that when a women arrives, she draws the attention and looks of all the mens, feels uncomfortable... and go to the women's bath, as other ladies do!
The only black mark of our staying: there were plenty of bugs in the room! We killed more than 25 in two days!
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Date of stay: March 2011
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would tell everyone who goes to Tokyo for the first or fourth or fortieth time that they need a couple of days in the mountains to wash the city off of them and come back refreshed. I would further tell them that they should go to Hoshi Onsen for the ease of getting there, for the "authenticity" of the experience, the relative affordability, the sound of the rushing river, the baths, the incredibly refined architecture--both the original buildings and the add-ons--the fantastic hiking around, the nothing else to do but read and soak... but I am worried that the magic of the place will be diluted if too many of our fellow travelers end up there, because I would love to go back to this place again some day and have the same experience we just had and not be told sorry, they are all booked up, because Canal+ was just there and they filmed a feature to be broadcast on French television and now everyone and his cousin has called up and there is no room for you . So I am not going to say anything else other than if you are searching for something real and not too terribly expensive, you have found it, but please go away, but if you must stay there, don't tell anyone!
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Date of stay: April 2009
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traditional ryokan in a relaxing mountain setting. A must for anyone wanting to experience the traditional ryokan accommodation & onsen experience.
The 3 onsens available were all clean and well maintained. One is available for mixed bathing, all have specified times for separate gender bathing so you can experience them all. I saw a few ladies bathing with visible tattoos, which was no problem.
The service was sensational! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming - they even walked down to the bus to wave us goodbye when we left!
Although most staff speak little or no English, it isn't a problem. There was one gentleman who checked us in who spoke excellent English. The remaining staff we met understood and could communicate sufficient English to make the stay easy and comfortable.
The traditional rooms are lovely. Situated beside the river with the sound of rushing water.
The meals are fresh & plentiful. The staff gave simple directions on how to eat the different items. The smoked fish items were a highlight!
Note, if you are travelling by train & bus you need to take a bus to Sarugakyo and then change to another bus to get to Chojukan (known as Hoshi Onsen locally). There are only 4 buses to Hoshi Onsen daily - 2 in the morning (8.50am, 9.35am) & 2 in the afternoon (3.05pm, 3.55pm). If you miss the last connecting bus you can't get a taxi from Sarugakyo so will need to take a taxi from the train station at Jomo Kogen (which costs about 8500Yen).
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Date of stay: August 2015
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Although it takes a little effort to get there (two buses from Gomo Kojen shinkansen station, but all part of the experience!) it is well worth it to visit Chojukan. Literally at the end of the road, this remote onsen is very atmospheric - surrounded by dense forest, with snow covered mountains in the distance and astride a beautiful rushing, bubbling river. The buildings are of rustic wood, with the original hotel having been added to in a similar style, and the accommodation is of a very high and comfortable standard, with large tatami rooms and separate sitting areas with comfortable western armchairs. There are toilets but no baths in the rooms but the hotel baths are absolutely wonderful. The old, original bath is mixed and has a feeling of antiquity and peace which makes the experience of soaking there even more pleasant. The other baths are also excellent and the sound of the nearby river rushing past adds atmosphere. The food and service are also of an extremely high standard and a stay at Chojukan is a very memorable and totally authentic Japanese experience.
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Date of stay: April 2012
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your reply. I understand the culture, and the only reason why I asked is because on multiple websites, this onsen is listed as tattoo friendly. So maybe they would want to get that removed from those websites.
This place is very isolated and is, I am afraid,not for the children. If you have a car you might get to some local towns near by but I doubt very much that you can find what you would look for. Hoshi Onsen is wonderful and surely worth visiting but in my opinion not for a family with active children. They may say you can have a hike out in the mountain but when we were there they told us to be very careful in the forest because there would be some bears with cubs and wild bigs. There are no other buildings, not even another hamlet around this area. Even in Saru-ga-Kyo where we change the bus to get to Hoshi Onsen there are not may shops where you can buy genuine western food. We stayed in Hoshi Onsen for three days, three nights, and enjoyed very much, but 4 nights seem to be a bit too long with children.
There are more places to choose from in the Minakami-machi area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$413 - AU$518 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
chojukan hotel minakami-machi
LOCATION
JapanKantoGunma PrefectureTone-gunMinakami-machi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
33
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