Honzawa Onsen

Honzawa Onsen is a mountain lodge brand in the Yatsugatake range, operating a hot-spring inn and several mountain huts. Its open-air bath, 'Unjo-no-Yu,' is described as Japan's highest open-air hot spring at 2,150 m, and the lodge also offers a second natural hot spring called 'Kokemomo-no-Yu.' The lodge operates year-round and traces its founding to 1882 (Meiji 15), when first-generation owner Toyosaburo Harada built a lodging on the old highway connecting Chino and Koumi. The brand celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2022 (Reiwa 4).

Honzawa Onsen traces its founding to 1882 (Meiji 15), when first-generation owner Toyosaburo Harada built a lodging on the old highway connecting Chino and Koumi, near Natsuzawa Pass, to aid travelers and merchants and to attract hot-spring cure visitors. In the second generation, a hot-spring cure building was added. The third generation, Toyokazu Harada, obtained a second source through drilling and established the indoor bath 'Kokemomo-no-Yu,' as well as a winter-only outdoor bath 'Shakunage-no-Yu.' The brand celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2022 (Reiwa 4). It operates the main Honzawa Onsen lodge and other mountain huts: Akadake Chojo Sanso, Kiretto Goya, and Yamabiko-so.

Japan's highest open-air hot spring at 2,150 m, operated as a year-round mountain lodge.

• Unjo-no-Yu open-air hot spring

  Open-air hot spring at 2,150 m, described as Japan's highest.

• Kokemomo-no-Yu indoor hot spring

  Indoor hot spring with a different water quality from Unjo-no-Yu.

1. 1八ヶ岳 湯元 本沢温泉yatsu-honzawaonsen.com
2. 2本沢温泉創業の歴史 [八ヶ岳、湯元 本沢温泉]yatsu-honzawaonsen.com