Hakone Tenzan Onsen Walkthrough

Introduction

Unyu Tenzan (雲遊 天山, únjuː tènzan), Tenzan Toji-go (天山湯治郷), or simply Tenzan is an Onsen (especially open-air baths with natural hot spring water) facility located in Hakone, Kanagawa JP. This facility is one of the most popular day-trip Onsen in Japan, and it is visited by many foreign tourists who are interested in Japanese native customs or onsen culture, or who are a little tired from their stay to take a break.

Please visit with the intention of bathing in the onsen, not sightseeing, since Tenzan is a onsen bathing facility. There is no problem with using it alone. Please also refer to the information on the official website for visitors to Japan.

Tenzan has a wide variety of facilities, and even Japanese may feel confused on their first visit. This page explains unofficially how to use Tenzan for travelers who are not familiar with Japanese culture.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Preparations
   1. Business Hours
   2. Length of Stay
   3. Budgets
   4. Belongings
   5. Taboo
3. Get to Tenzan
4. Tenzan Walkthrough
   1. Entering Tenzan to the Rest Area
   2. From Rest Area to Onsen
   3. Eating at the Restaurant
   4. Napping or Reading
5. Getting to Know Tenzan

Preparations

The content of this page may be out of date when you are looking at it. Please refer to the Tenzan website for accurate and up-to-date information.

Business Hours

There are no holidays (except for about a one-week holiday in December for facility repairs; if you are visiting in December, please refer to Information for exact holiday announcements).

• Onsen: from 9:00am to 11:00pm. Last admission is at 10:00pm.
• Restaurant Yamaboushi: Weekdays from 11:30am to 4:00pm and 5:30pm to 9:00pm, or weekend from 11:30am to 4:00pm and from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Must enter at least one hour before closing. Closed on Wed and Thu.
• Restaurant Rakuten: Weekday from 11:30am to 4:00pm and from 5:30pm to 9:00pm, or weekend from 11:30am to 4:00pm and from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Must enter at least one hour before closing. Closed on Mon, Tue, Fri.

Thursday is the day with the fewest customers and the most relaxed atmosphere. On Sunday, there are the most customers, and it can be a little noisy, but you can get a good look at the behavior of Japanese people. And my top recommendation here is a visit on a "rainy day". The pleasure and sense of freedom of bathing in the rain on your naked body outdoors in the forest is the real thrill of an open-air bath. If it's raining during your trip and you have a day when you're giving up sightseeing, consider going to Tenzan.

Length of Stay

Expect to stay for around 2 to 4 hours. The following is a rough guide to how long you should stay.

• Onsen: 30min (just try the Onsen experience) to 1.5 hours (fully relaxed).
• Meals: About 1 hour (On holidays, you may have to wait for nearly +1 hour).
• Naps and reading: As long as you like. However, they may not be available during busy times.

Of course, if you like Tenzan, you can stay as long as you like, taking onsen many times and reading books until its close.

Budgets

From Tokyo, the total of around 10000yen per person should be enough. So you should fine when you have around 3000yen in cash if your credit card is valid. There are no currency exchange offices or ATMs nearby, so please prepare the necessary cash before you leave.

• Transportation: 5420yen round trip rom Shinjuku Station at Tokyo JP (Limited Express 4940yen [cash, Suica, credit card] + Bus 480yen [cash, Suica]).
• Admission: Adults 1450 yen, children 700 yen (up to elementary school age) [cash].
• Meals: At the restaurant, noodles like うどん(Udon) or きしめん(Kishimen) 1000yen, Typical set menu 1500yen - 2500yen, しゃぶしゃぶ(Shabu-shabu) and other hot pot dishes 2000yen - 5000yen [cash, credit card].
• Toiletries: Japanese towel 200yen [cash] (you don't need this if you bring it).

It's better to have an IC or magnetic credit card ready since Japanese payments often don't support "tap to pay" like Apple Pay.

Belongings

Soap, shampoo, and rinse are provided and free of charge, and you can use a hairdryer. Towels to "cover the public area" required to bathe Japanese public bathhouse can be purchased at the reception desk or at the store. Cheaper is 200yen and more expensive is 700yen. If you bring your own towel, a suitable size is about 32✕84cm (available at convenience stores under the name "face towl").

If necessary, you may want to bring an extra bath towel for wiping yourself down, a fresh change of clothes, hairdressing, perfume, a toothbrush, and a novel you're reading.

Taboo

Tatoo: At Tenzan, people with tattoos can also use the onsen. However, such people cannot act or converse in groups. They can only use the service as individual customers. This is a common rule in Japan to eliminate mafia, gangsters, and allow that customers can use the baths in peace.

Smoking: Prohibited in many places in Tenzan facility, but you can smoke in places where ashtrays are provided. If you want to smoke, please look for an ashtray in the rest area or garden.

Drinking alcohol: You can drink alcoholic beverages sold at restaurants or vending machines. However, drinking alcohol that may cause a nuisance to other customers or risk of falling is prohibited!

Group: Tenzan is a facility for customers to relax. As groups tend to be noisy and disturb other customers, groups of six or more people cannot use the facility. If you come as a group, please split to subgroup or go about your own activities.

Get to Tenzan

Whether by car or by train, you can easily find the route to Tenzan from your location using Google Map's transit search. If you are coming from Tokyo, I recommend taking Odakyu Romance Car (小田急ロマンスカー), the limited express train, which takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Shinjuku Station (新宿駅). It would be a great experience to buy a green tea and your favorite box lunch (弁当) at Shinjuku Station and eat it on the train while looking at the scenery outside.

The directions from Hakone-Yumoto Station (箱根湯本駅) on the Odakyu Line are as follows.

Hakone Tozan Bus (箱根登山バス)

[7min/8stops/240yen] Take the bus bound for Moto Hakone-Ko (元箱根港) from Hakone Yumoto Bus Stop No. 4 and get off at Oku-Yumoto Iriguchi (奥湯本入口). Walk down the hill from bus stop and you will find Tenzan. If you are also using the bus on the way back, please be aware that the last bus departs at around 20:30. I think you should check the timetable at the bus stop when you get off the bus to see what time the bus will be back at the station.

Using a bus in any country is a bit more complicated. Let's explain how to ride the Hakone Tozan Bus.

• The bus has two doors but "front boarding, front alighting" and "pay-after-you-get-on" system.

  • For Suica, PASMO, or other transportation IC cards, you need to touch your IC card to the sensor twice; once to the sensor near the entrance when getting of, and once to the sensor near the fare box when getting off.

  • For cash, when you get on, when you get on you must take a numbered ticket from the dispenser marked "整理券" (seiri ken), and when you get off you put the numbered ticket and the exact fare into the fare box (even if you miss getting the numbered ticket, however, it's no problem as long as you put the regular fare only since Hakone-Yumoto is the first stop). If you don't have exact change, you can exchange bills or coins by putting them in the machine marked "両替" (ryo gae) next to the IC card sensor before you reach your destination. If exchanging money is a hassle, there's no problem paying a little more.

  • Note that credit cards cannot be used.

• You must press the stop button before the bus stop where you intend to get off. The "とまります" lamp will light and a chime will sound to let the driver know that you want to get off at the next stop.

  

  

If you are unsure how to get on the bus, please use the script below to ask someone for help.

このバスは雲遊天山 (奥湯本入口) まで行きますか?
Does this bus go to the Tenzan (Okuyumoto-Iriguchi bus stop)?

雲遊天山 (奥湯本入口) に行くバスはどこで乗れますか?
Where can I catch a bus to the Tenzan (Okuyumoto-Iriguchi bus stop)?

Taxi

[about 6min/about 1400yen] You can take a taxi from the taxi rank at Hakone-Yumoto Station. Cash or credit cards will be accepted. Just tell the driver "Tenzan" and they should understand. If you can't, pelase show the driver the following script.

雲遊天山までお願いできますか?
Can you take me to the Tenzan?

You can use apps such as Go or Uber to arrange a taxi, but Hakone is heavy used by taxis, so it may take some time to find one, and in most case, an additional pick-up fee of about 400yen is also required.

You can call a taxi at the reception desk of Tenzan on your way back but this may also take time.

Walking

[about 35min/2.1km] Walking through the Hakone townscape is a good option if the weather is nice. You can trust the Google Maps route. The route along the river is recommended.

When you go by car or motorcycle, you may be able to trust Google Maps navigation. Free parking is available, but note that it can be very crowded on holiday afternoons, with waits of sometimes an hour or more.

Tenzan Walkthrough

From the Hakone Tozan bus stop (Oku-yumoto Iriguchi; 奥湯本入口), walk down the hill and cross the bridge to see two buildings. The left one is Tenzan.

Entering Tenzan to the Rest Area

1. Tickets are purchased from a ticket machine in the middle of the stairs (cash only). Many people take pictures of this small Japanese-style gate and garden formations.

2. After entering the entrance, take off your shoes and put them in the empty shoe rack on the right side and lock the door. A small bell is attached to the key so that it can be noticed in any pocket.

3. Give your ticket to the receptionists. If you need a towel and the concession stand in the back is closed, you can purchase one at the reception desk. The concession stand has a selection of Japanese-style items that are well-selected for Japanese visitors, so it's good idea to take a look around and buy some souvenirs. This concession is open until 8:00pm.

4. Further on from the reception desk, you'll arrive at a Japanese straw floor covering (tatami; 畳) style rest area. There you can sit and wait for others or relax on the terrace.

From Rest Area to Onsen

1. Go down the stairs of the rest area and you'll find the entrance to the onsen. Men should enter on the right and women on the left. If you are splitting up into groups of men and women, decide on a meeting place. Outside, you can buy water or beer from vending machines.

2. Remove all clothes in the changing room (swimsuits aren't allowed). Take only a towel. Put your clothes in a locker with your luggage and lock the lock. The elastic band of the lock should be attached to your arm or leg.

3. Please wash your body at the washing area first. After then, you are free to get in any bathtubs. Note that the towel SHOULD NOT be soaked in the bathtub (because the grime and soap on them will dirty the hot water).

4. When getting out of the bath, wipe all water droplets from the body with a tightly wrung towel before entering the changing room. You can also try a little futuristic body dryer box. At the sink, you can use a hair dryer to dry your hair or brush your teeth.

• Don't soak your towel in the bathtub water.

• In the bathtub, move slowly so as not to make the water ripple. If you show off your strength, it will make people who are quietly bathing in the hot water uncomfortable due to the waves and water flow.

• When washing your body or head, be careful not to splash hot water on the person next to you or behind you. Most people don't pay attention to their surroundings when they're washing their hair at home on their own, but in public baths, there are always people nearby.

Eating at the Restaurant

1. There are two restaurants at Tenzan (one of the restaurants is closed on weekdays). Please check the menu in front of the entrance, as the menus are different for each restaurant.

2. When you enter the restaurant, tell the staff how many people you are with. It's not unusual for a hot spring spa to have a single customer, so don't hesitate to come in even if you're alone :)

3. The restaurants in Tenzan are often busy. If all the seats are taken, write your name on the waiting list and wait to be called.

Let's introduce some of the typical dishes you can eat at the two restaurants in Tenzan. However, please note that some dishes are only available at one of the restaurants.

Tonkatsu Gohan (豚カツごはん; set meal with pork cutlet)

Even if you're new to Japanese cuisine, "Tonkatsu Gohan" is a delicious choice you won't regret. Nowadays, it's eaten in many parts of the world, but Japanese Tonkatsu is a juicy pork cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. Served with a flavorful sweet and tangy sauce, alongside rice and shredded cabbage. The combination of a crunchy exterior and tender interior creates an unforgettable taste experience

Mugitoro Gohan (麦とろごはん; set meal with grated yam on steamed barley rice)

If you're interested in the food culture of rural Japan, "Mugitoro Gohan" is recommended (I used to eat it a lot when I was a child, but we can't rarely find it in the city). Mugitoro is a healthy and nutritious traditional Japanese meal. It features aromatic barley rice topped with "tororo," which is grated yam. Tororo has a creamy and smooth texture that pairs perfectly with the barley rice. Its unique stickiness blends with the rice to create an exquisite flavor experience.

However, please note that you may not like this kind of sticky, gooey food as your food culture.

This set meal also comes with Tempura (天ぷら(Tenpura)), green-tea soba noodles (茶そば(Chasoba)), and raw tuna with grated yam (マグロの山かけ(Maguro no Yamakake)). And you can also eat "Mugitoro" in other set meal dishes such as "山法師ごはん(Yamaboshi Gohan)", "天山膳(Tenzan zen)", and "牛タン麦とろごはん(Gyutan Mugitoro Gohan)".

Onsen Yu Kuguri (温泉湯くぐり; hot-pot dipping with very thinly sliced beef or pork)

Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) is a hot pot dish that represents Japan, and is recommended if you're visiting as a group of two or more people (at Tenzan, they call it the "hot spring soaking" in a slightly stylish way :). Please also see the article introducing shabu-shabu at Tenzan, written by Kanagawa Prefecture. It's a high-class dish in Japan, but at Tenzan you can enjoy it at a relatively reasonable price.

Shabu-shabu is characterized as very thin slices of tender meat and fresh vegetables cooked together in a large pot. Its ingredients are served raw and cooked table-side during the meal, similar to fondue. Using chopsticks, place the meat in boiling broth water, swish for 2-3 times, and when the color changes, dip it in the sauce and eat.

Other recommended side dishes

• Chawan Mushi (茶碗蒸し; steamed egg custard)
• Yakitori (焼き鳥; chicken skewers)
• Iwana Shio Yaki (岩魚塩焼き; salt-grilled char)
• Miso Dengaku (味噌田楽; grilled tofu with sweet miso source)

Napping or Reading

Leave the restaurant and go to the left, you'll find a large rest area with mats for lying down. Here you can relax and spend time taking a nap or reading a book while listening to the sound of the river.

If you find that you've been in the rest area for a while and your body is starting to feel a little cold, let's go back in for another onsen soak!

Getting to Know Tenzan

In conclusion, I've introduced this captivating day-trip hot spring, 天山湯治郷. When you soak in the hot spring, eat at the restaurant, and take a nap at the rest area in Tenzan, your day must be infected. Why not take the time to unwind and soothe your daily fatigue in this healing space surrounded by nature? By soaking in the hot waters while enjoying the seasonal landscapes, you can refresh both your body and mind. It invites you to visit and experience its splendor for yourself — it's sure to become an unforgettable memory.