Chojukan onsen ryokan has been certified as Sakura Quality and TIMELESS YUKIGUNI.
Certification schemes such as “TIMELESS YUKIGUNI” and “YUKIGUNI A-grade Gourmet” are part of the criteria for luxury travel. However, our idea of “luxury” does not mean simply being extravagant or exclusive. It is a unique culture and experience that is true luxury. If you are interested in the uniqueness of our region, you may also like to read this article.
A Hidden Cultural Experience In Japan
A secluded hot spring ryokan in the nature of the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park
Ecolodges Japan in YUKIGUNI
Message from the accommodation
Detached hidden hot spring lodge in Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. Established over 140 years ago, even today, the plains and scenery remain as they were back then and often feature in movies. Our hot spring source is exceeding rare, gushing out directly into the bathtubs. The architecture is too exemplary, being registered as a national cultural asset.
Half board/15,000 JPY〜30,000 JPY
The reason why TIMELESS YUKIGUNI recommend Chojukan onsen ryokan.
The ryokans selected to represent TIMELESS YUKIGUNI embody the very best of the Japanese hospitality tradition and the highest levels of comfort. Yet each one of them goes further than this, and all have incorporated influences from the history, culture, and way of life of the area. For those who see travel as an opportunity to broaden their minds and horizons, rather than mere sightseeing, TIMELESS YUKIGUNI ryokans are the perfect choice.
List of 12 ryokans at TIMELESS YUKIGUNI
Inspiration
Chojukan onsen ryokan belongs to a special kind of onsen known as hitou, or secluded hot springs. To reach it you have to travel up a deep valley in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture with no other way in or out, and nature surrounding you on all sides. You get the sensation that you are approaching something a little out of the ordinary.
A Stay at a Living Museum
Chojukan onsen ryokan is a very special ryokan and has been recognised as a national tangible cultural property. Catching sight of the buildings and entrance for the first time you get the sense that you have slipped into another age. There are several sections to the building that have been added to over time but you can feel its age at every turn. It has been built in a valley in stages so there are many stairs as you make your way up and down to the different levels. The materials that have been used are not the kind that you can find anymore. You can see burn marks in the wooden beams from where the lanterns used to hang. The current family has been installed here since 1875. The setting, deep in the valley, is beautiful and the building somehow manages to blend in a little with the natural backdrop.
Comfort
There are two main sections to the ryokan which sprawls across the valley linked by stairs and corridors. The newer wing is around thirty years old. The rooms in the older wings are from a different period and are simple yet elegant with great views of nature. As you sit back and relax it is easy to forget the modern world and let your thoughts slip to earlier times.
Classic Style Rooms with a Sense of History
The rooms throughout Chojukan onsen ryokan vary in age but all retain the traditional charm. As was the norm when it was built, there are no rooms with ensuite facilities as guests would make use of the communal baths which are the main draw. There is something very charming about staying in rooms that have seen so much history, and it is likely that a famous writer or artist once lay where you lay and enjoyed the same views. As you glance out the window you can admire the nature in the valley which is ever changing with the seasons.
To find out more, please visit TIMELESS YUKIGUNI report page.
650 Nagai Minakami‐Town Tone‐Gun Gunma Prefecture
In the past, we have written about some top-quality ryokan- traditional Japanese-style hotels which almost always have a hot spring, called an onsen, on the premises. This time we’d like to dive a bit deeper and reveal to you some of YUKIGUNI’s “hidden onsen,” which are generally far removed from tourist attractions and most modern conveniences.
Explore The Hidden Onsen Of YUKIGUNI
