Kanagawa Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District
Unwind in a stately space with imperial family ties, a private hot spring source, and exceptional sauna facilities
"Former Kanyin-no-Miya Gora Villa Gora Kadan" is a hot spring ryokan in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture. Set on the former site of a imperial family villa from the early Showa period, it offers a luxurious Japanese setting. You can lavishly enjoy its mildly alkaline simple hot spring from a private source in open-air baths surrounded by greenery and in a spacious large bath. It also features a dry sauna filled with the warmth of wood and a steam sauna scented with herbs, helping to promote physical and mental detox. Other facilities are also exceptionally well equipped, including a heated pool, fitness area, top-tier spa treatments, and private baths.
A mildly alkaline simple hot spring that gushes from the private source on the premises, colorless and transparent with an extremely soft feel on the skin. You can luxuriate in the abundant water of the large bath and the open-air bath embraced by a beautiful garden that changes with the seasons. Its hallmark is a gentle, clingy texture that is kind to the skin; after bathing, your body is warmed from the core, and you can feel its smooth skin-beautifying effect.
A reservation-only luxury private open-air bath where you can fully enjoy bathing in complete privacy. It uses fresh hot spring water from the on-site source in free-flowing style. The open-air bath is also equipped with a steam sauna, allowing you to alternate between exquisite hot spring bathing and a moisture-rich detox experience without worrying about being seen, creating a supreme healing space.
A sauna room with a calm atmosphere filled with the warmth of wood. The pleasant heat released from the convection-style sauna stones gently envelops the room and slowly warms the body from within. In this quiet, TV-free space, faint classical music plays in the background, letting you spend a luxurious moment as if immersed in meditation. It is a clean, refreshing space, ideal for recharging after everyday fatigue.
A steam sauna where moist, gentle herb-scented vapor pleasantly wraps around your body. Because the temperature is not too high, it is also recommended for those who are not fond of saunas or who want to keep breathing comfortably. Generous moisture gently conditions the skin, and along with perspiration it brings a deep relaxation effect. You can experience the comfort of being calmly warmed through.
A compact one-person cold plunge bath installed near the sauna. Although it uses tap water, it feels smooth on the skin, and its crisp coldness pleasantly firms up a body that has grown hot. The enveloping cool sensation gradually turns into a pleasant refreshment, delivering an exceptional cooldown experience in the quiet large bath area.
[Day-use bathing] 11:00-15:00 (kaiseki lunch + hot spring bathing set plan, reservation required)
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JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
61 SELECTIONS
Most of what we surveyed never even made it onto this site. This book is a further cut from what did. Our editor bathed in every onsen and sauna in it, and wrote only what they confirmed on the ground.
