Sora Togetsusou Kinryu

Located in the beautiful town of Shuzenji Onsen, Sora is easily accessible from Tokyo as a day trip. As an Onsen Ryokan, its Onsen are mainly for the use of the overnight guests, however it does open its doors from around 12:00pm to 4:00pm for day visitors. This is often a great way to experience onsen in a beautiful ryokan if your budget is restricted, however always remember to check hours in advance and note that often you cannot experience all of the onsen.

First impressions

Upon arrival you will  come acrosss a stunning garden setting. The picture has not fully captured the expanse, and one could only imagine how gorgeous it would be in each of the seasons.

You may even be welcomed by the “Okami  san” (the traditional manager of a ryokan – normally a lady dressed in kimono)

Facilities

Sora has a number of indoor  and outdoor baths, however at midday it was restricted to the baths below.  The outdoor bath overlooks Mt Daruma and it is beautiful to feel the crisp cool air against your face as the rest of your body is immersed under the hot water. There are also sauna facilities to enjoy.

The onsen water is alkaline with a pH of 8.6 making it very good for healing nerve pain, aching muscles, poor circulation and relieving fatigue.

The ryokan also provided a nice surprise of “black bean water” which was very refreshing to enjoy following the path.

Spirituality and nature

The area surrounding Sora was very serene and peaceful.  Following the bath it was beautiful to sit and enjoy the garden view and feel the gentle energy just as one can feel the emanating waves of blood flow through the body following the onsen.

Upon wandering outside, there were also amazing large boulders that are meant to bring good fortune.  Although many of the trees were bare with it being the middle of winter, there were some signs  of colour peeking through.

Don’t miss wandering through the very  beautiful Chikurin no Komichi (Bamboo Forest Path) on your way to or from Sora. You can even lay down on a large circular bamboo bench and gaze up at the bamboo leaves against the blue sky.

Such a beautiful, relaxing place …

For more on how to enjoy your day, you may like to refer to the Shuzenji Onsen post.

Access

Located 140 km southwest of Tokyo.

Take the Kodama Shinkansen from Tokyo and change trains at Mishima to the Izuhakone Tetsudo Sunzu line (105 mins). You will see a great view of Mt Fuji on the way if the weather is fine. Try to get a seat on the right hand side of the train. Alternatively there are also limited extpress trains “Odoriko” running between Tokyo Station and Shuzenji Onsen (2 hours)