TsuruTsuru Onsen (つるつる温泉)

Great Post-Hike Onsen

TsuruTsuru Onsen is located not far from the end of the Mt. Hinode hiking course trail (or trailhead, depending on direction headed), and is a great place to stop for a bath. This onsen is just a bath and restaurants with no hotel attached. In the building there are male and female bathing areas which alternate depending on the day. There is a small souvenir shop, two restaurants, a massage facility, resting room, and open seating areas. The bath is a natural hot spring with alkaline water that makes ones skin feel very smooth, hence the name of the facility. Tsuru-tsuru in Japanese is the word used to express smooth. Both bathing facilities have the typical seated shower areas, and large indoor baths. There are also nice outside baths in both—one side has a stone bath, and the other two hinoki, or cypress wood, baths. The outside baths are much smaller than the indoor baths, and are sometimes a bit crowded depending on the number of people there. Upon arrival, you remove your shoes and place them in a free locker, and take the key. There is a room with shelves for large hiking packs next to the area with shoe lockers. You give the shoe-locker key to the desk staff when you pay the ¥820 entrance fee, and they will give you a key to your assigned locker in the bath changing area. The changing areas are large, and have the commonly seen milk vending machine, as well as hair dryers available. The restaurants have a wide range of typical Japanese foods commonly available in izakaya or in similar onsen facilities. It is priced reasonable and a meal for one is possible for between ¥1,000 and ¥2,000. TsuruTsuru Onsen can be reached from Mitake Station via the Mt. Hinode Hiking Course. If you are not wanting to hike, the onsen can also be reached by bus from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station on the Itsukaichi Line. The bus, shaped like a train, stops right in front of the onsen. Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost: ¥820 for adults for 3 hours inside the facility Website (in Japanese): http://www.gws.ne.jp/home/onsen/index.html