22-Hour Stay at Japanese Secluded Hot Spring Inn Deep in the Mountains | Funayama Onsen

22-Hour Stay at Japanese Secluded Hot Spring Inn Deep in the Mountains | Funayama Onsen

Hi! We’re heading to a ryokan tucked away in the countryside, starting with a ride on the limited express train. First, we take the limited express Azusa from Shinjuku Station to Kofu Station, which takes 95 minutes. Goodbye, Tokyo. At Kofu Station, we transfer to the Fujikawa limited express on the Minobu Line. Limited express Fujikawa. It’s a 100-minute ride through scenic mountains to Uchibuna Station. There it is, Mt. Fuji!! IC cards don’t work on the Minobu Line. So you’ll need to either buy a ticket on the train or get one in advance at your departure station. Arriving at Uchibuna Station. Even though it’s a stop on the limited express, it’s an unmanned station. The rural atmosphere is nice. You need to cross a small track-level crossing to reach the platform. The ryokan staff came to pick us up according to the train schedule. There is no ticket gate. We just exit directly. From the outside, the station looks quite impressive. If you’re taking the shuttle bus, reservations are required by the day before. It’s about a 10-minute drive from the station, but walking would be too tough. We once stayed at Minobusan Kuonji Temple, also reachable by train and car, so it pairs well with this trip. At first, we saw the landscapes of everyday life, but after a while, we ran alongside the river. And then entered the mountains. The ryokan is a solitary inn standing by the Funayama River. Cross a small bridge over the river, and you’ll immediately see the ryokan. We’ve arrived at Funayama Onsen! The exterior looks fairly modern, but this historic bathhouse has been in operation since 1892. In front of the building, there’s a garden, and koi fish swim in the pond. Groups of seven or more and children under elementary school age are not allowed to stay. Check-in is from 1PM, and check-out is 11AM, so we get a full 22 hours here. We wanted to relax, so we arrived early today! The beautiful tatami-floored front lobby. Through the large windows, a green landscape stretches out. It seems there are black bears living around here. A soft scent of Japanese incense drifts through the building. “Telephone.” It’s old-fashioned, but fully functional. The souvenir shop sells a variety of items. Yamanashi is famous for fruit, so the local wines and sweets look great. Let’s head to our room. >> Staff: Here is the free drink station. >> Staff: Feel free to enjoy coffee, tea, or roasted green tea. The building has two floors, and the guest rooms are on the second floor. There is no elevator. The rate starts at 22,150 yen (150.03 USD / € 128.66) per person, including two meals. Pretty good value. When we enter the room, the first thing we see is the toilet. It’s just a nice, clean regular toilet. There are 4 types of rooms, all of which are tatami-style rooms, with varying sizes and views. This is the “Japanese Room Type C with Low Bed.” Further in, there’s a sofa and a massage chair. Sunlight pours in through the big windows. It makes the room feel bright and pleasant. It faces the garden, and outside the window, there’s a soothing view of nature. There’s a small washbasin over here. And the low bed is thick and firm, not like a futon. A closet with a mirror. Open the one next to it… There’s a smart TV where you can watch YouTube and more. You can borrow DVDs from the front desk, so it’s nice to relax and watch something. There are glasses, an electric kettle, and more. Here we’ve got coffee, cold water, and a fridge. Besides yukata, there are also samue and tabi socks. Well, that’s about it for the room tour. We’ve got plenty of time, so let’s take a little walk outside. All we can hear are the sounds of the river and the wind. There’s a path, but it’s hard to go far on foot. What should we do if a bear comes down? The summer greenery is truly healing. Let’s go soak in the hot spring and wash off the sweat. There’s a small rest area and a vending machine. There’s a private bath too, but let’s check out the public ones first. (Filming permitted with special permission.) This is the changing room. There are skincare products, Dyson hair dryers, and other amenities available. So nice they have lots of towels ready! Now, let’s check out the indoor bath first. The bath has a view of the waterfall and greenery outside the window. The shower area is big, with several shampoo options to choose from. The center is shallow, so you can lie back and soak up to your neck. So comfy, I could fall asleep. And there’s also an outdoor bath. Wow. You can feel the power of the waterfall up close, it’s like a painting. All the baths use this mild sulfur mineral spring. The source temperature is low, so it’s heated to a comfortable warmth. The waterfall and breeze feel amazing to all your senses. I’ll probably end up coming back here again and again. The staff told us a cat sometimes comes to visit. This is KING-kun, a stray cat the ryokan took in. They say he comes around in the evening for food. He’s so round. So fluffy for summer. And so cute. Stay safe and healthy, little one. The hallways are also covered in tatami, so you can walk around without slippers. This really helps to increase the relaxation feeling. It’s time for dinner. The fact that all meals are served at private dining tables is a pleasant surprise. Wow. This room, surrounded by the garden, is really nice. >> Staff: First, here’s some homemade plum wine as an aperitif. >> Staff: The sashimi is iwana fish, Fuji no Suke, and wasabi greens. >> Staff: Carpaccio of wine trout and watercress. >> Staff: The dish next to it is mountain vegetables in a light dressing. >> Staff: And the hot pot is wild boar hot pot. Let’s toast with the plum wine. It’s cold, light, and really tasty. Let’s also toast with the local sake and juice we ordered! This dinner is full of mountain and river flavors—something special to this place. Steamed egg custard with bamboo shoots and watercress. It’s so creamy. The salmon’s really good. The veggies and lemon make it feel just right for summer. Grated fresh wasabi is nothing like the stuff from a tube. Real wasabi has a refined sweetness and doesn’t have that sharp bite. The Yamanashi brand salmon, “Fuji no Suke,” with a touch of wasabi. It melts in your mouth, and the wasabi enhances the flavor. The window’s slightly open, and you can enjoy local dishes while listening to the river. >> Staff: This is salt-grilled iwana fish. >> Staff: Sweet-pickled myoga ginger, and daikon radish with miso. It was served raw earlier, and now we get to enjoy the classic grilled version. You can eat everything from the tail to the head. The garden in the evening looks so beautiful. The wasabi is so good, I’m putting it on all the dishes. Roast beef made with Koshu Wine Wagyu. The cows are fed grape pomace from the winemaking process. Not that it tastes like grapes—it’s just really good. The wild boar hot pot is also coming together nicely. It looks so good! Gibier (game meat) dishes are typical of a mountain ryokan. I’m surprised how clean the flavor is—no gamey smell at all. It’s meaty but surprisingly tender. With wild veggies, river fish, and game meat, the dishes use bold flavors that some might find strong. For us, it’s a favorite flavor! It’s really delicious. >> Staff: This is homemade hand-pulled soba. It’s wide and chewy—not your usual soba. It also contains buckwheat groats, giving it a fragrant flavor. Iwana fish bone sake. The flavor of the grilled iwana has seeped into the sake. Ahh, that smoky grilled fish smell. It goes really well with this course. Simple grilled wild boar meat on a hot stone. Even when grilled, it stays tender, you can really tell. It’s just seasoned with salt and pepper. I’m not usually into game meat, but this is really good. No gamy smell at all. Bamboo shoot and bracken fern rice cooked in broth. It’s cooked in iwana fish stock, so it’s light but packed with rich umami. It’s full of fiber until the very end. You can tell how much care went into each dish. Everything was so good. >> Staff: Today’s dessert is melon and matcha pudding. >> Staff: It’s topped with kinako sauce. I love the combo of matcha and kinako(roasted soybean flour). Such a nice traditional flavor. Thank you for the meal! They turned the leftover rice into onigiri for us as a late-night snack. From late May to mid-June, you can see fireflies. When we stepped out into the parking lot… Wow! There are fireflies! Due to habitat loss in recent years, firefly numbers have decreased. So it’s rare to see them like this in Japan. Apparently, in the past, there were many more, all glowing and floating. Sometimes, they stop on cars and glow like this. Such a fun day, taking in the mountains and all the nature around us. Good night! Good morning. We were planning to wake up early and use the private hot spring. But we couldn’t get up, so we’ll have breakfast first. Rice, bread, and drinks are the only self-serve items. There’s white rice, but the green tea porridge looks interesting and unique. The miso soup is served in a pot for each private room. It’s full of vegetables! The stems of the leafy greens are soft and tender. The tofu is made with Yamanashi soy milk. It feels nice to scrape off the solidified tofu. Here’s a hot spring egg. Now, let’s dig in. A plate of side dishes, including sweetfish, mountain vegetables, and other local dishes. It’s a breakfast full of mountain goodness. It’s healthy and delicious. Grilled yamame fish. The meat is firm and meaty. It’s really nice to enjoy this at our own pace in a private room. We’re full after even the yogurt dessert. Thank you for the meal. We’ll grab a coffee from the free drink station in the lounge. Since the weather’s nice, we’ll enjoy our coffee outside on the terrace. Check-out isn’t until 11, so we’ve still got plenty of time. Let’s go to the private bath next. There are two private baths, and you can use them for free whenever they’re available. The private baths are fully equipped with skincare products, toothbrushes, towels, and everything you need. The bath looks like this, spacious and with a great view! It’s more than enough space for a private bath. It’s the same sulfur mineral spring as the public bath. Gentle and relaxing. If you open the window, it becomes a semi-outdoor bath with a waterfall view. It really felt like a proper mountain ryokan stay. But what really stood out was the detailed service. It made the stay so comfortable. I’ve found another wonderful ryokan☺️! Thank you so much for watching until the end. See you next time!

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💻Funayama Onsen
Website: https://funayama-onsen.com/
*This video was filmed with the hotel’s permission.

🗒 How to book
Agoda: https://px.a8.net/svt/ejp?a8mat=3TLBA5+BIDQL6+4X1W+BW0YB&a8ejpredirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.agoda.com%2Ffunayama-onsen-h10591835%2Fhotel%2Fnanbu-jp.html%3FcountryId%3D3%26finalPriceView%3D2%26isShowMobileAppPrice%3Dfalse
Trip.com: https://www.trip.com/t/nwxAY66viQ2

🚃🚶‍♀️How to Get There
If you’re coming by public transport, be sure to contact the ryokan at least one day in advance!
The shuttle ride from Uchibuna Station takes about 10 minutes.
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zra7XipssUuEFvde8

💰 Price
From 22,150 yen (150.03 USD / €128.66) per person, based on double occupancy with two meals included.
*Prices may vary depending on the season and room type.

🚃 JAPAN RAIL PASS is an economical and convenient way to travel throughout Japan by rail!!
https://click.jrpass.com/aff_c?offer_id=19&aff_id=1038

⌛️ Timestamps
0:00 Opening
0:12 How to get there
3:36 Lounge & shared areas
5:21 Room tour
8:02 Nature around the inn
8:51 Public bath
11:07 Stray cat from the mountains
12:10 Dinner
19:11 Firefly viewing
20:27 Breakfast
22:45 Coffee in the garden
23:32 Private bath

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・Titles, descriptions, and subtitles are provided by automatic translation and may contain inaccuracies.
・The prices in the video are based on the exchange rate at the time of editing.
・Prices may vary with the season.
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