Day trip bathing travel journals to hot springs where we visited by train and bus

Budonooka-onsen Tenkunoyu

Budonooka-onsen Tenkunoyu

5093, Hishiyama, katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Pref.

An open-air bath in the "sky", which overlooking the Kofu Basin and the Southern Japanese Alps. Relaxing in the alkaline onsen with plenty of hot water

Tenkunoyu indoor bath
Budonooka underground wine cave Tenkunoyu exterior Tenkunoyu open-air bath

The quality of the spring is mild despite the high alkalinity with a pH value of 9.6.

"Tenku" means "sky". As the name implies, the view from the open-air bath overlooking the Kofu Basin and the Southern Japanese Alps is spectacular.

"Budonooka" is the gateway to wine tourism in Katsunuma. It has a hotel, a restaurant, a basement wine cave, etc. Katsunuma is dotted with wineries In the vast vineyard. And in the season when the grapes grow ripe, the whole town is wrapped in sweet scent.

Location

Rating of access

2.5 pt(from Shinjuku)

→ How to rate access train

Area / Railway

Koshinetsu Region
Yamanashi Pref.

JR Chuo Line

onsen

Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. Keio: 1 hr Keio Line: ¥ 370
  • Takao Sta.JR: 1 hr 20 min Chuo Line ¥ 990
  • Katsunuma Budokyo Sta.Walk: 18 min 1.4 km (0.9 mi) Max difference in elevation: 32 m (105 ft)
  • Tenkunoyu
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta.JR: 2 hrs 10 min Chuo Line ¥ 1,980
  • Katsunuma Budokyo Sta. Koshu City Bus: 4 - 9 min Budo or Wine Course ¥ 300
  • Budonooka Bus StopWalk: 3 min 0.2 km (0.1 mi)
  • Tenkunoyu
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. JR express: 1 hr Kaiji etc. Reserved seat¥ 3,000
  •  (Transfer at Otsuki Sta.)JR: 30 min Chuo Line ¥ -
  • Katsunuma Budokyo Sta.Walk: 0 min
  • Bicycle StationBicycle rental: 9 min ¥ 100 / 30 min -
    1.4 km (0.9 mi)
  • Tenkunoyu
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. (New South Gate)Walk: 2 min
  • Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
    (4th floor) Expressway bus: 1 hr 35 min Kofu Ryuo Line (via Isawa) ¥ 1,800
  • Katsunuma Bus StopWalk: 55 min 4 km (2.5 mi) Max difference in elevation: 107 m (351 ft)
  • Tenkunoyu
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. (New South Gate)Walk: 2 min
  • Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
    (4th floor) Expressway bus: 1 hr 35 min Kofu Ryuo Line (via Isawa) ¥ 1,800
  • Katsunuma Bus StopWalk: 6 - 8 min 0.5 - 0.7 km (0.3 - 0.4 mi)
  • Hikawa Jinja-mae Bus Stop or
    Kamiiwasaki Yotsukado Bus Stop or
    Kamiiwasaki Koen-mae Bus Stop Koshu City Bus: 8 - 20 min Budo or Wine Course ¥ 300
  • Budonooka Bus StopWalk: 3 min 0.2 km (0.1 mi)
  • Tenkunoyu
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. (New South Gate)Walk: 2 min
  • Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
    (4th floor) Expressway bus: 1 hr 35 min Kofu Ryuo Line (via Isawa) ¥ 1,800
  • Katsunuma Bus StopWalk: 30 min 2.4 km (1.5 mi)
  • Katsunuma Shisho Bicycle Station Bicycle rental: 20 min ¥ 100 / 30 min -
    2.9 km (1.8 mi) Max difference in elevation: 122 m (400 ft)
  • Tenkunoyu
Routes from Tokyo
  • Shinjuku
  • Keio
  • Takao
  • JR
  • Katsunuma Bodokyo
  • Walk
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 38 min ¥ 1,360

  • Shinjuku
  • JR
  • Katsunuma Bodokyo
  • Bus
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 17 - 22 min ¥ 2,280

  • Shinjuku
  • JR express
  • Otsuki
  • JR
  • Katsunuma Bodokyo
  • Bicycle rental
  • hot spring
  • 1 hr 39 min ¥ 3,100+

  • Shinjuku
  • Expressway bus
  • Katsunuma
  • Walk
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 32 min ¥ 1,800

  • Shinjuku
  • Expressway bus
  • Katsunuma
  • Bus
  • hot spring
  • 1 hr 54 min - 2 hrs 08 min ¥ 2,100

  • Shinjuku
  • Expressway bus
  • Katsunuma
  • Walk
  • Katsunuma Shisho
  • Bicycle rental
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 27 min ¥ 1,900+

  • The price of JR Express is "Base fare" plus "Express charge". (These are determined according to the distance.) In case of JR Express on Chuo Line, "Express charge" has two types: "Reserved seat" and "Undecided seat". Both have the same charge, which do not change depending on the season. However, the price will vary depending on where you buy. (Internet < Station < Inside the car). If you have an "Undecided seat" ticket, you can sit in any vacant seat, but you have no priority. So, if someone comes who has a "Reserved seat" ticket for the seat you are sitting, you have to give up the seat to him / her.
  • There are three local bus stops around Katsunuma Expressway Bus Stop. Hikawa Jinja-mae Bus Stop, Kamiiwasaki Yotsukado Bus Stop (Budo Course), and Kamiiwasaki Koen-mae Bus Stop (Wine Course). All three are about 450 - 650 m (1476 - 2133 ft) from Katsunuma Bus Stop. (See map below)
  • Bicycle Stations for Koshu Bicycle Rental are located at Enzan Station, Katsunuma Budokyo Station, and Katsunuma Shisho. The service hours are 8:00-20:00. You can return it to the bicycle station other than the place where you borrowed. The purchase, payment method, membership registration, etc. are quite complicated, and the manned window is only Katsunuma Shisho. So it is better to check the detailed usage in advance.
  • The above fares are based on cash. When using an IC card, the fares may differ slightly.
  • The above times and distances are approximate. Does not include transfering or waiting times.

How to get to Tenkunoyu

(Directions from Katsunuma Budokyo Sta.)
  1. You can see Budonooka from in front of the station. Go right (north) from the station
  2. Walk between the vineyards as indicated by the sign for Budonooka
  3. Turn left on a normal road
  4. Turn right at the sign for Budonooka

bus stop: bus stop

Click the map to open Google Map

bus stop: bus stop

Click the map to open Google Map

Travel journal of day trip bathing to hot spring

Characters

Nishi-san
Nishi-san
He is an orthodox hot springs lover and particular about quality of springs. He loves the hot springs flowing from the source, the hot water with a presence, and the rustic atmosphere.
Kita-san
Kita-san
He doesn't care much about quality of hot springs. He loves the open-air bath, and prefers hot springs that have visible features such as good views.

September in Katsunuma is the season for grape harvest. Grapes with plenty of juice in the summer sun are brought into the winery and brewed into wine. Today, all day long, Nishi-san and Kita-san have been walking around the wineries and getting tipsy with wine tasting. Then they have come to Budonooka in the late afternoon.

Budonooka

Budonooka

Phew, we've arrived. I was walking around all day, so tired.

I've never been to Budonooka before, but it's kind of fancy.

Wine shop in Budonooka

Wine shop in Budonooka

Yeah. Well, it's a facility for tourists though. But it has a wine cave in the basement. And you can try to taste wines from most wineries in Katsunuma.

What? Are you sure? Then, it would be nice to come here from the beginning, without walking around all day in this hot day?

You're shallow. The tasting wines here are mass-product. To taste the winery's proud wine, you have to get to there.

Gee, is that so? ... well, I guess so. Yes, surely.

Budonooka Tenkunoyu exterior

Going to Tenkunoyu

It's normal to first taste wine at here, and go to the winery you like. But I thought it would be also nice to come here last, and take a hot spring.

I see.

While talking about that, they arrived at Tenkunoyu.

Katsunuma is a major producer of grapes and wine. The town has vineyards and footpaths for tourists. "Wine Tourism Yamanashi" is an example of wine tourism around wineries.

Budonooka has a wine shop, wine cave, hotel, restaurant, art museum and so on. Not only a day trip, but the hotel here are also quite popular.

Budonooka Underground wine cave

Basement wine cave

Budonooka Tenkunoyu exterior

Exterior

It's a circular building.

Right. But not a 360-degree panorama.

The bathing room is on the second floor up the stairs.

Budonooka indoor bath

Indoor bath

Oh, beautiful bathing room.

It's my first time to come at dusk, but the light makes good atmosphere. And a little grape-like smell is fit to be here, you know.

Oh, really. It's a kind of mood?

Surely the grape extract soaks underground and mixes with the hot springs.

Tenkunoyu is a dodecagonal building.

Hmmmm, well, ok, could be. By the way, the onsen water is ... well, looks like normal.

Huh? True ... But I thought it had a lot of slimy feeling when I came here before ...

When is it before?

Last September, in the morning.

This is a circulating bath, though. In short, there may be times when the condition of the water is good or bad.

Maybe. Anyway, the Unique Selling Point here is the view, not the water.

"The grape extract ..." is Kita-san's hypothesis without thinking much. The grape scent in the bathing room is probably because the shampoo or body soap.

After trying the lying-down bath with jacuzzi, and light rain-like mist sauna, then they went to the open-air bath.

Budonooka open-air bath

Open-air bath

Oh, exactly this view is nice. There is still light in the sky, but the ground is already dusk.

See? It's nice, you know. The time around now would be the best view, I thought.

Because the water is lukewarm, I'll take a long bath.

Soaking in the hot water with looking this view, I feels like floating ... Oh, is that the winery we've been just a moment ago?

Well, yes and no ... Anyway, you can see exactly the whole view of the mountains surrounding the Kofu Basin. Oh, The light on that mountain may be Hottarakashi-onsen.

 
Budonooka open-air bath

Open-air bath

If I shout from here, the echo may come back.

Try it.

Balus!!!

... 'Cause, in the sky?

That's right.

Fortunately, Tenkunoyu did not collapse. Nishi-san and Kita-san spent a relaxing time in the open-air bath until the sun set and the night view of the Kofu Basin spread under the eyes.

(September 2013)

"Balus" is the Spell of Destruction in the animation movie "Castle in the Sky" (1986).

Impression & rating

Hot water is ordinary. But perhaps the original onsen source may have a distinct characteristic.

1.5 pt

Impression & rating

The view from the open-air bath is so good and can be relaxed. A hot spring where you should enjoy the atmosphere.

3.5 pt

→ How to rate

The Onsen facility

Address
5093, Hishiyama, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Pref.
Phone
domestic: 0553-44-2111
international: +81-553-44-2111
Web Site
Budonooka _ Tenkunoyu
Bathing hours
8:00 - 22:00
(Last entry at 21:00)
Regular holiday
Open everyday (excluding facility inspection days)
Charge
Adults: ¥ 760 / 3 years old - Elementary school students: ¥ 450
Baths
Gender-separated indoor bath, Gender-separated open-air bath

The hot spring data
(According to hot spring analysis report etc.)

(Feb. 19, 2008)

Spring quality
Alkarine - Simple hot spring (Hypotonic Alkaline Hot spring
Source
5093, Hishiyama, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Pref.
Temperature
41.7 ℃ (107.1 ℉)
[air temperature: 0 ℃ (32 ℉)]
Volume
160 L / min (Pumping)
pH value
9.6
Total ingredients
0.2146 g / kg
Perception
Colorless and transparent, bitter, slightly sulfury

Today's wineries

There are many wineries in Katsunuma. Two of my favorite wineries among them.

Shirayuri Winery exterior
Shirayuri Winery tasting room L'ORIENT Katsunuma KOSHU

Shirayuri Winery (brand name: L'ORIENT)

(above: Shirayuri Winery Exterior,
below left: Tasting room,
below right: L'ORIENT Katsunuma KOSHU)

In the past, I used to prefer red wine and somehow avoided white wine. But, when I drank L'ORIENT's white wine, I realized white wine was delicious. Since then, L'ORIENT wine has been special for me. Shirayuri Winery will carefully guide you around the tours of the factory and vineyards. (→ Shirayuri Winery website)

Soryu Winery exterior
Soryu Winery tasting room Soryu Winery Citrus Scent Koshu

Soryu Winery

(above: Soryu Winery Exterior,
below left: Tasting room,
below right: Citrus Scent Koshu)

Soryu Winery's "Citrus Scent Koshu" is, as its name suggests, a citrus scented wine reminiscent of lemon. It may be a heresy in traditional wine value standards. But, I thought that Soryu Winery did a good job in finishing it with such a vivid scent. Applause for the spirit of the new wine creator! It is a very nice winery where you can hear a detailed explanation of the tour of the facility. (→ Soryu Winery website)

  • The descriptions on this page contain personal opinions and are not necessarily objective facts.
  • The information may have changed at present. In particular, the charge and price etc. has often not updated from the time of travel, so check the latest information on the official website.

Onsen List

Tohoku Region

Kanto Region

Kyushu Region

  • Fukuoka Pref.
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