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

Kokubo-onsen

Kokubo-onsen

1-3-4, Kokubo, Kofu City, Yamanashi Pref.

Experience that the level of hot spring bathhouses in Yamanashi is high. You can enjoy the beautiful amber water flowing from the source

Kokubo-onsen open-air bath
Kokubo-onsen exterior Kokubo-onsen indoor bath Kokubo-onsen indoor bath (ultrasonic bath)

Hot spring is a moor spring that is common in Kofu Basin. Amber-colored hot water flowing from the source has fine bubbles around the hot water spout.

The bathtubs are very substantial, such as the indoor bath has two bathtubs that flowing from the source, an ultrasonic bath, a sauna, a cold bath, and even an open-air bath.

The charge is 430 yen. It has more worth than the price.

Location

Rating of access

1.5 pt(from Shinjuku)

→ How to rate access train

Area / Railway

Koshinetsu Region
Yamanashi Pref.

JR Minobu Line

onsen

Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. Keio: 1 hr Keio Line ¥ 370
  • Takao Sta.JR: 1 hr 45 min Chuo Line ¥ 1,520
  • Kofu Sta.Walk: 40 min 3 km (1.9 mi) Difference in elevation: -16 m (-52 ft)
  • Kokubo-onsen
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta.JR: 2 hrs 35 min Chuo Line ¥ 2,310
  •  (Transfer at Kofu Sta.)JR: 20 min Minobu Line ¥ -
  • Kai-sumiyoshi Sta.Walk: 22 min 1.7 km (1.1 mi) Difference in elevation: 3 m (10 ft)
  • Kokubo-onsen
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta.JR: 2 hrs 35 min Chuo Line ¥ 2,310
  • Kofu Sta. Yamanashi Kotsu Bus: 11 min Bound for University of Yamanashi Hospital / Kajikazawa ¥ 280
  • Kokubo Shimoishida-yotsukado Bus StopWalk: 2 min 0.1 km (0.1 mi)
  • Kokubo-onsen
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. JR express: 1 hr 40 min Kaiji etc. Reserved seat¥ 3,890
  • Kofu Sta.Walk: 3 min 0.2 km (0.1 mi)
  • Business Ryokan Suehiro Bicycle rental: 17 min (electric assisted) ¥ 1,000
    2.8 km (1.7 mi)
  • Kokubo-onsen
Route from Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Shinjuku Sta. (New South Gate)Walk: 2 min
  • Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
    (4th floor) Expressway bus: 2 hrs 04 min Kofu Ryuo Line (via Kofu-minami) ¥ 2,200
  • Ise Icchome Bus StopWalk: 15 min 1.1 km (0.7 mi)
  • Kokubo-onsen
Routes from Tokyo
  • Shinjuku
  • Keio
  • Takao
  • JR
  • Kofu
  • Walk
  • hot spring
  • 3 hrs 25 min ¥ 1,890

  • Shinjuku
  • JR
  • Kai-sumiyoshi
  • Walk
  • hot spring
  • 3 hrs 17 min ¥ 2,310

  • Shinjuku
  • JR
  • Kofu
  • Bus
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 48 min ¥ 2,590

  • Shinjuku
  • JR express
  • Kofu
  • Bicycle rental
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 00 min ¥ 4,890

  • Shinjuku
  • Expressway bus
  • Ise Icchome
  • Walk
  • hot spring
  • 2 hrs 21 min ¥ 2,200

  • 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.
  • On the JR Minobu Line, you cannot use the IC card tickets such as Suica, PASMO and so on.
  • The buses, what of Yamanashi Kotsu Bus passing through Kokubo Shimo-ishida Yotsukado Bus Stop, has the system number 53 or 56.
  • Kofu City Bicycle Rental is operated in cooperation with Kofu City and the Kofu Hotel Ryokan Cooperative. You can rent an electric assisted bicycle at some hotels around Kofu Station. From 9:00 to 18:00 (from November to March until 17:00), ¥1,000, ID card required, return to borrowed place. Inquiry: Kofu City Sightseeing Department 055-237-5702
  • 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 Kokubo-onsen

(From Kai-sumiyoshi Sta. to Shinheiwa Bridge)
  1. Exit the station and go left (to north)
  2. Turn left at the "Ise Post Office South" signal intersection
  3. Turn right at the end of the road and immediately turn left
  4. Where the road is wide, go straight to the little right diagonal. Cross the national Road at the "Shinheiwa Bridge East" signal intersection
  5. Cross the bridge up the stairs sidewalk

Click the map to open Google Map

(From Shinheiwa Bridge to Kokubo-onsen)
  1. Turn right after crossing the bridge
  2. Turn left where there is the sign for "Hagiwara Ophthalmology Enter Here" on a utility pole
  3. Turn right at the end. Walk 50 m (164 ft) from there and turn left
  4. Turn right at the "Kokubo 1" signal intersection. (It is better to turn right after crossing the road.) 60 m (197 ft) from there

If you are not sure about the left turn point in step 7, go straight along the river and turn left when you come out to Kokubo Dori.

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.

There are many high-quality hot springs in Yamanashi Prefecture, and you can enjoy them in Kofu City at the same price as a public bathhouse. Today, Nishi-san and Kita-san, who planned a hot spring bathhouses tour around Kofu, first headed to Kokubo-onsen. A 20-minute walk from Kai-sumiyoshi Station on the JR Minobu Line, The two have arrived a little bit lost.

Kokubo-onsen exterior

Exterior

Oh, this is Kokubo-onsen.

But, it's on the ordinary road in the city.

Because there is hot spring in such a place, Kofu is really a paradise for hot spring lovers.

Kokubo-onsen undressing room

Undressing room

They pay 400 yen of bathhouse price and go to undressing room. The undressing room is old but quite large. Immediately go to the bathing room.

Oh, it's pretty big, you know.

In the bathing room, there is a washing area in the foreground, and in the back, there are two bathtubs with hot springs on the right side, an ultrasonic bathtub in the center, a sauna and a cold bathtub on the left, and a door to the open-air bath on the left. To begin with, Nishi-san and Kita-san enter the hot spring bath on the right.

Kokubo-onsen bathtub

Bathtub

Wow, good water.

This water is a little brownish.

I guess it's a moor spring .... Boy, the hot water spout is there, and the overflowing water flows into here. Oh! There are fine bubbles around the spout.

 

Well ... Hmm, the upstream bath is hot.

After all, the spout area is fresh and nice.

Kita-san moves to the next bathtub while Nishi-san takes the special seat around the spout.

Kokubo-onsen ultrasonic bath

Ultrasonic bath

Hey, this one is lukewarm and easy to soak in.

Is that a jacuzzi? An ultrasonic bath?

Hmm, it's a bath like that. I prefer this for the temperature of the water.

After enjoying the indoor bath, they went to the open-air bath next time.

Kokubo-onsen open-air bath

Open-air bath

Despite being in the city, this open-air bath has a feeling of freedom. Because the blindfold is not too high?

Right, and it's a rock tub, it feels better than I thought. The temperature is ... yeah, just right.

Oh, there's more fine bubbles than before. It's a quite high level.

I've come to want to take a long bath ...

Kokubo-onsen open-air bath

Open-air bath

The radiance of the spring sunshine and the shadows that fall on the bottom of the bathtub make the open-air bath look like a tortoiseshell handicraft. Nishi-san and Kita-san decided to chang the schedule and relaxing here for a while in the swaying tortoiseshell of water. (→ Continue to Kokuboekimae-onsen Kenko house)

(April 2015)

Moor springs are hot springs that contain organic matter derived from plants. Often becomes brownish water.

Impression & rating

There are bathtubs of hot water that flowing from the source. Sulfur smell is clearly felt from the hot water in the shower.

3.5 pt

Impression & rating

There are a variety of bathtubs, such a sauna and an open-air bath etc. It's quite a reasonable hot spring.

2.5 pt

→ How to rate

The Onsen facility

Address
1-3-4, Kokubo, Kofu City, Yamanashi Pref.
Phone
domestic: 055-224-6804
international: +81-55-224-6804
Web Site
None
( Yamanashi pref. public bath business association_Kokubo-onsen)
Bathing hours
10:00 - 22:00
Regular holiday
Wednesdays
Charge
Adults: ¥ 430 / Elementary school students: ¥ 170 / under 6 years old: ¥ 70
Baths
Gender-separated indoor bath, Gender-separated open-air bath
Equipments
No shampoo etc.

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

(Survey date: Apr. 8, 2008)

Spring quality
Sodium - Chloride / Hydrogen carbonate spring (Hypotonic Weak alkaline High temperature spring
Source
1-3-4, Kokubo, Kofu City, Yamanashi Pref.
Temperature
46.0 ℃ (114.8 ℉)
[air temperature: 14.0 ℃ (57.2 ℉)]
Volume
393 L / min (Pumping)
pH value
7.9
Radon
0.26 x 1/1000 Ci / kg (0.07 mache)
Total ingredients
1.265 g / kg
Perception
Light yellow, clear, slightly salty, slightly hydrogen sulfide

Today's Ekiben

Manpukukai?
The appearance of Manpukukai? The whole of Manpukukai?

"Manpukukai?" - Bento of beef and pork raised in Koshu wine

(Purchased at Kofu Station)

A combination of Koshu sweet spicy beef bowl and Koshu-style minced meat sauce cutlet bowl. The beef is called "Koshu Wine Beef", which is grown by eating wine pomace. And the pork is "Wine-ton," which is grown by drinking white wine from Yamanashi. It has a rich seasoning and is very delicious. But, to honest, It seems to be a bit pricey. (¥ 1,200) (→ Marumasa 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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