Kaikake Onsen Kaikake-onsenkan

Travel journal of day trip bathing to hot spring

Characters

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: 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.

(→ Continuation from Yukisasanoyu)
Today, Nishi-san and Kita-san enjoyed Naeba Onsen Yukisasanoyu in mid-morning. In the afternoon, their next destination is "Hitou" (secret onsen) Kaikake Onsen. The two who have gotten off at the Kaikake Onsen Bus Stop along the Mikuni Road. They go down the hill to head to the once UESUGI Kenshin's hidden onsen.

Boy ... Are we going down such a narrow and steep slope? I don't want to come by car.

Exactly. Especially if you're driving.

Bridge to Kaikake Onsen

After going down the slope, cross the bridge.

This bridge is narrow too. It's only one car wide, you know.

Oh, I get it. This is definitely a secret hot spring. It's also convincing that it was the hidden onsen of UESUGI Kenshin.

♨ The road around here was steep, and chains were put in as handrails for safety. That situation was called "Kanekake", and it became the place name "Kaikake". (From the Kaikake-onsenkan website)

Hey, there is no space to escape if a car comes. If it comes while crossing this bridge, it's the situation as "Stand by me", you know.

Fortunately, they finished to cross the bridge without a car coming from behind. And finally, the two have arrived at Kaikake-onsenkan.

Exterior

Finally arrived!

Wow, it's quite a majestic building, you know.

A wheel beside the entrance

Oh, there is a wheel on the side of the entrance. It's a tribute to UESUGI Kenshin's Wheel Tactic, then?

What? Wheel ... Yeah, oh, yeah. Right, surely.

Huh? Do you know the Wheel Tactic?

Well, hey, that's what ... the driver, handling the steering wheel. UESUGI Kenshin's exclusive driver.

Oh yeah, the driver who sends UESUGI Kenshin to the company ... is wrong!

Bathing room ceiling

Nishi-san and Kita-san head for the bathing room immediately, then get in the indoor bath at first. It has two baths: heated water and unheated.

It's like a wooden half-timbered old house. Pretty good, you know.

Exactly. It has a feeling of rustic and cleanliness, and it feels good.

Indoor bath

This is lukewarm water. After all, I prefer lukewarm.

This hot water feels gently. It's so nice.

♨ The movie "Stand by Me" (USA, 1986). In this movie, there is a scene that when the characters are crossing an iron bridge over a valley, a train comes from behind.

♨ The Wheel Tactic is a battlefield formation that it is said to be used by UESUGI Kenshin in the Battle of Kawanakajima. (However, there is also a theory that it is a fiction of a later era.)

Next, they finally went to the open-air bath, which boasts Kaikake Onsen. The surrounding view is the snow-capped mountains.

Kaikake Onsen Hot water spout in the open-air bath and the source

Hot water spout in the open-air bath (the source is in the hut on the upper right)

Oh, open the door and it's already a bathtub ... Look, hot water is coming from there.

I see, it's naturally pouring into this bath. The hot water spout is like a bit of waterfall.

Open-air bath

This lantern has a nice atmosphere. The rocks match the surrounding, this open-air bath is so great!

The hot water is soft and really nice. You can soak in for a long time.

Open-air bath (hotter)

There is a tub here ... oh, this one is a little hotter.

It might be good for a cold day. But it's warm today, so lukewarm water makes me feel good.

Open-air bath

It's all thanks to me ...

... Why?

In that way, Nishi-san and Kita-san enjoyed the open-air bath at Kaikake Onsen leisurely.

(April 2013)

Impression & rating

A hot spring that uses natural spring water as it is. I hope hot springs like this will last forever.

4.0 pt

Impression & rating

The atmosphere of the open-air bath is very good. I thought it would be a waste to return on a day trip.

3.5 pt

→ How to rate

The Onsen facility

Address

686, Mitsumata, Yuzawa Town, Minami-Uonuma District, Niigata Pref.

Phone

domestic: 025-788-9911
international: +8125-788-9911

Web Site

Kaikake-onsenkan

Day trip bathing hours

around 11:00 - 15:00(Last entry at 14:00)

Regular holiday

Open everyday

Charge

[Weekdays]
Adults: ¥ 1,000 / Elementary school students and under: ¥ 500
[Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays]
Adults: ¥ 1,200 / Elementary school students and under: ¥ 600

Baths

Gender-separated indoor bath, Gender-separated open-air bath

Open-air baths reported in this page will be replaced by men's baths and women's baths depending on the time of day. Day trip bathing is during the men's bath time, so women cannot bathe in the open-air bath in the above report for the day trip bathing.

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

(Survey date: Sep. 24, 2012)

Spring quality: Sodium / Calcium - Chloride spring (Hypotonic Weak alkaline Hot spring)
Source: 686, Mitsumata, Yuzawa Town, Minami-Uonuma District, Niigata Pref.
Temperature: 36.2 ℃ (97.2 ℉)
[air temperature: 15 ℃ (59 ℉)]
Volume: 406 L / min (Natural spring)
pH value: 7.7
Total ingredients: 1.994 g / kg
Perception: Colorless, clear, odorless, salty

Today Beer

Echigo Beer (Pilsner)

(Purchased at Echigo-yuzawa Station)

The local craft beer in Echigo. After drinking for the time being, I looked at what is written on the can. It said "Echigo Beer Pilsner is a fragrant authentic Pilsner Beer that uses only the Czech aroma hops, where the birthplace of Pilsner". When I read it, I felt that it was fragrant. (¥ 280 / 350 ml) (→ Echigo Beer 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.

TRAIN ONSEN Travel Journals to Hot Springs in Japan