Budonooka-onsen Tenkunoyu

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Basement wine cave

Exterior

It's a circular building.

Right. But not a 360-degree panorama.

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

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.

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.

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
Website: Budonooka _ Tenkunoyu
Bathing hours: 8:00 - 22:00
(Last entry at 21:00)
Business days: 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
Gushing place: 5093, Hishiyama, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Pref.
Temperature: 41.7 ℃ (107.1 ℉)
[air temperature: 0 ℃ (32 ℉)]
Water 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 (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

(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.

TRAIN ONSEN Travel Journals to Hot Springs in Japan