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Guesthouse with hot spring located in Hakone, a famous sightseeing spot.

　

Hakone is one of the best tourist and summer resorts in Kanagawa Prefecture. Driving west from Tokyo, up Mt. Hakone from Odawara on Sagami Bay, you will come to an area lined with long-established hot spring resorts. If you drive further up the slope, you will arrive at the "Hakone Tent" hot spring guesthouse in Gora.

When you pass through the entrance, you can see all the way to the back of the building through the tasteful wood-paneled hallway. The owner, Mr. Fukashi Honjo, greeted us with a warm "Welcome! After checking in at the entrance at the end of the bar counter in front of the hallway, we headed for the guest rooms on the second floor.

　

There is a reason why the structure of the building is rather complicated. Originally a one-story building, it was extended many times due to the steep slope, and the current structure was built. If one unravels the history of the building, it has been operating as an inn since before World War II, which Mr. Honjo took over a few years ago. It is interesting to note that the appearance of the ryokan of each era remains in key places, as the corridors, walls, ceilings, room construction, and decorations differ from place to place. Mr. Honjo has made the space as old-fashioned as possible.

Most of the rooms are Japanese-style rooms for two or three persons, and the east side with a nice view is a private room. One of the two dormitory rooms can be rented out as a single room, accommodating a total of 30 people.

The inside of the building is a fusion of spaces with different atmospheres. The basement has a natural hot spring!

　

The bar on the first floor has a completely different atmosphere, with new wood used throughout to create an artistic space. The exposed steel flooring, curved corners, musical instruments and plants create a modern atmosphere. It is also a lounge where guests can enjoy local sake, craft beer, and other liquors, and breakfast is also served here. In the evenings, the lounge becomes lively with guests who are not staying overnight. In addition to the kitchen serving food in the lounge, there is also a fully equipped kitchen for the exclusive use of guests.

　

In the basement, there is a natural hot spring, which is one of the attractions of this guesthouse. 24 hours a day, the "stone bath" and "cypress bath" are open to guests, and both can be reserved by the hour. Both baths were originally stone baths. Although underground, the baths are located at the bottom of a steep slope, so the sound of cicadas and chirping wild birds can be heard from the windows along with the sunlight.

The hot water at HAKONE TENT is strongly acidic, with a pH of 2.2 (*1), which is rare even in Hakone. Here in Gora, the milky white (cloudy) water is drawn from Owakudani. When the bath water is stirred, it becomes a cloudy white color. The cable car running beside the building provides cloudy water on this side of the building and clear water on the other side. Incidentally, the water at Yumoto is clear and becomes cloudy as you ascend the mountain, so the cloudy water at "Hakone Tent" is close to the source. Gora Onsen, which offers a wide variety of hot spring water, is also called "pastel-colored hot spring" because of its color.

　

1: Hydrogen ion index. Depending on the type of hot spring water contained, a pH of 2 to 4 is considered an "acidic spring," while a pH of less than 2 is considered a "strongly acidic spring," etc. Due to its acidic nature, it is expected to have a sterilizing effect and promote metabolism.

　

Hakone is a popular hot spring resort area close to the city center. On the way to the "Hakone Tent," I saw many hot spring hotels. We were reminded once again that hot springs are gushing out all over the area. Among them, Gora is famous for its high-class inns and villas. The hot spring pipes are supplied underground, and most of the buildings in this area are said to have hot spring baths. HAKONE TENT" is a luxury hotel with a hot spring bath for the surprisingly low price of 3,500 yen! It opened in June 2014, and although it is still in its infancy, it has been doing well since its first month.

I thought, "3,500 yen for lodging with a natural hot spring is inexpensive. That's why we started this hotel. Since we are located in a remote area, there are not many restaurants open at night, so there are not many choices for eating out, but we also offer meals prepared by a chef as an option. We finally completed a spacious shower room this summer, which was requested by many foreigners. It is still a work in progress, but I am quite satisfied with it so far.

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The impetus for opening the business came from his own experience.

　

Mr. Honjo enjoys traveling abroad. When he was young, he visited Thailand and other Asian countries. At that time, he often used low-priced "guesthouses" as accommodations for his travels. However, when he returned to Japan, he found that such lodging facilities were almost nonexistent in Japan. Then he learned of the existence of Kamakura Guesthouse, decided to work in the industry, moved to Kamakura, and was soon absorbed in the business. He decided to work in the industry and moved to Kamakura, where he quickly fell in love with the business. With this single-minded determination, he saved up funds, studied, and set out to establish a guesthouse, and ended up at a guesthouse with a hot spring in Hakone.

I wanted to open a guesthouse with hot springs in Hakone, Yugawara, and Atami. Many of the foreign guests I met during my time at Kamakura Guest House wanted to go to Hakone, and I often took them there. However, when it came to actually going there, the high cost of lodging seemed to be a bottleneck. So I decided to do it myself.

The Japanese are changing. And Hakone in the future.

　

In the beginning, most of the guests at "Hakone Tent" were foreigners, but recently the number of Japanese customers has been increasing. He feels daily that the culture of "guesthouse = cheap lodging" is gaining recognition among Japanese people. This summer in particular, there were many Japanese guests, many of whom were couples and women in their 20s and 30s.

The overwhelming majority of visitors come here by train, followed by car. There are also quite a few foreigners who come up here by bicycle from National Route 1 below. It is part of the culture of Hakone-san to climb up the slope without ever touching your feet. In the summer, many people come from Tokyo by bicycle and stay at the hot spring to relax their tired bodies. I am very happy that not only foreigners but also Japanese guests are satisfied with our services."

　

The population of Hakone is gradually decreasing, but there are many people who do not live in Hakone, but have it as a vacation home, and it is a place where people gather on weekends and holidays. The number of tourists continues to increase, and I think Hakone will change little by little in the future. On a personal note, I recently had a baby, and when I delivered it to the city office, they were surprised to hear that it had been 10 years since I had had a baby (laughs). There are still good houses to be found, and I would be happy if more and more people like myself move here and start doing business or expressing themselves in some way.

With its history as a high-class hot spring resort, Hakone's inns are always full of guests. However, a good hotel comes with decent food, perfect facilites and service, and you can't help but spend a lot. For students who just want to use the hot springs, foreign backpackers, and cycle tourers, the high cost of lodging is a bottleneck, and they often choose to make a day trip. Against this backdrop, the onsen guesthouse "HAKONE TENT" has opened, responding to new needs based on overseas travel and guesthouse experiences. It is expected to become a new Hakone landmark that will continue to provide customer-oriented services, always keeping in mind the feelings of travelers.

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