Hottarakashi Onsen

Hottarakashi Onsen occupies a hillside site above Yamanashi City, its two open-air bath areas positioned to look directly out over the full sweep of the Kofu Basin toward the Southern Alps and, on clear days, Mount Fuji rising in the distance — widely considered one of the best view baths in the prefecture. The facility operates two separate open-air baths, Ayu-no-Yu and Fuji-no-Yu, which alternate between men's and women's use on a schedule so that both genders have access to both view angles over a full day, and both are entirely day-use, with no overnight lodging on site. The onsen is particularly popular at sunrise and sunset, when the basin below fills with warm light and, in the cooler months, an early-morning cloud layer sometimes settles over the valley floor beneath the bath. Because of its panoramic reputation, Hottarakashi draws steady visitor traffic from both Kofu-area day-trippers and travelers passing through, and reaching the hillside site requires a car or taxi, as it sits beyond convenient walking distance from the nearest train station.