Hoshi Onsen (Minakami, Gunma)

 hotel, hot spring, onsen, ryokan (inn)

Hours: 10:30 to 14:00 (entry until 13:30)
Fee: 1000 yen
Closed: Wednesdays and January 1 to 3
One of Japan's "Secret Hot Springs", Hoshi Onsen is an isolated onsen deep in the mountains of Minakami. Hoshi Onsen's sole ryokan, Chojukan has a few beautiful and rustic traditional baths, its most famous being a wooden, mixed gender, indoor bath where the water bubbles up straight through the stones on the floor of the tub.

Hoshi Onsen can be reached by infrequent buses that depart from Sarugakyo Onsen. Take the bus from Jomo Kogen Station to the Sarugakyo Onsen bus stop (30 minutes, 860 yen, hourly departures) and transfer to another bus bound for Hoshi Onsen (15 minutes, 590 yen, four departures per day). Alternatively, the onsen can be reached in about 45 minutes by car from the Tsukiyono Interchange.

www.houshi-onsen.jp/furo.html