We hop on the train to Mizunuma, then hop into the bath.

The amount of amenities you can find at train stations in Japan varies pretty widely by how big the surrounding city is. At the primary rail hubs in major metropolises, you can expect full-sized shopping centers, restaurant rows, and hotels to be attached to the station building, but if you get far enough into the countryside, the station might not be anything more than an unstaffed platform with a bench and a box into which passengers drop your ticket with the honor system as the only safeguard that they paid the proper fare.

So with Mizunuma Station being on the outskirts of the relatively low-key town of Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, most people probably wouldn’t expect the facility to have anything that noteworthy. They’d be wrong, though, because Mizunuma Station has its very own natural onsen/hot spring, called Mizunum no Yu, with the entrance right there on the platform!

It’s common for web sites for hot springs and other travel attractions to mention how far they are from the nearest train station, and Mizunuma no Yu proudly, and accurately, boasts that it’s a “zero-minute walk” from Mizunuma Station.

Though the area has been known for hot springs for some time, the station onsen just opened up a few months ago, and our intrepid Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma made the trip to check it out for himself.

▼ Mizunuma Station is located on the Watarase Keikoku Line, which connects Kiryu with Nikko.

General adult admission to Mizunuma no Yu is 1,350 yen (US$9.30) on weekdays and 1,550 on weekends and holidays, and those prices include a complementary drink in the lounge area. Towels aren’t provided for free, so Masanuki had to rent one for 300 yen (which he could have avoided or reduced by bringing a towel from home or picking one up from a 100 yen shop before leaving the big city).

▼ Base admission does include locker use, though.

▼ Entrance to the men’s bath

The facility is actually divided into two sections, one for general admission and another with more premium amenities for an extra charge (600 yen on weekdays, 800 yen on weekends/holidays). It doesn’t feel like Mizunuma no Yu is cheaping out on you in the basic zone at all, though, since it has both outdoor and indoor baths, as well as a sauna, lounge, and restaurant.

▼ Photography in the baths is prohibited, but these photos from the Mizunuma no Yu website show the general-admission baths.

If you’re visiting during the day, you can take in the beautiful vie of the surrounding forests from the bath, and even if it’s after sundown, the mountain breeze feels invigorating on your freshly washed skin in the outdoor area. As an added bonus, even though Masanuki was at Mizunuma no Yu on the weekend, it wasn’t particularly crowded. Maybe that’s because the place has only been open since April, but it was nice to have room to stretch out in the bath and quietly zone out while enjoying both the warm water and tranquil atmosphere.

After his soak and sauna session, Masanuki was feeling mighty relaxed, but also powerfully thirsty, so he headed to the lounge for his free drink.

There’s actually a pretty nice lineup of complimentary beverages, including fruit juices, teas, and Pepsi. What Masanuki was really impressed by, though, was that the free drink list includes Iyoshi Cola.

▼ Billed as a “craft cola,” Iyoshi has a unique, refreshing taste, and also a sweet backstory about how the company’s founder was inspired by his grandfather.

If you’re of the mindset that a nice cold beer is the perfect after-onsen beverage, you can also upgrade to a glass of Suntory Premium Malt’s for an additional 200 yen, or a cocktail if you prefer. Surprisingly, the lounge also serves Coldstone ice cream (something that’s getting harder to find in Japan these days) and savory snacks such as edamame and takoyaki.

If you’re feeling even hungrier, there’s also an attached restaurant with tempting dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including wagyu sukiyaki, kamameshi (rice and various meats and vegetables cooked together in the same pot), and udon noodles.

▼ Restaurant entrance

Though convenience is obviously a big part of the appeal of a station-attached hot spring, Mizunuma no Yu is nice enough that Masanuki could easily see himself spending half a day here, hopping back and forth between the baths, sauna, lounge, and restaurant. For his next visit, he might even splurge for access to the premium area and its extra-large open-air bath and special napping room.

He’s totally satisfied with the general-admission areas too, though, and if you’re looking for a hot spring that’s off the beaten path but still extremely easy to access, it’s hard to beat Mizunuma no Yu.

Hot spring information
Mizunuma no Yu / 水沼の湯
Address: Gunma-ken, Kiryu-shi, Kurohone-cho, Mizunuma
群馬県桐生市黒保根町水沼
Open 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website

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Insert images: SoraNews24, PR Times
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