Tazawako Lake Resort & Onsen

The hot springs were a lovely way to unwind, especially in cold weather, when the outdoor baths at 42/44°C feel great against the chilly air. The hotel is lovely, scrupulously clean, and has nice facilities. Rooms are beautiful and traditional, with a stunning view. Food was nicely prepared and presented, with some local specialties. The menu is broadly the same each day, so there isn’t much variety. Staff were extremely polite and courteous. We only speak basic Japanese and they speak some English, but they took extra care to make sure we understood the hotel and what was being said. Getting around takes some planning. The hotel sits a little outside the main town. A local bus to nyuto onsen runs from the station and stops at the bottom of the access road, then it’s about a 12 minute uphill walk, which feels longer with luggage. We rented a car on the second day and it made things much easier. I’d recommend one, especially for visiting the area’s onsen. tsurunoyu is highly recommended, but a taxi from here is about ¥10,000. The public bus only gets you roughly halfway, and there isn’t much else up there, so unless you want a long walk, driving is cheaper and more convenient. There was also a small accommodation charge called a 'spa fee'. That’s not unusual in Japan, but since we booked through a tour company we hadn’t realized it was coming. It was only ¥300 per person, about £1.47 each at the rate then, so negligible, though useful to know.