A Solo Trip to Kinugawa Onsen in the Rainy Season | Immersing Myself in the Deep Silence of the Hot Spring Town

When rainy days continue, I am enveloped in an indescribable, fluffy sense of lethargy. I want to move, but I don't want to move, and I end up putting off the things I thought I would do today. Then, I feel even more depressed about my useless self, and I start to feel like everything is going wrong.

In an attempt to reset this rainy season melancholy somewhere, I started searching for hot spring resorts in the Kanto region during a sleepless late night. Kusatsu, Ikaho, Yugawara... While looking through famous spots, I managed to book an affordable inn in Kinugawa Onsen.

Actually, a little over a year ago, I had left something behind in Nikko. Ever since I retired from a journey run competition that had Nikko Toshogu Shrine as its goal, it was a place that remained in the corner of my mind, telling me I had to visit it someday. I think the opportunity has finally come around.

Today, I walked about 20km from Utsunomiya to Fubasami Station, and from there, I took a train to Nikko Station. I went back and forth on the approach leading to Toshogu Shrine and enjoyed eating my way through the area before arriving here.

I had a desire to walk the Nikko Kaido road, much like a revenge for the competition, but I honestly followed the voice in my heart whispering, 'Since this is a trip to refresh yourself, don't you think you don't have to go out of your way to walk in the rain?' and decided to be swayed by the Tobu Kinugawa Line.

Even though I hadn't walked that much, my neck was in pain from sleeping with my head down in the morning train. Carrying such a pathetic body, I got off at Kinugawa Onsen Station at 4:22 PM.

A town that feels like it has wandered into a gap in time

When I left the bright station building, where you can feel the warmth of wood, the sky was covered in thick clouds. That unique gray tone is somewhat similar to the sky on a snowy day.

The magnificent Nikko mountain range was veiled in white mist, and the small raindrops sliding in front of my eyes looked just like snowflakes. Although it was cool, the moisture-laden air clung to my body. It felt as if I were wrapped in the dense steam that fills the entire town.

I walked about 700 meters along a street lined with souvenir shops and dotted with restaurants that had their shutters down here and there. The number of tourists passing by was sparse, and there was no flashy bustle as a tourist destination. On the other hand, my heart was quietly leaping at the atmosphere of this quiet hot spring town.

Crossing the Kinugawa River to the opposite bank, there is the vertically rising Tateiwa Rock. Standing on its shore is the Hotel New O-ruri.

It is affordable, starting at 6,550 yen per night with breakfast, featuring 100% free-flowing hot spring water and a view of the Kinugawa River from every room. I had seen reviews saying the facilities were aged, but considering the price, it should be enough. Also, the appeal of this place is that you can reserve the rooftop open-air bath for free, but it was a shame that I was turned away at check-in after 4:30 PM, being told, 'It's already fully booked for today...'

An 8-tatami mat guest room, which is enough for one person.

When I opened the curtains, the Kinugawa River flowing powerfully below my eyes spread out, along with the beauty of the valley formed over an unimaginably long time.

Once I was satisfied with the scenery, I put down my luggage and went out again in search of dinner. The meals provided at the hotel are buffet-style for both breakfast and dinner. I had booked a plan with only breakfast, and decided to freely look for local flavors at night.

However, room meals that are completed within the hotel are the mainstream, and there are few restaurants open at night. I hurried to Shokudokoro Yuki, which I had aimed for in advance, to match the 5:00 PM opening time. It is a small shop run by a married couple, and it seems you can enjoy local items such as river fish and gibier at a reasonable price.

I had seen reviews saying "reservations recommended," but since this was a last-minute trip, I naturally hadn't made one. I felt relieved to be seated without any trouble.

One group and then another solo traveler arrived after me, but I also heard the landlady turning people away on the phone, saying, "I'm sorry, we're fully booked until 7:00 PM. If you can come after that..." I once again appreciated the advantage of being a solo traveler, as it's sometimes possible to slip into a small gap when you're on your own.

I sat at the counter and first ordered a salad, some salt-grilled ayu (sweetfish) typical of Nikko, and yuba (tofu skin) tempura. The yuba tempura, in particular, was delicious, with a creamy center and a light, crispy batter.

I wanted to order more, but I left quickly before it got crowded. The service had just the right amount of distance, and I was completely immersed in a good mood.
I returned to my inn and healed my whole body in the hot spring. There is also a certain happiness in lying lazily on the futon while flipping through the paperback book I brought with me. I closed my eyes early that night in preparation for my early morning wanderings, which are another pleasure of traveling.

Tracing the boundary between prosperity and decline

It was just past 4:00 AM. The hot spring town, still dragging the colors of the night behind it, was naturally still fast asleep. After taking just two or three sips of water, I grabbed my hotel room key, my smartphone, and my camera, and set off at a slow, easy run.

I headed toward the upper reaches of the Kinugawa River through a town where I didn't pass a single soul. The only sound was the pleasant, rhythmic metallic clinking of my keys rubbing together in my pocket, which echoed through the silence in time with my running. My destination was "Ryuokyo Gorge," about 6km away one way.

The sky maintained its same tone. At this rate, there was little difference between morning and evening. What time is it now, and where am I? The outlines of my self-consciousness began to melt and fade away.

Kinugawa Onsen was once a prestigious hot spring allowed only for feudal lords and monks returning from pilgrimages to Nikko, but after it was opened to the general public, it boomed during the bubble era due to special demand from group tours. To compensate for the disadvantage of being "a bit far from Tokyo" compared to Hakone or Atami, they adopted a strategy of building numerous large hotels to capture group tourists, but that backfired after the bubble burst.

The decline in group travel, the bankruptcy of main banks, rigid pricing... In contrast to Kusatsu and Ikaho, which successfully adapted to the times, Kinugawa ended up as a hot spring town on the "side that couldn't fully regenerate," leaving behind a cluster of abandoned large hotels along the river.

These are concentrated in the northeastern part, away from Kinugawa-Onsen Station, and the group of abandoned hotels towering in the mist exudes a unique, eerie presence, like a lonely castle on a cliff.

If it were a clear day, it would have been a beautiful, yet "common" landscape of lush greenery and a blue river. The somewhat eerie and heartbreaking charm can only be savored on a cloudy day.

I moved slowly up the gentle slope. There were places without sidewalks and with very narrow road shoulders, which would likely be difficult to walk on during the day, but now, not even a single car passed by. A light drizzle wrapped around my body.

Ryuokyo Gorge is a scenic spot with a well-maintained 3km hiking course one way. It offers a spectacular view created by clear streams and strange, jagged rocks formed by volcanic rock eroded by the Kinugawa River, looking as if a dragon is writhing.

Well, how far should I go into this pleasant nature? I thought as I descended the zigzagging stairs, but I was so light that I didn't even have any small change to buy a drink. Nikko is an area where bears appear even in the city, so I decided not to wander around alone unarmed in the early morning...

I arrived at Nijimi Falls in a few minutes. They say a beautiful rainbow appears when the sunlight hits it, but with this sky, there was no sign of that.

In the empty space, only the roaring sound of the waterfall echoes. I surrendered myself to the overwhelming silence for a while. When traveling alone, moments like this feel the most luxurious and supreme.

The high humidity makes unpleasant sweat cling to my skin, but the temperature is cool enough to make me shiver if I stay still. I head back the way I came before my damp body gets too cold. The return trip is mostly downhill, so my steps are light. The rain had intensified into a drizzle before I knew it.

By the time I returned to the hot spring town, cars began to pass by, and I crossed paths with a group of four young people and a three-generation family coming out of Asaya, the oldest and most historic inn in Kinugawa. The breath of life. Human warmth is gradually returning to this quiet town.

The sense of security in being near the river

I soaked up to my shoulders in the hot spring for the second time to warm my chilled body. When I suddenly looked at the scenery outside, the rain had become heavy enough to require an umbrella. I was lucky.

The breakfast buffet starting at 7:00 AM has a better selection than I expected. I'm happy that there's even a seafood bowl I can make myself. Even though I won't be moving around much more today, I gave in to the moderate hunger from my morning walk and even went back for seconds.

Until checkout time, I dozed on the bed in my room, listening to the pitter-patter of rain against the window. It's strange how rain in the city is just depressing, but when you change your environment, it sounds so pleasant and gentle.

Even if the roar isn't powerful enough to be heard, just having the river nearby makes me feel like I can forgive everything. Being swallowed by the grandeur of the ocean is nice, but there is a unique sense of security here, as if being hidden away in a corner of a deep valley. On days like this, I want to cherish the time spent holed up in the inn.

Since I'm here, I decided to change my travel route from the way there and board the Tobu Railway's Limited Express Liberty Kinu.

As I watch the unfamiliar scenery flow past the train window, a slight sense of loneliness wells up, thinking, "Ah, I don't want to go home yet." It's only about two hours to Asakusa without any transfers, a distance I could come anytime. I've become so eager to visit more hot spring towns along the river that I've actually already decided on my next destination.

The damp rainy season, the deep nature, and the atmosphere of the slightly weathered hot spring town taught me the deep charm of how to enjoy the rain.
That said, I am a person who naturally loves summer. Deep in my heart, I am waiting impatiently for the season when I can see the crisp, strong sunlight, the blue sky, and the blue sea.