Hakone Taikouyu Onsen, November 11th, 2012

After what seemed like an 100 year drive to the base of Mount Fuji, my three friends and I were extremely disappointed to find that the great mountain was hidden behind a thick veil of white clouds and ice cold rain. After all the time, effort, and gasoline spent getting to the mountain in the first place, we decided that our journey was not going to be in vain. About an hour southwest of Fujisan, there is a very popular onsen area called Hakone.
Hakone is an area in north Kanagawa prefecture which is blessed with an abundance of onsen as well as breathtaking natural beauty. It is a famous getaway location for people tired of the hustle and bustle of Tokyo life. After a long drive and the shock of not being able to see Mount Fuji, my friends and I decided that the next best thing would be a dip in one of Hakone's famous springs to warm up before the commute home in the drizzly cold.

When I think Hakone, I think gorgeous resort bath houses, wooden tubs, and gazing at spectacular scenery while reclining in the outdoor bath. This was not the case. After a futile search for such a place in a dying iphone, the driver ended up pulling off the road and into the parking lot of the first place we saw, 太閤湯, Taikou yu. We were first "greeted" by a short-haired grumpy granny flagging us down from the entrance of the simple facility. From behind a sliding door, the scowling proprietor curtly told us where to park in the three space lot. This was clearly not the gorgeous onsen experience I was anticipating, but I have to admit that I was intrigued. The building is a modest two story concrete structure which sits on a ledge overlooking a river which could be heard but not seen in the black and rainy night. Because of the weather and the fact that I forgot to, I couldn't take any pictures so I pulled a few off the internet.

Immediately upon entering, the grumpy granny from before instructed us to remove our shoes and place them in a wooden shoe box. We then had to buy individual tickets from a tired looking vending machine. Each person paid 400 yen and was provided with nothing except access to the facility. We made our way into the small locker room and began to get ready to bathe.

This particular onsen, as I learned from the other bathers, is located at the exact source of the spring which feeds many other different baths, luxurious resorts and modest facilities alike. Because of this reason, the water is HOT. Like...156 degrees Fahrenheit (69 degrees Celsius) hot. It is impossible to get in without adjusting the temperature constantly with the faucets. I found that to be a bit annoying, but I was glad to find an onsen outside of Beppu which was up to my standard of hot.

The bathing area was very small with only one area to clean yourself before entering. Space was tight, and I had to wait for two other people to finish rinsing off before I could start. There was no shampoo provided, but there was a communal bar of soap sitting in a pink plastic basket.

The onsen is a very common sodium-cholride spring which has wonderful effects on skin ailments. The smell was very neutral because of its proximity to the origin. As I would later find out, other onsen fed from the same spring down the road tend to have more of a sulfuric smell, though I could not fathom why. When attempting to do my taste assessment, I was scalded, thus preventing me from making a proper analysis. Boo.

From start to finish, my experience at Taikou yu was very pleasant. The grouchy granny and friendly patrons, the scuzzy ambiance and the boiling hot temperatures were all part of what makes this place so great. At 400 yen, you get a nice hot bath and a one of a kind experience. What makes this place even more great is that this is not some fancy resort with 12 different kinds of baths and a Korean beauty salon, it is the neighborhood social spot. A place where Hakone locals go to avoid tourists. It is a place for serious bathing and community bonding. We were lucky to find this gem of an onsen, and I hope I will have the opportunity to go again some day.