Hotaka Onsen-kyo

Last Updated:November 20, 2024

Hotaka Onsen-kyo is a small ‘onsen’ (hot spring) town located in the beautiful rural enclave of Azumino. Sitting in the wooded foothills of the North Japan Alps, Hotaka Onsen-kyo offers visited a relaxing experience with beautiful rural and mountain vistas

The town is home to a number of excellent ‘ryokan’ (traditional guesthouses) and a public onsen, Shakunagenoyu including open-air footbath. The surrounding region is home to numerous art galleries, museums, local cafes, and restaurants. You could easily spend an entire day exploring all the different locations.

Noteworthy are the Azumino Art Hills Museum known for its glasswork art and glass-blowing activities, Jansem Art Museum featuring the paintings of Armenian-French artist Jean Jansem, and Tensan Silk Museum where you can learn all about Japanese silk weaving from silkworm ecology to kimono. Information regarding accommodation in and around Hotaka Onsen-kyo can be found through our ‘Hotaka Onsen-kyo Area’ hotel page.

INFO

	Approximately 2 to 2.5-hours drive from the Jigokudani Monkey Park
	From Nagano station, take JR Shinonoi Line to Akashina Station. You can get taxi or bus to the Hotaka Station area from there (bus runs seasonally, so be sure to check the schedule). It takes longer but you can also get to Hotaka Station directly by train via Matsumoto: Take the JR Shinonoi or Wide View Shinano to Matsumoto, then transfer to the JR Oito Line and take the train to Hotaka Station.