Fudō Falls
A 15-metre waterfall in the woods at the top of the valley, a short walk from the bus, with shrines on either side and a tea house with a foot bath.
- 15 m waterfall
- Tea house and foot bath
- By the bus stop
Around town · Puzzle walk · onsen district
Dragon God's Secret Hot Spring
From 24 Nov 2025, no end date · 09:00
A puzzle game you play on foot from Fudō Falls down to Man'yō Park, following a story on your phone. Go any day.
On now
About the event
Princess Tōka is searching for a legendary sword, and you're pulled into the hunt. The game runs on an app and leads you through the upper onsen district with 3D puzzles hidden along the way, finishing in Man'yō Park.
It's self-guided, so start whenever you like. Buy your ticket and download the app from the game's website before you head out.
Make a day of it
The game starts up the valley near Fudō Falls and finishes in Man'yō Park, so you end up right by the baths and the onsen district's restaurants.
Along the way
Stop at the tea house beneath Fudō Falls for amazake or udon (10:00–16:30). At the end, walk the stream through Man'yō Park and warm up at Kogome no Yu (closed Mondays), or book Soyu Terrace for a long soak.
Fudō Falls Tea House
An old tea house right beneath Fudō Falls, serving amazake, shiruko and udon, with a hot-spring foot bath out front.
- View of the falls
- Foot bath
- Amazake
Man'yō Park
A wooded park along the Chitose River in the heart of the onsen district, with stream-side decks, a thatched tea house, a café and a day spa.
- Stream-side decks
- Tea house
- Free to enter
Kogome no Yu
The town's own day bath, next to Man'yō Park: big indoor and open-air baths, a free tatami rest room, and cheap entry after 7pm.
- Open-air bath
- Free rest room
- Half price after 7pm
Soyu Terrace
A quiet, beautifully designed bathhouse in the woods of Man'yō Park. Book a half day with lunch, the baths, a sauna and a library.
- Lunch and baths
- Sauna and library
- Ages 12+
Dinner and a drink in the onsen district
Book ahead: Torisuke for yakitori over charcoal (closed Mondays and Tuesdays), Yoru no Ajito for Italian wine and gibier, or Iroha for hamburg steak (closed Mondays). Beer Stand Kadoya pours craft beer by the Ochiai-bashi bus stop every day until 22:00.
Torisuke
A husband-and-wife yakitori house grilling over binchōtan, with clay-pot rice cooked to order.
- Binchōtan yakitori
- Kamameshi
- Cash only
Yoru no Ajito
A small evening spot for Italian wine with cured ham, cheese, house bread, and Yugawara wild boar and venison.
- Italian wine
- Local wild boar and venison
- Evenings
Iroha
A cosy evening yōshoku restaurant with wood-panelled walls, known for hamburg steak and tomato curry.
- Hamburg steak
- Tomato curry
- Evenings
Beer Stand Kadoya
The only place in the onsen district to drink fresh local beer on tap, with a terrace over the Chitose River.
- Local beer on tap
- River terrace
- Open daily
Where to stay
For a group, Shiroyamakan (formerly Shiroyama Bekkan) rents out the whole annex of an onsen inn two minutes from the station, with a spring-fed bath and room for 12. Or stay in the onsen district, where the baths, Man'yō Park and dinner are all a short walk away. Hotel Shikisai and Megumi are easy with children, Genzan Uenoya is old Yugawara in a 1930 wooden inn, and The Ryokan Tokyo is the budget pick. For dinner served in your room, Fukiya. Treeside is four minutes from the station, if you'd rather come and go by train. Friends of Matt's run Shiroyamakan.
Shiroyamakan
The detached annex of an onsen inn two minutes from Yugawara Station, rented whole: three bedrooms, room for up to 12, and a half-open-air bath fed from the hot spring.
- Whole annex to yourselves
- Spring-fed bath
- 2 minutes from the station
Hotel Shikisai
A big, easygoing onsen hotel by the river with buffet dinners, a station shuttle, table tennis and a summer pool. Good value for families and groups.
- Buffet dinner
- Station shuttle
- Summer pool
Onyado Megumi
A family-friendly ryokan with rooms for four, a children's playroom, a bookable private bath, and meals in the room in the larger suites.
- Family-friendly
- Kids' playroom
- Private open-air bath
Genzan Uenoya
One of Yugawara's oldest inns, in a four-storey wooden building from 1930 that's a registered cultural property. Two springs of its own, free private open-air baths, and a hinoki foot bath on the top floor.
- Registered cultural property
- Free private open-air baths
- Rooftop foot bath
The Ryokan Tokyo Yugawara
A relaxed, modern onsen inn for writers and solo travellers, with a library lounge, desks, ink-making, and a spring-fed bath.
- Writing plans
- Solo-friendly
- Day bath and lounge
Fukiya
A sukiya-style ryokan with seven baths, including two hinoki tubs on the roof, and dinner and breakfast served in your room. Good with children.
- Meals in your room
- Rooftop hinoki baths
- Family-friendly
Treeside Yugawara
A small design hotel and apartments four minutes from the station, with rooms that look out to the hills and a restaurant downstairs.
- 4 minutes from the station
- Apartments with kitchens
- Restaurant downstairs
Tickets and details
Plans can change with the weather. The organiser's page has the latest.
Also coming up
On now
Tue 1 Sept – Sat 31 Oct
The 1,200-Year Mystery: a puzzle trail round Yugawara
Pick up a free puzzle booklet, walk the town from the station to the onsen district collecting clues, and enter a draw for ¥1 million in prizes.
On now
Sat 5 Sept – Sun 29 Nov
Weekend rakugo
Japanese comic storytelling every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the geisha house, plus a Saturday-night show with a bath.
On now
Sat 10 Oct – Thu 17 Dec
Mikan picking
Pick and eat sweet Yugawara mandarins in hillside orchards above the sea, from October to mid-December.