Areas
Yugawara
A small hot spring town at the southern tip of Kanagawa, between Odawara and Atami, long visited by writers.
- Character
- Yugawara lies along the Fujiki and Chitose rivers near the Shizuoka border, with views of Sagami Bay. It is the only hot spring in eastern Japan mentioned in the Man'yoshu poetry collection, and writers such as Natsume Soseki stayed here. It has a mild climate and has largely escaped mass tourism.
- Why it stands out
- Compared with nearby Atami and Hakone, Yugawara has no crowded shopping streets or long queues.
- Getting there
- From Tokyo Station, the direct Odoriko limited express takes about 1 hour 13 minutes (reserved seats only). The Shinkansen to Atami plus a 6-minute local train takes about 1 hour 2–8 minutes in total. Local JR Tokaido Line trains take about 1 hour 35–46 minutes. The onsen area is over 2 km from Yugawara Station, about 10 minutes by bus.
- Seasons
- Plum blossoms fill Makuyama Park from February to early March. In late May to early June there are azaleas and fireflies, and the Yukake Matsuri is held on the fourth Saturday of May. Autumn leaves colour Okuyugawara. Winters are mild and snow is very rare.
- Watch-outs
- The station is far from the onsen area, and buses run less often than in Hakone. Some roads near the upper onsen area are narrow, and weekend and holiday traffic from Tokyo can add time.
- Neighbourhoods
- Onsen town centre: Riverside area with Manyo Park, Kogome no Yu and the Yugawara Art Museum. / Okuyugawara: Upper valley and starting point for the hike to the Ikemine Momiji no Sato maple grove. / Makuyama: Plum grove at the foot of 626 m Mount Makuyama, also used for rock climbing.
- Nearby
- Manyo Park / Kogome no Yu / Fudo Falls / Makuyama Park / Yugawara Art Museum / Joganji / Satsuki no Sato
Yugawara condotels and hotel condos for sale
A condotel (hotel condominium) is a hotel room you own outright, which the hotel rents to guests when you are not using it. These are the Yugawara buildings and resort clubs this site tracks, with their current asking prices.