RENT & RIDE JAPANUpper Kinugawa, Kawaji & Yunishigawa Onsen
Kawaji & Yunishigawa Secret Onsen Touring
Ride along Lake Ikari from Kawaji Onsen to Yunishigawa, a hidden hot spring linked to the Heike clan legend. Spend a night at a secret ryokan and cruise autumn valleys back through Kinugawa.
- DISTANCE
- 470 km
- DURATION
- 16 h
- LEVEL
- Intermediate
Leaving Hachioji early, this two-day, one-night tour heads into the upper Kinugawa valley in northern Nikko with hot springs as the star. You'll ride the shore of Lake Ikari — named for being fifty ri from old Edo — reach Kawaji Onsen, opened in the Edo period, and press on to Yunishigawa, a secret spa steeped in the legend of the fleeing Heike clan.
Highlights
- Lake Ikari & Ikari Dam: A quiet reservoir and an impressive gravity dam, popular for autumn foliage.
- Kawaji Onsen: A former post town and healing spa on the old Aizu-Nishi Kaido road, with riverside open-air baths.
- Yunishigawa Onsen: A thatched-roof village of the Heike survivors, with hearth-cooked local cuisine and free-flowing spring water.
- Kinugawa Onsen town: A famous hot spring resort visited on the return.
Riding notes
Mountain winding roads mean you should aim to arrive before dusk. In foliage season, an early start helps avoid congestion. Bring warm gear.
- Day 1
- 1START
Tashilog Garage
Start point
TIPSEarly start recommended. Prepare warm and rain gear, and fill up the tank.
- 2VIEW~30 min
Ikari Dam & Lake Ikari
A gravity concrete dam on the Ogagawa River and its reservoir, with a dam museum on site.
HISTORYThe name Ikari means 'fifty ri' — its distance from old Edo. A natural dam formed here after the 1683 Nikko earthquake, and its 1723 collapse and flood is said to have led to the discovery of Kawaji Onsen.
TIPSThe free museum hands out dam cards; allow about 20 minutes. The lakeshore is a noted autumn foliage spot.
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Photo: 河川一等兵 / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain - 3ONSEN~40 min
Kawaji Onsen
A quiet hot spring town in the gorge where the Kinugawa and Ogagawa rivers meet, dotted with footbaths and open-air baths.
HISTORYOpened in the Edo-period Kyoho era, Kawaji flourished as a post town on the old Aizu-Nishi Kaido road and as a healing spa.
TIPSFree footbaths such as Kawajii-no-Yu make a great short break; enjoy a stroll through the town.
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Photo: ほぶ / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain - 4FOOD~60 min
Michi-no-Eki Yunishigawa Restaurant
Lunch at the restaurant inside the roadside station next to Yunishigawa Onsen Station.
TIPSSignature dishes include the 'dam curry', yuba (tofu skin) soba/udon, and venison croquette rice bowls. It's also the base for the amphibious lake-cruise bus. Please confirm hours.
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Image - 5SPOT~40 min
Yunishigawa Heike-no-Sato
An open-air museum of relocated thatched-roof houses displaying the lifestyle and records of the Heike survivors.
HISTORYYunishigawa is said to be where members of the Heike clan, defeated at Dan-no-ura, hid in secret. To avoid detection, locals still refrain from flying carp streamers or keeping chickens. The spring is said to have been found by Heike descendants in 1573.
TIPSAllow 30–40 minutes. Highlights include hearths and historical exhibits; convenient to visit before checking in.
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Photo: Miyuki Meinaka / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 - 6LODGING~720 min
Yunishigawa Onsen Kamiyashiki Taira-no-Takafusa
A secret-spa ryokan on a hill near the headwaters at the very back of the onsen village. Overnight stop for day 1.
HISTORYA member of the Japan Secret Hot Springs Society. With a fortress gate and white-walled, tiled roofs evoking the Heike village, it is known for skewered 'fortress cuisine' cooked around the hearth.
TIPSFree-flowing spring water with two indoor baths and five open-air baths including private ones. Please confirm motorcycle parking and room type when booking.
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Image - Day 2
- 7VIEW~40 min
Yunishigawa Onsen Village (Morning Stroll)
A morning stroll through the onsen village where thatched-roof houses meet the river valley.
HISTORYThe thatched-roof houses lining the Yunishigawa River form a nostalgic scene where the survivors' legend still lives on.
TIPSPerfect for a short walk before departure; Heike-related sites such as Jiko-ji Temple are scattered nearby.
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Image - 8VIEW~45 min
Ryuokyo Gorge
A gorge carved by the Kinugawa River through volcanic rock, with walking trails and dramatic boulders.
HISTORYThe scenery formed as volcanic rock erupted by undersea volcanoes some 22 million years ago was eroded by the Kinugawa River. Located between Kawaji and Kinugawa, its autumn colors usually peak in late October.
TIPSFrom the parking near the station, short trails lead to spots like Nijimi Falls. A great rest stop.
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Photo: Nyao148 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 - 9FOOD~60 min
Soba-dokoro Daikokuya
Lunch at a handmade soba restaurant in the Kinugawa Onsen town.
TIPSA Japanese soba restaurant with hearth-side counter seats, comfortable even for solo diners. Also serves tempura, duck, and tendon. Please check hours and closing days in advance.
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Image - 10ONSEN~40 min
Kinugawa Onsen Town
One of eastern Japan's leading hot spring resorts, a final stop on the way home for a day bath or footbath.
TIPSSince the return leg is long, keep it short with a footbath or quick day bath. Refuel before heading back on the expressway.
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Image - 11GOAL
Tashilog Garage
Return