Japan has more than its fair share of onsen (hot spring) towns, the country's original tourist destination, but none are as easy to get to from Tokyo as Kinugawa Onsen.
This is one of the capital's okuzashiki. Originally a term for a guest room at the back of the house, it also refers to an onsen town or tourist spot that's in a major city's backyard. At just two hours from Tokyo by train, this certainly applies to Kinugawa Onsen.
Atami and Hakone, Tokyo's other onsen okuzashiki, boast pretty big selling points. Atami has hot springs and beaches. Hakone has hot springs and Mount Fuji views. Made up of the Edo Period (1603-1868) Taki Onsen area on the west bank of the Kinu River, and the Fujiwara Onsen area on the east, Kinugawa has only hot springs.
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