There are over a few thousand Onsen found all over Japan, but some of them tend to stand out due to their uniqueness, and here is the weirdest and strangest Onsen in Japan.
Weirdest and Strangest Onsen in Japan
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| Japanese Onsen is highly popular among locals and foreigners. |
A unique Japanese Onsen is found at the Yunessun Spa Resort, located in the Hakone district of Japan. This place is also not too far from the capital of Tokyo, which is southwest and is a two-hour train ride to experience Japan’s weirdest Onsen.
Yunessun Spa Resort is a highly popular destination for many local Japanese and foreigners, mainly because this resort operates as an Onsen and a fully serviced resort that is also branded as a Hot Spring Paradise.
The Yunessun Onsen Spa & Resort in Hakone, Kanagawa.
The place offers a mini water park, outdoor swimming pools, themed indoor pools, outdoor spas, scenic landscapes and the main attraction - The unique flavoured Onsen.
In total, there are 23 hot spring baths found at Yunessun. Among the unique Onsen here, they have four mind-blowing types and are a must-try for anyone visiting.
These unique Onsen are known as beautifying baths that have properties to help with skin complexion.
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| For serious hard core coffee lovers, a strange coffee onsen is just for you. |
Coffee Onsen
Known as the first of its kind in Japan, the Coffee Onsen comprises coarse coffee brewed in the low temperatures of hot spring water.
People bathe here for the extraordinary healing properties of fatigue and skin beautification, which means that many women are seen at this coffee onsen.
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| Photos of the Coffee Onsen from the Yunessun website. |
Coffee is added three times daily to the Onsen, which is at 9.30 AM, 12.30 PM, and 3.30 PM and the coffee is provided by M.M.C Mitsumoto Coffee of Japan.
So if you are up for a Coffee Onsen for beautifying your skin, this is the hot spring to go to, and you are reminded not to drink the coffee water here.
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| The weird red wine Onsen with a large bottle pouring wine into the hot spring. Photo Pamso on Flickr. |
Red Wine Onsen
Wine baths have been known from the ancient Egyptian days of Cleopatra when it was known to rejuvenate the skin, and now you too can do this at Yunessun by soaking yourself at the unique Red Wine Onsen here. The wine that is used in this hot spring is also the famous Hakone Red Wine.
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| Inside the indoor wine onsen photos from the Yunessun Spa. |
There is two wine onsen found here, one indoor and one outdoors, and it is highly popular from Spring to Autumn. A super-sized 3.6-meter red wine bottle is fixed next to the Onsen and is seen pouring wine into the hot spring.
Occasionally, the staff will pour red wine from a bottle into the hot spring, and often plastic cups are provided for guests to take some of the red wine and drink it.
The wine is added three times a day at 10.00 AM, 1.30 PM and 4.00 PM. Again, you are reminded not to drink the Onsen water here.
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| A couple enjoying the Sake Onsen at Yunessun. |
Sake Onsen
Truly Japanese, the Sake Onsen is highly popular among the locals due to the said properties of removing age spots and freckles from the skin, as the Sake minimizes the production of melanin. Sake is also said to help boost the immune system and prevent specific allergies.
Some advice is not to submerge your head into the Sake or swim in it as the sake water will sting your eyes. The trick here is to just sit in the tub and enjoy the sake water. It is not fully 100% sake but diluted with normal hot spring water, but you can still taste the Sake.
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| The unique Green Tea Onsen at Yunessun. Photo Pamso on Flickr. |
Green Tea Onsen
Green tea has been known to beautify skin, boost skin health and immune system, and improve blood circulation, hence this unique Japanese green tea or Ocha Onsen.
The colour of the hot spring is vividly green, and the water is set at 42 degrees centigrade, making this Onsen one of the prevalent ones.
The green tea leaves are plucked from the Tanzawa and Hakone Mountains, where they are grown. Green tea is also known to contain antioxidants called catechins that protect cells and also keep skin looking younger. This Onsen is also an outdoor type and is highly popular in winter.
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| Kids enjoying themselves at the chocolate bath in Yunessun. |
Other Strange Onsen at Yunessun
Well, there are more types of Onsen and baths found here, including a Syrup Onsen bath, Chocolate Onsen, and Orange Peel Onsen, just to name a few.
At the end of the day, this unique hot spring resort will provide you with a one-of-a-kind experience, where you will be taking photos and sharing them on your social media.
The place is worth a visit and can be done solo, even as a family or group travel. You can spend at least a day or two here and visit some beautiful sightseeing spots around Hakone.
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| Tattoo’s on people must be covered up, or you will not be allowed at the Onsen. |
Rules for using the Onsen
All over Japan, there are some strict rules for Onsen usage, which vary at different Onsen all over the country. One of the most stringent rules is the no tattoo ruling, where many Onsen does not allow those with tattoos to utilize them.
However, these can be overcome by covering up with a surfing type half-body suit or rash guard so that your tattoo is not visible. If you have a tattoo, please ensure it is covered up before entering any public Onsen. Private Onsen is different, where you can go stark naked if you like.
If you disobey the rules, the staff will simply ask you to leave the Onsen, which would ruin your day, so it is best to always check on the Onsen rules before you book or visit one. This applies to almost all Onsen throughout Japan.
However, a handful of Onsen will allow tattooed people in, but you need to look for them if you are heavily tattooed.
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| Map showing where Yunessun Onsen is located. |
Where Is Yunessun Onsen?
Yunessun Onsen Spa and Resort is located in the Hakone district of Kanagawa in, Japan. It is also in the southwest area of Tokyo, and to get here, there are train services which take one and a half to two hours from Tokyo City.
The fastest way is by taking the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station to Odawara and then taking the bus from Odawara Station to the Yunessanzen Bus Stop, which takes another 35 minutes. Once you reach the stop, you can just walk for one minute to the Onsen.
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| Here are some directions to Yunessun from Tokyo. Image from Yunessun website. |
For foreigners wanting to travel here, you can take the train service, as this would be the most accessible mode of transport to get here. You can take the trains directly from the Haneda and Narita Airports in Tokyo.
Otherwise, you can also rent a car and self-drive here from Tokyo, which will take around one hour and forty-five minutes. This way, you can experience the local towns and a scenic journey here.
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| The indoor public pool at Yunessun Resort and Spa. |
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Address
Address: 1297 Ninotaira, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun,
Kanagawa-ken 250-0407 Japan
Tel from Japan: 0460-82-4126
Tel from abroad: +81 460-82-4126
Website: Yunessun Onsen Resort
Conclusion
If you have wanted to experience the Onsen in Japan, you now have the opportunity to go one step further and try some of the weirdest and strangest Onsen in Japan.
This article is created for anyone planning to visit Japan after the country opened up in June 2022, since locking down during Covid 19.