Researched guide · Checked on Oct 20, 2026
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Yugawara is a quiet hot spring town in a river valley at the western edge of Kanagawa, between Hakone and Atami. Its hot springs appear in the Manyoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, and are said to be the only ones in the Kanto region named there. It is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Tokyo Station on the Odoriko limited express, which makes it an easy onsen day trip or a calm overnight stay.
Quick answer
Getting there: Tokyo → Yugawara about 1 hr 15 min on the Odoriko limited express, or about 1 hr 30 min on the Rapid Acty.
Day-use onsen: Yugawara Soyu in Manyo Park, from ¥3,500 (3 hours, no meal). Reservations are generally required. Tattoos are not permitted.
In season now: mandarin orange picking, October 10 – December 17, 2026 (adults ¥500, all you can eat).
A short history
People have bathed in Yugawara’s water for about 1,300 years. In the Middle Ages it was used as a healing bath, and in the Edo period the name “Yugawara Onsen” appeared. From the Meiji era, inns opened one after another and politicians, writers and artists came to stay. It was known as an “onsen for wounds” and was used for soldiers’ recovery after the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars. Today’s Manyo Park, in the middle of the hot spring area, was once the villa of the industrialist Magobei Okura.
Yugawara Soyu: a day-use onsen in Manyo Park
Yugawara Soyu is a day-use bathhouse in Manyo Park, with free-flowing water straight from the source, surrounded by trees and the sound of the river. It is built around the idea of “toji”, the old custom of staying at a hot spring to rest: bathe, eat, read, and bathe again.
| Plan | Price | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| No-meal plan (entry from 14:00; from 11:00 on Wednesdays) | ¥3,500 | Up to 3 hours |
| Lunch plan (seasonal meal served in oryoki bowls) | ¥6,800 | Up to 5 hours |
- Prices include the ¥100 bathing tax, towels, indoor wear, library use and some free drinks.
- Open every day 10:00–18:30 (last admission 16:30), except the first and third Wednesdays and the second Tuesday of each month.
- Two baths each for men and women, plus a sauna. For junior high school age and above.
- Reservations are generally required. Walk-ins are accepted only if there is space. Same-day cancellations are charged in full.
- Tattoos are not permitted. Guests staying at a Yugawara inn get ¥500 off with proof of stay.
- Cards, transit IC cards and QR payments are accepted.
At the park entrance, the free-to-enter Front Terrace has a tourist information desk, a takeout cafe, a footbath area and free Wi-Fi (10:00–17:30, closed on the second Tuesday of each month).
Mandarin orange picking (autumn)
From October 10 to December 17, 2026, you can pick and eat Yugawara mandarins on sunny hillsides overlooking Sagami Bay. It costs ¥500 for adults, ¥400 for children and ¥300 for small children, all you can eat (taking oranges home costs extra). No reservation is needed: go to the information booth under the JR Tokaido Line bridge by the Chitose River (9:00–15:00). The farm’s car takes you from the booth to the orchard, and there is a pick-up from Yugawara Station if you call. It is closed in rain or bad weather.
How to get there
| Route | Time |
|---|---|
| Odoriko limited express, Tokyo → Yugawara | About 1 hr 15 min |
| Rapid Acty (JR Tokaido Line), Tokyo → Yugawara | About 1 hr 30 min |
| Shinkansen Kodama to Odawara, then JR Tokaido Line | About 35 min + 16 min |
| Bus from Yugawara Station (stop 2, for Fudotaki or Okuyugawara) to “Ochiaibashi” for Manyo Park | About 10 min |
From Atami, Yugawara is only about 5 minutes on the JR Tokaido Line, so you can combine the two. See our Atami day trip guide.
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FAQ
How do I get from Tokyo to Yugawara?
Take the Odoriko limited express from Tokyo Station (about 1 hour 15 minutes) or the Rapid Acty (about 1 hour 30 minutes).
Is there a day-use onsen in Yugawara?
Yes. Yugawara Soyu in Manyo Park offers a no-meal plan for ¥3,500 (up to 3 hours) and a lunch plan for ¥6,800. Reservations are generally required.
Can people with tattoos use Yugawara Soyu?
No. The facility does not permit tattoos.
When is mandarin picking in Yugawara?
From October 10 to December 17, 2026. Adults pay ¥500, all you can eat.
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Sources
History, prices, hours, rules and access come from the official websites of Yugawara Soyu and the Yugawara Onsen tourism association (checked October 20, 2026). Prices and opening days change, so please check before you go.
