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 Besides the clear
blue skies and refreshing mountain air, the
world renowned nishiki-goi and the Koshihikari
rice in which Minami-Uomuma is well known for,
this area is full of hot natural spring waters
whereby tourists can enjoy a hot Japanese spa
surrounded by scenic mountain views. In mid
1960s, Ryugon was set up using parts of a
guesthouse and samurais' homes obtained from the
1800s to create a traditional Japanese
atmosphere for the benefits of its guests. This
place is very unique since these old Samurai
structures are nowadays very rare national
treasures which can only be seen in museums
only. Most
of its thirty two rooms here have designs
depicting traditional Photo: Ryugon Onsen in
Minami-Uomuma residences of high-ranking
samurai and excellent garden views or views of
snowy mountain peaks. This famous Japanese spa
inn offers guests an excellent destination to
escape from their daily hectic schedule.
You can get here by
train or by road. You can choose to travel in
the Jyoetsu-Shinkansen from Ueno to
Echigo-Yuzawa Station, and then from there to
Ryugon by taxi. This journey will take less than
two hours. If you choose to drive, you can drive
from Nerima IC in Tokyo to Minami-Uonuma IC by
Kanetsu Jidoshado and then from here you can
drive straight to Ryugon. This trip will roughly
take three hours. If you using the Kanetsu
Expressway, it is only a ten minutes drive from
Muikamachi Interchange.
Visitors come here
to enjoy the hot waterfall bathing in waters
rich with sodium chloride. Among the places for
you to take pleasure in soaking in hot spring
waters are at the two indoor communal onsen, two
outdoor communal rotenburo and the two garden
rotenburo. For those who do not mind paying
extra, two family-sized rotenburo can be
reserved for forty minutes. As with most onsen,
it is open all day and night and will only be
close temporarily during the cleaning session
and Ryugon is the place for you to unpack your
travel gear and revitalize both your body and
mind in its mineral-rich hot spring baths. Other
facilities here include a bar, a karaoke room, a
Japanese tea room and a pottery and painting
room.
Located at :
79 Sakado,
Minami-Uonuma,
Niigata-ken
949-6611,
Japan.
Telephone :
81 (0)25 772 3470
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