This complete guide to visiting Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Onsen will cover what you need to know to visit Japan’s quirkiest onsen.

Swim in red wine, sake, maple syrup and coffee, plus a lot more heated pools to explore.

Relaxing in a traditional Japanese onsen is one of my favourite things to do in all of Japan. Of course, Japanese culture can be a little quirky, so why not make it a red wine or sake filled spa?! Yunessun is an onsen in Hakone and if you’re up for a little strange, then this is for you! Everything you need to know about how to get there, cost, and much more are below in this Yunessun Spa review.

This unique Japanese attraction is a memorable day out for the whole family – I mean who doesn’t want to bathe in a pool of warm red wine!? There are in fact two sections to this onsen: clothed and non-clothed – as most traditional Japanese onsens are. However, be warned, those with tattoos of any size and location (myself included) will have to jump through a few hoops to be allowed to enter – read on to find out the restrictions in place.

 

What to know before you visit Hakone Kowakien Yunessun

First of all, I’m not sure that onsen is really the correct term to use for this unique resort – it feels much more like a water theme park. Their website also refers to it as a “hot spring theme park”. There are a few things you should know before you jump into a spa filled with green tea, sake or syrup.

 

How to get to Yunessun Water Theme Park

There are multiple ways to get here depending on where you are starting from. In this post, I’ll cover how to visit from Shinjuku Train Station in Tokyo. The Yunessun website has information for other routes (check out the ‘tips’ section below for the link).

From Shinjuku Station, either Hakone Yumoto Station or Odawara Station should be your first stop. Both stations are stops for the Hakone Tozan Bus and Railway lines. From here, catching a bus to Kowaki-en bus stop gets you within a couple hundred meters of the resort’s entrance.

To make this trip a little cheaper, and depending on your length of stay in Hakone (remember Mount Fuji resides here!)  it may be viable to purchase the Hakone 2-day pass – Check out a full rundown of the Hakone Pass in the tips and information below!

 

How much does Yunessun Onsen cost?

Entrance to Yunessun Onsen, at the time of writing, depends on what parts of the spa you want to visit.

• Yunnessun area only (this is where the unique onsens are, and the clothed area of the theme park) – 2900 Yen
• Mori no Yu area only (this is the non-clothed area, and has a strict no tattoo policy) – 1900 Yen
• For both areas, you can purchase a combined ticket for 4100 Yen

 

If you’re like me and visiting Japan for its amazing snow season, you might not have swimwear. This was the first and hopefully only time I will ever rent a swimsuit.

• For men, bottoms are 650 Yen
• Woman’s one-pieces cost 1080 Yen
• Kids swimmers also cost 650 Yen.

 

There are long-sleeved rash shirts available also – this helped cover a lot of my tattoos – read on for a rundown of the tattoo policy at Yunessun.

Now the idea of a rented swimsuit might make you shudder inside, but once I learned that the red wine onsen can stain, I was more open to it!

For 100 yen you can also rent a towel – which I suggest so you can leave the unique smells behind after you’ve showered!

 

Can I enter Yunessun Onsen if I have tattoos?

Yes, you can, but you will have to cover up. For me, a long sleeve swimsuit shirt, or a “rashie” in Australian speak, helped but still didn’t cover all of my tattoos as the only bottoms were shorts. I was sent to the first aid room where I was given a roll of “waterproof” tape and was instructed to tape over ALL visible tattoos (I think I used two whole rolls by the time I was done!) This quickly made me look a little mummified and resulted in many, many confused stares!

So if you have tattoos, get ready for an experience within an experience!

Just to be clear, if you have tattoos, and I mean any size and location, you will most likely be denied entering the no clothed, Mori no Yu onsen section. So don’t waste your money on that ticket. In my mind, there are many amazing onsens in Japan, but not many as memorable and unique as Yunessun – so I’d spend my time there!

 

Yunessun Onsen review

Alright, enough of the logistics and fine print! Ready to dive into what is actually on offer at Yunessun?! (Keep in mind some of the pools do rotate).

P.S. I probably would not suggest diving or submerging your head in the water fully – red wine and sake don’t do well in your hair!

 

Red wine bath onsen

This is probably the most photographed bath. How many people can say they swam in wine? I’d say very few! I was skeptical about the water just being dyed red and a tourist trap. However when I visited, this bath house was in an enclosed room, and let me tell you, you can smell and kind of even taste the alcohol in the air!

Not to say that they open full bottles of red wine and pour it straight in – it is definitely watered down a bit- but there’s no denying the alcohol content.

On a side note, getting into this bath was up there with the most awkward feelings I’ve ever had. Not the people staring at my pure white bandages as I walked around, but my long-sleeved rashie coming in contact with the hot wine infused water was…uncomfortable.

I pushed through the initial feeling of it all and was worth it. Just a little personal rant from me there!

 

Sake bath onsen

I mean, does it get more traditional Japanese and quirky cultural than swimming in a warm pool of sake?! As with the red wine, it is watered down, but this one kind of stung my eyes as Is, so I wasn’t complaining about the alcohol content!

 

Coffee onsen

Yeah. You read that right. Coffee.

I’m a self-confessed coffee addict. I drink way too much of it. But I’ve never swum in coffee until Yunessun! Made from real coffee beans – you can see them pouring the brew directly into the pool!

While it didn’t really give me that caffeine kick I was looking for, I did hear it’s supposed to be good for your skin?!

 

Green tea onsen

I love green tea. Not as much as coffee, but I drink my fair share. During my visit, this pool was more of an open-air style pool, so the water was a little cooler than a lot of others.  This pool was also much smaller than the wine and coffee bath.

 

Syrup onsen/hot tub

This ‘onsen’ was really just regular hot tubs with water infused with syrup. I live in Canada currently and maple syrup is incredibly popular – just not as shampoo. Not only was the syrup poured directly into the water, but they also gave the ‘lucky’ few the chance to wash their hair (and my beard) with it.

 

Citrus aroma room

This isn’t a pool, but rather a sauna-like room that smells Lemon, oranges, and other tang aromatherapies. It’s a nice change to smell something other than alcohol and coffee. Even though I didn’t spend too long in this room, it was another oddly unique addition to Hakone’s water theme park!

 

Outside area of Yunessun

Apart from a swimming pool that’s heated with a couple of small waterfalls, there are three water slides! While my partner and her sister were having a blast sliding super fast down the slides – I couldn’t make it down any of the three! I tried everything but I’d come to a complete stop and have to get up and walk the rest. Many laughs at my expense (maybe the bandages added to the laughter, as some were peeling off by now).

If you’ve had enough of the strange and unique, you can finally relax outside in one of the three spa pools that are tiered perfectly to get lovely views over Hakone.

There are also three spa type pools with a lovely view over Hakone. The higher the pool, the higher the temperature – with the top one reaching 38.5 ^oC.

 

Why should you visit the Yunessun water theme park/onsen?

I’m not sure if this conclusion is needed, but just in case, here it is.

Yunessun is a one of a kind experience. Whether you’ve visited many onsens in Japan and want something completely different, or you’re just a little bit nervous to bare all at other traditional onsens, Yunsessun gives you a taste (not literally – don’t drink the red wine or sake) of a wonderful Japanese cultural tradition, with a big twist!

 

Yunessun Onsen tips and information

• If you’re after more unique and memorable things to do a short distance from Tokyo, Taiyoji Temple is a beautiful Buddhist temple you can stay overnight at!
• Yunessun Onsen is in the beautiful town of Hakone in Japan. Mount Fuji is also visible from Hakone. One of the most amazing sights in all of Japan, that is if you don’t get a super overcast day like I did! Still worth it to visit Hakone!
• The local currency in Japan is the Yen. For $1 AUD, you get around 80 Yen.
• For long distance travel, check out Willer Express Bus Company. There is a multiple bus travel ticket that allows you to take three buses for much cheaper than you would pay individually. This includes overnight buses, which act as accommodation (if you can actually sleep on them) it makes travel that much cheaper.
• Hakone is served by a few bus lines, a short train line, and a cable car. All are quite well interlinked. For the onsen, Yunnessun/Kowakien is the stop you’re after.
• If you’re coming to Hakone from Tokyo, read below for information about the Hakone Pass below to save time and money.

 

Hakone 2/3 Day Pass, or the Hakone Free Pass

This is a discount pass for exploring Hakone. It gives unlimited use of Odakyu affiliated buses, boats, trains and cable cars within the area of Hakone. If brought from Shinjuku Station, it also includes return transport to Hakone.

With either 2 or 3 day options, it is a great way to see the sights of Hakone!

Purchased from Shinjuku Station:

• 2-day pass: 5140 Yen
• 3-day pass: 5640 Yen

 

Purchased inside the “free area” – e.g. Odawara Station:

• 2-day pass: 4000 Yen
• 3-day pass: 4500 Yen

You can find out plenty more information about the Hakone Loop Pass here – detailed price guide and what is covered in this money and time saving pass.

 

Yunessun Onsen Highlights

I mean, bathing in wine and coffee. It’s an unforgettable experience at least.

I’ve never had to be taped up before going for a swim – once again another memorable time in Japan.

 

Have you visited Yunessun Onsen? I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts below – just leave a comment!

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