You’ll find the Furofushi Onsen in an enviable location. It’s at the foot of the Shirakami mountains, right on the Sea of Japan in Aomori Prefecture. This UNESCO World Natural Heritage area is famous for the ancient beech forests and the ponds and lakes created after a 1704 earthquake. The onsen hotel is found in Koganezaki, an apt name – at dusk here the sunset over the Sea Of Japan turns the entire landscape golden. The onsen hotel is most famous for the two onsens that are directly on the rocks, right next to the Sea of Japan. It is a wonderful place to spend a night. Here’s our Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen Review, complete with details of how to get here, rooms to select, and everything you want to know about the multiple onsens here.
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BOOK A ROOM HERE
Stay at the Furofushi Onsen and choose from Japanese or Western Style Ocean Front Rooms. Furofushi Onsen rates include free pick up and drop off from the train station and breakfast and dinner, plus an ocean side onsen too.
There is just something about staying this close to the ocean. It is overwhelmingly peaceful, with the crash of the waves, the surf, and the salt on the breeze. And they have that in spades here at Furofushi Onsen. Guest rooms all face onto the Sea of Japan, one of the restaurants looks onto the ocean, and the open-air onsens are directly on the water. The food here specializes in seasonality and locality. It’s spectacular.
Furofushi Onsen Review
We arrived at Furofushi on the superb Resort Shirakami train, after having stopped for nearly three hours to enjoy the Juniko 12 Lakes and then took the free shuttle bus from the WeSpa Tsubakiyama Station. We stayed for one night, enjoying all the onsens in this hotel right on the Sea of Japan coast. Our dinner and breakfasts were included as part of the rate that we paid (check that out here). Here are details of what you can expect at the Furofushi Onsen Hotel.
Room Types at the Furofushi Onsen
There are two types of rooms here at the Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen Hotel – Japanese-style rooms and Western-style rooms. All the rooms have private bathrooms and toilets, although bathing is in the onsen facilities of the hotel.
Japanese rooms at the Furofushi Onsen
The Furofushi onsen Japanese-style rooms have tatami mats, and futon beds, made up for you at night, while you are at dinner. There are low Japanese tables and chairs for relaxing and taking tea. There are also low-level western chairs in the window with stunning ocean views. These rooms have a private toilet and sink area, and bathing and showering are in the gender-segregated onsen facilities within the hotel. The rooms are fully air-conditioned.
Western rooms at the Furofushi Onsen
If you prefer to sleep in a bed rather than on a futon mattress, then you can opt for a Western-style room here at Furofushi. The flooring is still tatami matting, apart from the bed area where there is a carpet. There are private toilet and bathroom facilities, although bathing and showering are in the shared, gender-segregated onsen areas. Western rooms at Furofushi are air-conditioned.
Day Visits at Furofushi Onsen
You don’t have to stay at the Furofushi Onsen Hotel to use the onsen and other hotel facilities. Day trip visitors can buy a ticket at the vending machine in the main building of the hotel. Day passes cost 600 JPY, although Resort Shirakami Train users can receive discounts of up to 200 JPY on this fee.
You’ll get access to the onsen in the main building, which has an onsen and a hot tub. This is open from 08:00 until 20:00.
The outdoor onsen is open to day guests from 08:00 until 16:00, before 08:00 and after 16:00 the outdoor onsen is only available to overnight guests at Furofushi.
Day visitors to Furofushi can also use the lounge in the main building and the restaurant is also available, you’ll need to check in with reception and obtain a seating time.
Staying Overnight at Furofushi Onsen
Furofushi Onsen Hotel is a great place to stay in this part of Koganezaki, and it’s a spectacular place to break the journey on the Resort Shirakami Train (I wrote about the train ride here). Check-in is from 14:00, so you’ll want to pick a train time that gets you here after this, and then you can experience all the facilities here.
Rates at the Furofushi Onsen usually include transport from the WeSpa Tsubakiyama Station – a key stop on the Resort Shirakami Route – and a shuttle bus will be waiting for each Resort Shirakami train.
It’s a short 10-minute ride from the WeSpa Tsubakiyama Station to the Furofushi Onsen, the bus calls at the annex building first, which is where day visitors check in, before taking you, the overnight guest to the main hotel building.
The staff here are friendly and you’ll have an assigned English-speaking member of staff to explain how things work, as well as provide you with English information sheets, that include a map to show you the layout of the hotel.
Breakfast at Furofushi Onsen
The included breakfast at the hotel is also great. This is the first time I’ve ever eaten bacon with chopsticks. It’s probably the last time, but it was bacon all the same. The breakfast options were a fabulous mix of hot and cold Japanese and Western breakfast options, all again, buffet style and unlimited orange (and other) juices as well as coffee and tea.
Dinner at Furofushi Onsen
There are usually two sittings for dinner, which is buffet style – which at first was a little disappointing – our previous ryokan experiences, like our fabulous stay in Kinosaki Onsen Town – were in-room dining. Here there’s a buffet in a large dining room.
However, the spread of food is fabulous here. And there’s so much choice. Heaps of sushi, lots of local seafood, and freshly fried tempura vegetables. It was a great feast.
Drinks aren’t included in the all-inclusive breakfast and dinner option but were reasonably priced.
Hot Spring Onsens at Furofushi
Although the Furofushi Onsen Hotel is most famous for the “on the ocean” onsens, there are more than that available. If you don’t wish to stay the night here, you can use the facilities as a day visitor and I’ve included details of that later. However, day visitors can only use the onsens at certain times, so there are benefits to staying the night at Furofushi.
There are two open-air onsens here at the Furofushi Onsen, both designed to blend with the rocks and the coastline. They’re right on the edge of the water. The views are sublime. The feeling of being at one with nature is complete. There are also onsens inside the annex to the main building, which have both inside and outside space for both overnight and day visitors.
Specific onsen clothing is provided if you wish to use it, you are not allowed to wear swimsuits. You are allowed to enter the mixed-gender onsen naked if you’re male (females had to wear the provided onsen wear).
The outside onsens are open from sunrise to sunset, although day visitors have more restricted hours than this.
You are not allowed to take photos at the onsens, either inside or outside. You can see what the outdoor onsen looks like here.
Provided Yukata, Jackets & Onsen Wear for Overnight Visitors
Included in the room rate are yukata, jackets, slippers and onsen wear. If you’re a day visitor you’ll have the opportunity to rent these.
Oceanside Onsen Mixed Gender
Accessed from the annex to the hotel, this “gourd” shaped onsen is the main onsen. It is mixed gender, although when we visited there were only men in here and all were naked.
Oceanside Onsen (Female only)
If you, as a woman prefer not to go into the mixed-gender outside onsen, there is a women-only onsen.
Main Building Onsen at Furofushi
The main indoor onsen at Furofushi has an outside pool with a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan, there’s also an inside bath AND a sauna. While you’re not allowed to walk around the hotel in onsen wear, you can use the provided yukata, jackets and slippers. Yukata come in a variety of sizes and are stocked at reception, but you’ll also find some in your room too.
Annex Onsen at Furofushi
Inside the Annex at Furofushi, there’s another onsen and showering facility for use by both day guests and hotel guests too.
BOOK A ROOM HERE
Stay at the Furofushi Onsen and choose from Japanese or Western Style Ocean Front Rooms. Furofushi Onsen rates include free pick up and drop off from the train station and breakfast and dinner, plus an ocean side onsen too.
Key Information about the Koganezaki Furofushi Onsen
Address of Furofushi Onsen Hotel: 青森県西津軽郡深浦町大字舮作字下清滝15
Telephone Number of Furofushi Onsen: 0173-74-3500
Opening Times: Open from 08:00 until 20:00 (the outdoor onsen closes to day visitors at 16:00)
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Final Words on Staying at the Furofushi Onsen
This is a fabulous location in Aomori, right on the coast of the Sea of Japan and it’s a super place to stop if you’re taking the Resort Shirakami Train between Akita and Aomori. The onsens right on the water line are a superb experience, and so too are the interior onsens. And while it’s not in-room dining like some experiences, the buffet dinner and breakfast options are superb with a big focus on seasonality.
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