Hoshi Onsen Chojukan

Minakami Town is located in the northern part of Gunma Prefecture and borders Niigata Prefecture. Turning off National Route 17 and following the road brings you to a wooden building that nestles in the mountains and exudes a sense of history. This is Hoshi Onsen Chojukan.

Chojukan was founded in 1875. As the only inn located in Hoshi Onsen, it consists of four buildings with guest rooms and three communal bathhouses. The main building, annex, and the communal bathhouse Hoshi-no-Yu are designated as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

The history of Hoshi Onsen goes back approximately 1,200 years. It is said to have been discovered by the Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi during a pilgrimage. The three communal bathhouses are named Hoshi-no-Yu, Tamaki-no-Yu, and Choju-no-Yu.

Constructed more than 100 years ago, the building and baths of Hoshi-no-Yu remain unchanged. This communal bathhouse, which combines impressive beams supporting the ceiling, modern windows in a Western architectural style, and a nostalgic atmosphere, was featured in a 1982 TV commercial, making the Chojukan famous across Japan. Hoshi-no-Yu is a mixed-gender bath, but is for women only from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The bathhouse of Tamaki-no-Yu is made entirely of cypress and has an outdoor open-air bath where hot spring water flows down over rocks. Bathing while gazing at the starry sky is the ultimate experience. There are alternating time slots for men and women to bathe at Tamaki-no-Yu.

Meanwhile, the bath at Choju-no-Yu may be small, but it has received the highest rating from the Japan Natural Hot Spring Association. The hot spring water at Hoshi-no-Yu and Choju-no-Yu naturally bubbles up from between pebbles lining the bottom of the baths, and Hoshi-no-Yu in particular offers the unusual experience of different water temperatures in different parts of the bath.

Since its founding, Chojukan has been visited by many writers and artists, including Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunari Kawabata, people famous in different fields, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and ambassadors from various European countries.

Located within Joshin’etsukogen National Park, which is registered as a UNESCO Eco Park, Chojukan is also an eco-lodge (an accommodation facility with a low environmental impact).

Jomo-Kogen Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen is the nearest station and approximately 22 kilometers away. It is about a 30-minute drive from there to Chojukan. There is no shuttle service, but you can take a taxi from the station or reach the inn by bus (with one transfer). If you are taking the bus, please depart from Jomo-Kogen Station at 1:10 p.m. or 2:25 p.m. Please note that bus times are current as of August 2025 and are subject to change. Thank you for your understanding.