My wife and I will be traveling to Japan in November. We will be traveling with our child (who will be 1 year old). I have been reading a lot about the okukinu onsens, and I would really like to go there. I have the following questions:

1) Is it a trip that I want to make with a 1 year old?
2) Are children this young allowed in the baths? Is there a health risk to the child?
3) If we want to go to Nikko as well, what is the best way to get from Nikko to Meotobuchi Onsen?

Thanks

pmcguire67 wrote (View Post): › 1) Is it a trip that I want to make with a 1 year old?

Not sure. Myself, I probably would not. Access to Okukinu area is not that easy, as you need to change from train to bus (long ride, more than 100 minutes), and then take another bus to the ryokan.

pmcguire67 wrote (View Post): › 2) Are children this young allowed in the baths? Is there a health risk to the child?

There is, I guess, no policy forbidding young children to bath in the onsen. But I have almost never seen any, especially in rather remote areas. For the risks, you have to keep in mind that water can be really hot - more than 40 degrees Celsius - and it might not be suitable for babies. Getting a medical advise is probably a good idea.

pmcguire67 wrote (View Post): › 3) If we want to go to Nikko as well, what is the best way to get from Nikko to Meotobuchi Onsen?

There are several passes for foreigners who want to travel in that area. You can check this site : www.tobuland.com/foreign
To go from Nikko to Okukinu, you will need to take a train to Shimo-Imaichi, then change for Kinugawa Onsen. From there, take the bus.

As a matter of fact, if you can drive in Japan, you might want to rent a car - it could even be cheaper for 2.5 persons, plus it would make your journey much less difficult (at least for your family)...

sanji

[moved to Onsen Discussions - the Guides section is only for posting guides]