{"id":5365,"date":"2026-03-16T20:16:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/?p=5365"},"modified":"2026-04-12T10:44:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T01:44:53","slug":"shirane-onsen-karakurakan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/en\/2026\/03\/16\/shirane-onsen-karakurakan\/","title":{"rendered":"Shirane Onsen: Karakurakan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>[Access] About 70 minutes by car from JR Jomo-Kogen Station<br>[Website] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.karakurakan.com\/\" title=\"\">Shirane Onsen Karakurakan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After hiking Mt. Nikko Shirane, several hot springs came to mind, including Oigami Onsen. Out of the Shirane Onsen spots I\u2019d spotted on my way to the Marunuma Kogen Ski Resort, I decided to stop by the cozy-looking Karakurakan in the Kamino-yu area. I was curious about Yakushi-no-yu in Shimono-yu too, but all the signs along the road boasting about their &#8220;massive open-air bath&#8221; actually made me a bit hesitant, so I avoided it this time.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>\n.simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652 .card {\n\tborder-right: solid 5px #000080;\n}\n.simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652 .card-image {\n\tgrid-column: 1 \/ span 3;\n\torder: 1;\n}\n.simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652 .card-content {\n\tgrid-column: 4 \/ span 9;\n\torder: 2;\n}\n.simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652 .card-title {\n\tline-height: 80%;\n}\n.simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652 .card-description {\n\tline-height: 80%;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"simpleblogcard-template-gridcard simpleblogcard-template-gridcard-5711a59426307f0ce3970250e77e8652\">\n\t\t\t<a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.thmiyake.com\/en\/2026\/03\/18\/nikko-shirane-winter-hike-gondola\/\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_022810937-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Easy Day Hike to Mt. Nikko-Shirane: Enjoying Epic Winter Views via Gondola | \u5b66\u3073\u306e\u304b\u3051\u3089 \u2013 Bits of learnings\" width=\"80\" height=\"60\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 80px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 80\/60;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-host\">blog.thmiyake.com<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-title\">Easy Day Hike to Mt. Nikko-Shirane: Enjoying Epic Winter Views via Gondola | \u5b66\u3073\u306e\u304b\u3051\u3089 \u2013 Bits of learnings<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen looking up hiking routes in books, it&amp;#039;s easy to forget that gondolas and lifts are often available during the snow season. Mt. Nikko-Shirane is one of those spots. By using the ropeway t&#8230;\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5357\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5357 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054625546-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5358\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5358 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_054818366-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5359\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5359 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062437488-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">The guest rooms and the bathhouse were in separate buildings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I was told to pay the fee at the main building across the river during this time of day. I hadn&#8217;t really noticed the building on the other side until it was pointed out, so I headed over to pay. The place has that classic, simple vibe of an inn where the focus is entirely on enjoying the hot spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5361\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5361 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_055156608-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5360 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_061316960-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">A surprisingly large indoor bath that could fit more than 10 people.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the exterior of the main building, I\u2019d assumed the bath would be tiny. But when I walked into the bathroom, I was blown away\u2014the tub and the space were way bigger than I imagined! The water was gushing out like a waterfall in a &#8220;kakenagashi&#8221; style, and my gut immediately told me this was going to be some high-quality water lol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The water was quite hot. I could only manage to stay at the very edge, as far as possible from where the water was pouring in. It felt like it was around 43-44 degrees Celsius. With this kind of heat and the way the water overflows onto the floor, it\u2019s the kind of place where you\u2019d half-expect to see someone lying down on the tiles for a &#8220;todo-ne&#8221; (sea lion nap).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe it was the high temperature, but the water felt incredibly refreshing. Because it was so hot, I kept getting in and out, but the water didn&#8217;t leave me feeling heavy or exhausted. It\u2019s a simple thermal spring with a total mineral content of 690 mg\/kg. The source is 61.5\u00b0C, and they add a bit of water to bring it down to a usable temperature, but it&#8217;s still very toasty. What caught my eye was that it&#8217;s rich in sodium and sulfate ions\u2014basically the Glauber&#8217;s salt type of spring that I personally love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-id=\"5363\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5363 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-1536x1156.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062935141-2048x1542.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/771;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5362\" data-src=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-771x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5362 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-771x1024.jpg 771w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-768x1020.jpg 768w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-1156x1536.jpg 1156w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042-1542x2048.jpg 1542w, https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PXL_20260314_062950042.jpg 1626w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 771px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 771\/1024;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">The hot spring source vent located at Yakushi-no-yu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d been curious about Shirane Onsen ever since I saw this vent pumping out thick clouds of steam. This one is right next to Yakushi-no-yu in the Shimono-yu area. Given that they have a massive open-air bath, there must be a huge volume of water flowing through this area. I\u2019d love to check out Yakushi-no-yu too if I get the chance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After hiking Mt. Nikko Shirane, I was looking for a good soak and had a few places in mind, including Oigami Onsen. Among the Shirane Onsen spots I\u2019d spotted on my way to Marunuma Kogen, I decided to stop by the cozy-looking Karakurakan in the Kamino-yu area. While Yakushi-no-yu nearby was also on my radar, all the signs boasting about its &#8220;massive open-air bath&#8221; actually made me a bit hesitant, so I ended up skipping it this time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/?p=5355","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kanto","en-US"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_wp_geo_latitude":"36.7966606","_wp_geo_longitude":"139.2837423","_wp_geo_map_settings":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5365"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5418,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5365\/revisions\/5418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onsen.thmiyake.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}