Hakone Kowakien Yunessun — Mori-no-Yu
森の湯
Does Hakone Kowakien Yunessun — Mori-no-Yu allow tattoos? Yes, covered
Tattoos are allowed if two of the house's own cover seals hide them completely. Anything larger goes to one of the eight private baths.
The rule is on the house's own site, and the seals are sold there. Only its own designated seals count.
The bath
Mori no Yu is the no-swimsuit half of Yunessun, bathing naked in Kowakidani Onsen water: an open-air bath facing the Hakone mountains, an indoor bath with big windows onto the trees, a Shigaraki pottery tub, a sleeping bath, a sauna, and on the women’s side a hyaluronic acid bath. Eight private baths run on free-flowing spring water, two inside Mori no Yu and six cottages in the woods opened in July 2023, one of them usable from a reclining wheelchair; they are booked by time slot from ¥5,000 for 90 minutes, towels included. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., last entry 7:30 p.m., adults from ¥1,500 under variable pricing.
Good to know
- Two cover seals, and only two. The tattoo must disappear under the house's own seals, which cost extra.
- An accessible private bath, Roku no Yu, where you bathe in a reclining wheelchair.
- Private baths from ¥5,000, towels included. Book the time slot online.
Getting there
From Odawara Station the same buses take about 40 minutes. Parking is free for two hours.
Kowakidani STN · Hakone Tozan line
The operator publishes no walking time from Kowakidani.
Hakone Tozan or Izuhakone bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station to Kowakien, about 20 minutes; the entrance is across the road.
Where it is
Kowakidani STN
- Odakyu line 1 hr 35 min
- Hakone Tozan railway 24 min
- Hakone Freepass from ¥7,100 · 2 or 3 days from Shinjuku Worth it if you’re coming from Shinjuku and moving around Hakone. It covers the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and back, then unlimited rides on the Hakone Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, lake boats and buses. The Romancecar seat fee is extra.
- Mt Fuji and Hakone day tour Lake Ashi’s torii, the pirate ship, Owakudani and Oshino Hakkai, from Tokyo.
- Shinkansen tickets Seats between any two stations, booked by date.
- Japan Rail Pass from ¥53,000 · 7, 14 or 21 days For a trip that takes in several regions by Shinkansen and JR lines.
What happens when you arrive
Buy the house's own seals, two at most, and cover the tattoo completely. If it's bigger, book one of the eight private baths.
How we know
Confirmed (official site)
Read on: yunessun.com
Best for: day visitors with a smaller tattoo, and families who want a private cottage bath
Separate from the swimsuit pool area, which has its own rule (see below).
Book admission →The map shows every hotel close by. We haven’t checked their tattoo rules: sleep there, bathe here. Search Booking.com instead
Booking through this link costs you nothing extra and earns us a small commission, which keeps this guide free and up to date for our tattoo community. Thanks for your support.