Lucy (Leetah) Wakizawa
Brief backstory: this is one of those rare cases where my phone died from constantly photographing the surrounding beauty right before reaching this onsen - an incredibly scenic one. So you'll have to take my word that it's just very, very beautiful, and only the torrential rain and the need to return the rental car by evening forced us to cut our visit to just a couple of hours on higaeri. Location: right next to JR Kawarayu Onsen station. We specifically stopped here on the way from Kawanaka for higaeri before heading back to Tokyo. About 3 hours from Tokyo by public transport or roughly the same by car. Higaeri: yes, 500 yen, 2 hours. Crowds: fair amount. Locals, hikers, campers. Shampoo, soap: provided. Towels: can buy a small one, no bath towels. Tattoos: Japanese-language info says it's not tattoo-friendly. I covered my tattoo with a towel out of respect for the concerns of the grannies, women, and children. Milk: no. Vending machines: yes. Rest room upstairs with beautiful views of the lake and mountains. Baths: gender-separated, indoor and rotenburo with forest views. Water: very. very. hot. Need to read more about the water type on their website. Fun fact: January festival of water-splashing. If I gather photos from friends and remember anything else interesting, I'll add it. Website: http://www.kawarayu.jp/ouyu.html