Lake Land Hotel Mizunosato

Lakeland Hotel Mizunosato sits right on the shore of Kawaguchiko, and its bathing wing splits into two large communal baths. Suiraku (水楽), on the Fuji-facing side, is the livelier of the two, with a jacuzzi, a standing waterfall bath, and multi-function showers. Suigetsu (水月), facing the lake, is calmer, pairing an open-air bath, said to be the biggest around Kawaguchiko, with a sauna. The men's and women's sides swap on a schedule, so an overnight stay covers both. A spiral staircase off Suigetsu's open-air bath climbs to Tennokawa (天の川), a rooftop bath open almost all the way around with a clear view of the stars at night (it closes in January and February, when the stairs ice over). There's also a private bath, Fuji no Shizuku (富士の雫), with its own washing area, booked in 40-minute slots. The two main baths and the rooftop bath run on Kawaguchiko's faintly salty onsen water; the semi-open-air tubs built into some guest rooms are plain water, not the spring, as the hotel states outright. The hotel doesn't offer day-use bathing, it's for overnight guests only.