Room Reservations

Please enter your booking dates below.

Minakami is now a broad township rather than just a single town, and two other areas that fall under its administrative control are Tsukiyono and Sarugakyo.

Before the Kanetsu Tunnel under the mountains opened up the main route through to Niigata Prefecture, the main road off the Kanto Plains (the Mikuni Kaido) and over the mountains brought people through Tsukiyono and up through the windy, mountainous roads around Sarugakyo, finally coming out at the top of Naeba town. It is still a great drive today if you fancy a break from the expressway and the climb up into the mountains past the rivers and lakes is beautiful.

Being on the main road, historically Sarugakyo was a popular stop for travelers where they could rest and soak in one of the main onsen in the area. The town itself takes its name from the legend of a monkey who healed a burnt child by bathing it in the onsen water, repaying the kindness the child's parents had shown it. The monkeys are still around as are the onsen which still serve modern day travelers looking for some relaxation.

Transportation Step1
Take Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo station to Jomokogen (please check the time table because some of the trains do not stop at Jomokogen station). The price is 5,240JPY each way.

Transportation Step2
Change from the Bullet Train to a Local bus to 'Sarugakyo-Onsen' (the final destination) from bus stop No.3 outside Jomokogen Station. The price is 860JPY each way.