Hotel Yuou Onsen

The Yuo Onsen is in a Southern Suburb of Kofu, not far North of the Bypass 20 road, and close to a railway line (the nearest station is about 10-15 minutes walk away). However it is sufficiently far from main roads to be very quiet. Approaching, all signage is in Japanese script - there is nothing to say "hotel" in Roman letters at all. Staff are friendly, but - as might be expected - speak little English. Initially assigned to a very smoky room, I managed to ask for a non-smoking one, which was duly found - right next to the original one. Rooms are quite spacious by the standards of budget hotels in Japan, with a reasonable bathroom, fridge, cable internet connection, etc. Hot water for green tea is only at the end of the corridor. As a hotel guest, you are allowed free use of the onsen baths. These are very traditional, and not aimed at tourists at all, but the sexes are segregated. My advice here is check the basic etiquette (all the main tourist guidebooks will tell you what not to do), and then just go for it - no-one is bothered by the appearance of another hotel guest. As in most such onsen you need to use two lockers - one at the entrance for your footwear, and one in the main changing area for your clothes. There are no meals available, although a small range of packaged foods are sold by reception. However half a mile South on Route 20 there are all the chain restaurants you can imagine - the Aiya Japanese Restaurant in the Skylark group is one of the closest and a reasonable choice.