Overview

Stay in the heart of Isawa Onsen at Hotel Sekitei, a traditional hot spring hotel built around a Japanese garden. Koi move through the large pond while trees, stone lanterns, and flowing water bring a sense of nature into the centre of the property.

The upper-floor baths provide a completely different view. From the large observation bath and rooftop open-air bath, you can look across the Kofu Basin towards the mountains of Kai and the Southern Alps. Mount Fuji may also appear when the sky is clear.

Hotel Sekitei brings together spacious tatami rooms, recently renewed Japanese-Western accommodation, seasonal Yamanashi cuisine, and abundant natural hot spring water. You can spend your time feeding the koi, enjoying a regional dinner, or watching the lights spread across the basin from the rooftop bath.

Accommodation

Hotel Sekitei has 70 rooms, including four special rooms. You can choose from Japanese rooms with futon bedding or Japanese-Western rooms that combine tatami with beds. The rooms are divided between the Main Building and Tenseiden wing.

The Tenseiden Special Room provides 110 square metres of space and was fully renewed in March 2023. Its generous layout includes a Japanese room, living area, bedroom with two Simmons semi-double beds, and a private bathroom with a bath and shower.

A large television allows you to watch online content, while a coffee maker gives you an easy way to enjoy a drink in your room. Two refrigerators are provided, including one stocked with complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. An expanded skincare set is also prepared.

The Main Building Japanese-Western Rooms were fully renewed in April 2024. These rooms combine a Japanese sitting area with beds and look towards the garden. A large television, coffee maker, and skincare products add extra convenience during your stay.

The Tenseiden Japanese-Western Rooms give you beds alongside a traditional tatami area. You can also choose a Tenseiden Japanese Room when you prefer a complete futon experience. Rooms in this wing include a private bath and shower.

The Main Building Japanese Rooms offer tatami, futon bedding, low tables, and the atmosphere of a classic onsen stay. These rooms have a washlet toilet but do not include a private bath or shower, so you use the rooftop hot spring facilities for bathing.

Every room has climate control, a television, refrigerator, towels, bath towels, a toothbrush, yukata, soap, and a washlet toilet. Wi-Fi is available during your stay. Smoking and non-smoking accommodation may both be offered, so select the correct room designation when you book.

None of the rooms has a private natural hot spring bath. The bathrooms inside the special and Tenseiden rooms use regular heated water.

Dining

Dinner follows a seasonal Japanese kaiseki format prepared with ingredients from Yamanashi and other parts of Japan. Mountain produce, seafood, meat, and vegetables appear in courses selected for the time of year.

The meal may begin with small seasonal dishes before moving through sashimi, warm food, grilled or simmered courses, rice, soup, pickles, and dessert. Presentation and ingredients change throughout the year.

Selected meal plans introduce you to Yamanashi specialities such as Koshu hoto, horse sashimi, and abalone simmered in soy sauce. Other plans may include wagyu sukiyaki, snow crab, or an upgraded selection of seasonal dishes.

Hoto is a regional hot pot made with broad wheat noodles, vegetables, and miso broth. Hotel Sekitei prepares its own version using a carefully blended miso, giving you a warming taste of local food culture.

Yamanashi wine and regional sake are available with dinner. A local wine, peach juice, or grape juice may also accompany selected plans.

Dinner is served in an assigned dining area rather than inside your room. The normal starting period runs from 17:30 to 19:30, although your seating time depends on availability and your confirmed plan.

Breakfast is usually served as a buffet with more than 40 Japanese and Western dishes. You can choose rice, soup, vegetables, salads, egg dishes, bread, and other warm food according to your appetite. The service may change to a half buffet or Japanese set meal when operating conditions require it.

Onsen and Wellness

Hotel Sekitei uses natural water from its own abundant Isawa Onsen source. The spring is classified as a weakly alkaline simple spring and has a clear, smooth feel against the skin.

The spring is traditionally associated with relief from muscle discomfort and fatigue. Its gentle alkaline quality has also given it a reputation as a skin-beautifying bath.

The shared bathing floor includes a spacious observation bath with broad windows and a rooftop open-air bath made from cypress. From the upper level, you can look across the Kofu Basin and towards the surrounding mountains.

During the day, the view may include the Southern Alps and Mount Fuji when visibility is good. In the evening, the lights of the basin spread below the bath.

The men’s and women’s bathing assignments change according to the schedule, allowing you to experience both bathing areas during an overnight stay. The communal baths are available throughout the day and night, apart from cleaning and gender-change periods.

A rooftop private open-air bath gives you a more personal way to enjoy the spring. The cypress bathing space looks towards the mountains and the Kofu Basin and can be reserved for one 40-minute session.

Private-bath sessions are normally available from early morning until 9:10 and again from 15:00 until 21:40. Availability is limited, so arrange your session as early as possible.

Hairdryers and essential bathing products are provided in the communal bath area. Hotel Sekitei does not have a sauna.

Guests with Tattoos

The communal observation bath, rooftop open-air bath, and shared changing areas do not accept visible tattoos.

Use the reservable rooftop private open-air bath instead. This gives you a self-contained bathing space where you can enjoy the natural spring without entering the communal areas.

There is no private onsen inside the rooms, so the rooftop private bath is the only private hot spring option at Hotel Sekitei.

Facilities

The Japanese garden gives you a place to enjoy the property at a slower pace. You can follow the paths around the pond, watch the koi swimming beneath the surface, and feed the fish during your stay.

The bright lobby overlooks the garden and provides comfortable seating for arrival and departure. A café corner and shop offer drinks, Yamanashi foods, local wine, sake, and small souvenirs.

Banquet halls and meeting rooms provide space for celebrations, private meals, seminars, and organised gatherings. A karaoke room and late-evening noodle corner may also operate according to the daily schedule.

A smoking booth is available away from the main lobby seating. Wheelchairs can be borrowed, and the property includes entrance ramps, handrails, an accessible toilet, and designated parking spaces.

EV charging points are available in the parking area. Wi-Fi is provided inside the property.

Activities

Begin with time in the Japanese garden, where you can feed the koi or sit beside the pond. The garden changes through the seasons and is also visible from selected rooms and shared spaces.

Fuefuki is one of Yamanashi’s main fruit-growing areas. Peach picking normally begins in early summer, followed by grape picking from midsummer into autumn. Opening dates depend on the weather and each orchard’s harvest.

Several wineries are within easy reach of Isawa Onsen. You can visit tasting rooms, learn about Koshu grapes, and discover wines produced in the Kofu Basin. Monde Winery and Mars Yamanashi Winery are among the nearby choices.

The Yamanashi Prefectural Museum introduces you to the history, culture, and landscapes of the region. Displays explore life in the old Kai Province, local agriculture, trade routes, and the natural environment.

For a longer outing, you can travel towards Takeda Shrine, Kofu Castle, Shosenkyo Gorge, or the Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji area. Seasonal road and weather conditions may affect travel times.

Additional Features

Check-in begins at 15:00, and check-out is by 10:00. Final arrival times may differ when dinner is included in your plan.

Isawa-Onsen Station is around 15 minutes away on foot or approximately five minutes away by car. A complimentary station shuttle is available during set afternoon and morning periods and should be arranged in advance.

Complimentary parking is available when you arrive by car. The parking area also includes EV charging facilities.

Room smoking rules differ by category and plan. Choose a clearly marked non-smoking room when you do not want smoking accommodation. A separate smoking booth is available inside the building.