Overview
Stay at Yatsugatake Kogen Resort, formerly Neo Oriental Resort Yatsugatake Kogen and AMBIENT Yatsugatake Cottage, on the southern side of the Yatsugatake Mountains in Hokuto, Yamanashi.
The resort stands at an elevation of around 1,100 metres and contains 129 private cottages among birch and larch trees. The large grounds give you more independence than a conventional hotel, with each cottage providing a complete building for your travelling party.
You can choose a compact cottage for a couple, a kitchen-equipped house for a family, a British-inspired designer cottage, accommodation with a private open-air bath, or an eight-bedroom building for a large group.
The front building brings the main services together, including reception, the restaurant, a shop, and the communal hot spring baths. Clear nights also give you a good opportunity to enjoy the highland sky away from stronger city lights.
Accommodation
The current accommodation selection contains 18 cottage types. Every option gives you a detached building, but layouts, bedding, kitchens, bathrooms, and climate control differ considerably between categories.
Five British-inspired cottages provide some of the resort’s largest and most distinctive layouts. Chelsea has four bedrooms and accommodates up to seven people. Mayfair has three bedrooms and six beds, while Covent Garden and King’s Cross each accommodate up to seven people. Kensington has four bedrooms and space for up to eight.
The eight Premium Villas have a one-bedroom layout for up to three people. Two Simmons double beds sit in the bedroom, while an extra bed can be added. A glass-enclosed inner terrace, couch, underfloor heating, and a stove-style heater support a comfortable stay during colder weather.
Each Premium Villa also has a private Shigaraki-ware open-air bath on the terrace. The bath uses regular heated water rather than natural hot spring water. The kitchen is limited to a simple food-preparation area, and there is no indoor bathtub.
The Premium Log has two bedrooms, four Simmons beds, a bright timber living and dining area, and a private Shigaraki-ware open-air bath. It accommodates up to four people. The outdoor bath also uses regular heated water rather than natural onsen water.
Kitchen-equipped cottages provide more freedom when you want to cook. The Top Grade Cottage has a one- to three-room layout for up to four people, although the exact design differs between buildings.
The Deluxe Kitchen Cottage has a two-room layout and accommodates between five and seven people. The Standard Kitchen Cottage has one or two rooms and accommodates between three and seven people.
Larger three-room kitchen cottages sleep up to nine people. Beds and Japanese futons differ between individual buildings, so your exact sleeping arrangement depends on the cottage assigned for your stay.
The Welcome Baby Cottage accommodates up to five people and has received recognition from the Miki House Childcare Research Institute. Baby supplies include diapers, wipes, baby soap, a child toilet seat, safety items, and other useful equipment.
Several cottage categories include a private open-air bath but no kitchen. The Deluxe Cottage accommodates four or five people, while the Deluxe Three-Room Cottage provides space for six to eight.
The Standard Two-Room Open-Air Bath Cottage accommodates four or five people. The larger Standard Three-Room category works well for families and groups requiring additional sleeping space. These private outdoor baths use regular heated water rather than natural spring water.
The eight-bedroom Large Cottage is designed for groups of up to 28 people. Seven beds and 21 futons provide the sleeping arrangements, while two private bathrooms contain natural hot spring water. A small gymnasium can also be reserved with this cottage.
Kitchen equipment normally includes a refrigerator, microwave, rice cooker, electric kettle, knives, pots, frying pans, bowls, cooking utensils, crockery, and washing supplies. Seasonings, kitchen paper, foil, and plastic wrap are not provided.
Air conditioning is limited to premium cottages and selected Top Grade Cottages. Other categories normally provide electric fans during warmer weather. Heating and electric blankets are prepared in winter.
All cottages became non-smoking, including their terraces, in March 2026. Free Wi-Fi is available in every cottage. Many general kitchen cottages do not include sleepwear, although it can be rented from reception.
Dining
Dining changes according to the season and accommodation plan. You can eat at the resort restaurant, receive prepared ingredients in your cottage, select a seasonal BBQ plan, or cook independently when your cottage has a kitchen.
Forest Garden operates as an outdoor BBQ restaurant during selected periods. Menus can include Koshu beef steak, beef ribs, highland vegetables, salads, side dishes, desserts, and drinks. The service style and exact selection change through the season.
Other seasonal restaurant plans may centre on shabu-shabu or BBQ buffets. You select your dining time during check-in rather than reserving a restaurant sitting in advance.
For a quieter evening, choose an in-cottage meal plan. Prepared ingredients are delivered to your accommodation, allowing you to cook and eat at your own table. Current choices can include beef shabu-shabu or sukiyaki, with menus selected for each night of a longer stay.
Self-catering gives you full control over the menu when you stay in a kitchen-equipped cottage. The 24-hour shop sells drinks, snacks, instant meals, frozen food, basic supplies, and selected cooking ingredients.
Open flames and personal BBQ equipment are not permitted around the forest grounds. You can only use BBQ equipment through an approved terrace plan or inside the designated seasonal BBQ area.
Breakfast is normally served as a Japanese and Western buffet. The selection can include rice, bread, soup, vegetables, egg dishes, pickles, hoto noodles, Shinshu soba, and Yatsugatake Kogen milk.
The restaurant does not provide lunch. Low-allergen menus can remove as much as possible from nine specified allergen groups, although all food is prepared in shared kitchens.
Onsen and Wellness
The front building contains a gender-separated natural hot spring facility with a large indoor bath, an open-air bath, and a sauna.
The water comes from the Izumi Onsen Health Center source. It is classified as a neutral, hypertonic, high-temperature sodium bicarbonate and chloride spring.
The spring has a smooth bathing texture. Traditional bathing indications include neuralgia, muscle and joint discomfort, frozen shoulder, bruises, sensitivity to cold, cuts, burns, and long-term digestive or skin concerns.
The open-air bath gives you the chance to enjoy fresh highland air, forest greenery, autumn leaves, winter snow, and the night sky according to the season and weather.
Bathing hours normally run from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with final entry 30 minutes before closing. An additional bathing charge applies during your stay.
Towels are not placed inside the communal bathing facility, so you need to bring the towels supplied in your cottage.
The resort also accepts day bathing during the same operating periods. The schedule can change according to maintenance, occupancy, or seasonal operation.
Most cottage open-air baths do not contain natural hot spring water. They provide private outdoor bathing with regular heated water.
The eight-bedroom Large Cottage is the main exception. Its two private indoor bathrooms use natural hot spring water, allowing you to bathe privately without visiting the communal facility.
The resort does not currently list private saunas inside its standard cottage categories. The sauna forms part of the shared hot spring facility in the front building.
Guests with Tattoos
You cannot use the shared indoor hot spring bath, open-air bath, or sauna when you have visible tattoos.
There is no reservable private bath inside the communal onsen building. You can instead use the private bathroom or open-air bath attached to your cottage.
The private open-air baths in most cottage categories use regular heated water, but they allow you to bathe without entering a shared facility.
For private natural hot spring water, choose the eight-bedroom Large Cottage. Its two onsen bathrooms belong exclusively to your travelling party.
Facilities
The front building contains reception, the main restaurant, the hot spring facility, and a shop that remains open 24 hours. The shop carries local souvenirs, drinks, snacks, frozen meals, instant food, and everyday supplies that may be useful in your cottage.
Miharashi Hill provides an easy outdoor walk within the grounds. Seasonal flowers surround the seating area, and clear weather may bring a view of Mt. Fuji.
The Starry Forest Office sits around two minutes on foot from reception. This coworking space provides a highland setting for remote work, small meetings, and longer working stays.
A laundry building below the front facility contains five washing machines and two dryers. You need to bring or purchase your own detergent.
The indoor Yatsugatake Kids Park provides large inflatable play equipment, craft areas, costumes, and space for younger children. Its operating dates and hours change through the year.
Electric-vehicle charging points are available near the front building and community hall. Parking is provided beside or close to your assigned cottage.
The grounds cover a wide area, and there is no internal transport service between reception and the cottages. When you arrive by public transport, the resort normally assigns accommodation within around ten minutes on foot of the front building.
The property does not have fully step-free cottages. A building with fewer stairs can be assigned when mobility is limited, but paths, slopes, and differences between cottage layouts remain important considerations.
Pets cannot stay at Yatsugatake Kogen Resort. When you travel with a dog, the separate Wan Wan Paradise Yatsugatake provides dedicated dog-friendly cottages and facilities nearby.
Activities
Explore the grounds through the resort’s photo rogaining experience. You receive a map and search for marked points across an area described as around 22 Tokyo Domes in size, taking photographs as you complete the course.
Night programs include a guided Starry Sky Walk and independent stargazing from designated viewing areas. Clear conditions at an elevation of 1,100 metres can reveal a broad field of stars, although cloud and rain may lead to cancellation.
Seasonal activities include Segway nature rides, pole walking, birdwatching, craft sets, science activities, yoga equipment, indoor games, and marshmallow roasting over a Swedish torch.
The indoor Kids Park gives you an option during rain, while warm-season programs can include fireworks events and festival-style games in designated areas.
Partner activities around Yatsugatake include kayaking, horse riding, farm visits, fruit picking, mushroom harvesting, guided forest walks, and the fully automated Sky Cart at Fujimi Kogen Resort.
Sanbuichi Yusui is around ten minutes away by car. Its historic water-dividing system distributes spring water toward three former villages and is surrounded by a short woodland path.
Fujimi Kogen Resort is around 15 minutes away by car. The Sky Cart climbs to an elevation of approximately 1,420 metres during the green season, while winter brings skiing and snow activities.
Makiba Park gives you open highland views and opportunities to see cattle, sheep, and goats. You can also visit the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum, Misogi Shrine, and Hakushu Ojiro no Mori Meisui Park.
Additional Features
Check-in begins at 3:00 p.m., and check-out is by 11:00 a.m. You prepare Japanese futons yourself when they form part of your cottage’s bedding.
A complimentary shuttle connects the resort with Kai-Koizumi Station in around five minutes. Transfers from Kobuchizawa Station take approximately 20 minutes.
By car, the resort is around 15 minutes from Kobuchizawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway. The drive from central Tokyo takes around two hours under normal traffic conditions.
Snow can fall from late November through April. Winter tyres or snow chains are essential when you arrive by car during this period.
Heating is provided during the colder months, and a seasonal heating charge may apply. Only selected premium cottages and Top Grade Cottages have air conditioning.
The resort does not clean cottages during a multi-night stay. Replacement towels and amenities can be arranged when requested by the evening before they are needed.
