You'll be surprised at this giant resort! Hanamaki Onsen with its café and rose garden

Enjoy the hot springs from one of the 3 hotels

You may have heard of Hanamaki Onsen and wondered what kind of place it is. We introduce this resort known by only those in the know.

From JR Shin Hanamaki Station you can take the free shuttle bus or drive a car for about 30 minutes just outside of Hanamaki City. There through the gate at the foot of the mountain is an unexpectedly large resort town sprawled out on the land.

On the grounds are Hotel Senshukaku, Hotel Hanamaki, and Hotel Kouyoukan, as well as the Kashouen, 3 large hotels and a high end onsen facility.

This is run by the same company that runs the famous Hakone Fujiya Hotel, the Kokusai Kougyo Group, and even though 3 hotels have different names they are connected by hallways (except the Kashouen), making visits to the other hotels free and easy, as well as to the big bath, the outdoor Hinoki bath, and outdoor stone bath for the onsen tour.

Food at each hotel has a lot of local color to it and all are buffet style, as well as at the ryokan inn you can indulge in extravagant kaiseki cuisine. This way you can eat exactly what you want by picking the hotel that fits your tastes the most.

The traditional dance Shishi Odori that can be seen at the Hotel Kouyoukan’s Matsuri Hiroba room as well as the folk songs should not be missed.

Inari Shrine the onsen on the grounds

On the grounds there are hotels and inns as well as other facilities. Please explore them as much as possible.

First thing first we prayed for the wellbeing of the onsen at the Hanamaki Inari Shrine. Every October there is an autumn festival, where all the hotel staff carry portable shrines in a parade called the Mikoshi no Owatari, and the guests of the hotels can participate in this festival as well.

At the Inari Shrine entrance you will find stone foxes acting as guards, make sure you check them out.

The market and shops on the grounds

The grounds have a market and shops that have a highland resort type feel to them. At the market you can buy daily goods as well as food, and at the shop you can buy small wooden gifts as well as furniture. Perfect as gifts for loved ones.

For those staying a long period this convenience makes it feel like home.

A cozy café that was built like an old traditional warehouse.

On the grounds there is a café called Café de Kura, which was moved into the warehouse built in the Meiji era which belonged to the original president of this resort. Both the interior and exterior have a very nostalgic feel to them, and when you walk in the aroma of siphon brewed coffee lifts your spirits.

They offer homemade cakes, breads baked on the grounds, and perfectly paired with some of the best coffee you’ll have. You can really feel the history and atmosphere of the Meiji and Taisho periods while you relax here.

Stone monument tour

Also, on the grounds are famous poems and haiku written by 12 artists on stone monuments dotting the land. Such artists as Kiyoshi Takahama, and Touta Kaneko have lent their works here.

Reflect on your own feelings or describe the surrounding nature to compose your own verse while visiting these stones.

Also available is the largest rose garden in the Tohoku region as well as a floral clock designed by the famous Kenji Miyazawa from Hanamaki Yukari. You can also find a cherry blossom path, all of which are best in different seasons. The cherry blossoms are best watched between April and early May. The rose garden and the floral clock are best seen during June and early October.