Washintei Hougetu is a 16-room ryokan in Moto-Hakone, built on a rise at about 800 m right next to Hakone Shrine and looking down on Lake Ashi. The family business began in 1952 as Sugiyoshi Ryokan, opened under its current name in 1992, and reopened after its second renovation in July 2024. Before you book, three things matter: the large bath is a sulfur onsen closed from 11:00 to 15:00 for cleaning; the baths in the guest rooms use well water, not onsen; and the front door is locked from midnight to 6:00.
Washintei Hougetu at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Operator | Washintei Hougetu Co., Ltd. |
| Address | 90-42 Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa |
| Setting | East side of Hakone Shrine, about 800 m up, overlooking Lake Ashi |
| Rooms | 16 rooms in 7 types, all non-smoking (a smoking room is in the building) |
| Check-in / out | 15:00 / 11:00 |
| Front door | Locked 24:00–6:00 |
| Large bath | Simple sulfur onsen; closed 11:00–15:00 for cleaning |
| Private baths | 2, natural water; 50 minutes for 2,000 yen + tax |
| Prices | From 36,850 yen per person with two meals (2 sharing, tax incl.) |
| Wi-Fi | Free in all guest rooms |
From the official site and booking page, read October 16, 2026.
The name comes from the moon rising over the Futagoyama peaks and setting into Lake Ashi, and every room is named after a moon. The inn says the land was once part of the Hakone Shrine grounds, and it keeps clocks out of the building as much as possible.
Which room should you pick at Washintei Hougetu?
Which rooms have beds?
Types 1A and 1B (two rooms each, 37 m²) are Japanese-modern twins with two semi-double beds, a shower booth and a washlet toilet. They are adults only and sleep one or two. Type 1B is the one room type in the inn with no tatami at all.
Which rooms have their own bath?
Six rooms have a semi-open-air bath with a washing area: Type 4A, an accessible Japanese-Western universal room; Type 4B, a corner room; the two Type 5 special rooms (76 m²), whose bath looks over Lake Ashi; and the two Type 3 concept rooms with a moon-viewing deck and a 75-inch TV. The inn fills these baths with its well water, called Iwasaka no Mizu, on purpose, not with onsen water.
What about the larger Japanese rooms?
Type 2, the inn’s most popular room since opening, is a 47 m² sukiya-style room of 10 plus 6 mats with a sunken kotatsu table, a shower booth and a washlet toilet, for two to four guests. There are six of them. Because meals are served in a separate room, your futon or bed stays made for the whole stay.
Meals at Washintei Hougetu
What is dinner like?
Dinner is modern kaiseki that changes every month; the inn says it has never repeated a menu since it opened and has no signature dish, so the food follows the season. Some courses borrow from French, Chinese or other cuisines. Fish comes from Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, the chef visits Toyosu market every month, and the tuna is never frozen. Dinner is served in private dining rooms with a sunken kotatsu or a table; depending on numbers, another guest room may be used instead. Dinner start times are not listed here because the official pages give different times; confirm yours with the inn.
What is breakfast?
Breakfast is a “healthy breakfast” of vegetables from the western foot of Hakone and tofu the inn makes with its own well water. It starts at 8:30 or 9:00 and runs until 10:00; 8:00 can also be arranged. A Western breakfast is available if you ask by the day before your stay.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
The inn asks guests who cannot eat certain foods for health reasons to tell it in advance, and says it will do what it can. Vegetarian and halal meals are not mentioned, so ask before you book.
The Hakone onsen and private baths at Washintei Hougetu
What kind of hot spring is it?
The large bath draws Moto-Hakone Onsen, a simple sulfur spring (hydrogen-sulfide type) with a pH of 3.9, weakly acidic. There are two indoor baths and two open-air baths, renovated in July 2024, and the men’s and women’s sides swap every month. The open-air baths are free-flowing; the indoor baths circulate the onsen together with natural water.
When can I use the large bath?
Any time after check-in, through the night, except 11:00 to 15:00, when it is cleaned. Free natural water and Yakult are set out for after your bath.
Is there a private bath?
Yes, two: Iwasaka no Yu “Tsuki” and “Hoshi.” They use natural water, not onsen. Each booking is 50 minutes for 2,000 yen plus tax, from 15:00 to 23:00 and 7:00 to 9:00; contact the inn directly to reserve. The official pages do not mention tattoos; ask the inn, and see our tattoo and onsen guide for what to ask.
Prices and rules at Washintei Hougetu
| Plan (two meals) | From, per person |
|---|---|
| Basic plan | 36,850 yen |
| Private bath and onsen plan | 37,850 yen |
| Maternity plan | 37,850 yen |
| Plan for families with babies | 36,850 yen |
| Consecutive-night plan | 36,100 yen |
Official booking page, two guests per room, tax included, as of October 16, 2026. Some rooms are 40,700, 45,100 or 50,600 yen.
The inn says booking on its own site is the lowest price. Hakone charges a bathing tax of 150 yen per guest per night, and children under 12 are exempt; the official pages do not say whether it is in the price. Hakone Town does not charge an accommodation tax yet; it aims to start one from April 2028. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
The booking page has categories for elementary-school children and younger children, but the official pages do not list children’s prices; you see them only when you choose guests on the booking page. Types 1A and 1B are adults only. In the Type 5 rooms, children below school age can choose only meals with bedding or bedding only. There are plans for families with babies and for expectant mothers.
What is the cancellation policy?
The inn’s terms list: free up to 4 days before; 30 percent of the basic charge 3 to 2 days before; 50 percent the day before; 80 percent on the day; 100 percent for a no-show. A guest who has not arrived by 20:00 without contacting the inn counts as a no-show. Check the rule on your plan too, and see our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
The booking page offers payment at the inn or by credit card online. The terms say payment is in yen, by card or a similar method, at checkout. The card brands accepted are not listed.
Getting to Washintei Hougetu in Hakone
Take a bus from Hakone-Yumoto, Odawara or Mishima Station. When you get off at the stop nearest the inn, call it and staff come to pick you up by car. The Hakone Tozan Bus to Moto-Hakone-ko takes about 40 minutes and costs 1,080 yen from Hakone-Yumoto, about 55 minutes and 1,340 yen from Odawara, and about 50 minutes and 1,050 yen from Mishima. A taxi from Hakone-Yumoto takes about 25 minutes and costs about 4,500 yen. By car, it is about 40 minutes from the Gotemba IC on the Tomei Expressway. For the area, see our things to do in Hakone.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Washintei Hougetu
- The front door is locked from 24:00 to 6:00, so plan dinner out in town or late returns around it.
- Call the inn from the bus stop for the car pickup; have a phone that can make Japanese calls.
- The in-room semi-open-air baths and the private baths use well water and natural water; the sulfur onsen is in the large bath.
- Same-day bookings close at 16:00, and early check-in or late checkout costs one-tenth of the room charge per hour.
- Keep 150 yen per adult per night for the Hakone bathing tax.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bath at Washintei Hougetu a real onsen?
What time is check-in at Washintei Hougetu?
What is the cancellation policy at Washintei Hougetu?
Can I use the bath at Washintei Hougetu with a tattoo?
How do I get to Washintei Hougetu?
Bottom line (2026): Washintei Hougetu is a 16-room ryokan next to Hakone Shrine with a sulfur onsen, monthly modern kaiseki in private dining rooms, and adults-only twin rooms with beds. Note the 11:00 to 15:00 bath cleaning and the midnight door lock, and book on the official booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Washintei Hougetu’s official pages: home (Japanese), rooms, cuisine, onsen, private baths, access, terms of accommodation and company, the official booking page, and Hakone Town’s pages on the bathing tax and the planned accommodation tax. All were read on October 16, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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