Onsen in the Sky

Discovering beauty in the downpour during a rainy weekend at a classic hot spring hotel in Takamatsu.

Hidden pipes and storage tanks transport mineral-rich spring water to the hotel's highest floors. Rising from deep granite beds, the hot water, or yu (湯), flows through insulated channels that preserve its natural warmth and mineral essence. By the time it fills the baths in each private room, it feels doubly luxurious, with the sweeping city view as its backdrop.

When we shared a clip of our hinoki (檜) Japanese cypress bath overlooking the city's twinkling nightscape, its viral reach took us by surprise—gaining over a million views and numerous comments questioning the authenticity of the water source. Surely we’d gotten it wrong. Yet, the video genuinely captured onsen water from the earth flowing directly into a guest room on an upper floor. This orchestration is not uncommon in onsen hotels. It reflects the culture around onsen, underscoring the prestige of hot spring water and the significance Japanese guests place on this experience.

It is an approach that befits the hotel's name, Yunaginoyu Hotel Hanajyukai (夕凪の湯HOTEL花樹海). Yunagi (夕凪) means "evening calm," specifically the stillness of coastal waters as sea and land breezes shift at dusk. Hanajyukai (花樹海), meaning "sea of flowering trees," nods to the hotel's surroundings and its hillside garden filled with seasonal blooms, framing the landscape in colours that soften and change throughout the year.

Our suite overlooked Takamatsu City and the Seto Inland Sea in Kagawa Prefecture—the smallest prefecture in Japan, located on the island of Shikoku. The room featured a Japanese-Western hybrid design with mixed tatami (畳) mats, and wood flooring. Open to the breeze, the bathroom created a feeling of floating above the cityscape. 

Upon our arrival, the water was already running, with a discreet overflow drain maintaining its fullness without spilling—another detail that intrigued viewers. This standard feature of hospitality, designed to welcome guests and paired with the calming scent of hinoki, enriches the ambience of rotenburo-tsuki (露天風呂付き)—or open-air bath-inclusive—rooms like these. Coming in from a storm, we found it especially soothing.

Beyond the private in-room baths, the hotel's main hot spring provides a 200-degree panoramic view over Takamatsu and the sea. Again, the bath is fed by spring water that is abundant in minerals and has a high radon content. It invites guests to bathe beneath a starlit sky or early morning clouds. We visited on a rainy weekend, yet, far from diminishing the experience, the downpour softened the distant islands and cityscape into muted shades of green and grey.

Hanajyukai’s reception is an expansive, open atrium with upper-level walkways, embracing wa modan (和モダン) while keeping a foot firmly in the past. This blend of Japanese and modern aesthetics flows throughout the property. The space, staffed by exceptionally attentive personnel, includes a carefully appointed baiten (売店, gift shop) offering local goods, a rest area with complimentary drinks and scenic views, and a genuine omikoshi (お神輿), a traditional portable Shinto shrine carried during festivals to honour the gods. Classic hotels of this kind in Japan can feel dated, but Hanajyukai's 2016 renovation has lightly refreshed its interiors, balancing contemporary comfort with enduring Japanese design.

The dining experience centres around Kagawa's local ingredients, which are served in a Japanese-French fusion style. Seasonal produce—from Takamatsu cabbage to Koshihikari rice—is sourced directly from regional farms, inspiring dishes like shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) with local Hikita buri (ブリ, yellowtail) and sawara (鰆, Spanish mackerel) sushi. French sauces bring an unexpected twist, more decadent than the lighter flavours of traditional kaiseki ryōri (懐石料理). It’s an intriguing exploration of culinary fusion, though we might have been happier with a purely kaiseki meal.

The hotel is located within Mineyama Ryokuchi Park, offering convenient access to Takamatsu's iconic sights, such as Ritsurin Garden (栗林公園) and Yashima (屋島), as well as Konpira-san (金刀比羅山), a revered pilgrimage destination. The average rotenburo-tsuki room for two is priced at around ¥80,000 per night—a typical rate for a 4-star onsen hotel in this region. Securing a booking can be competitive, as visitors increasingly venture to Shikoku island, exploring beyond Japan's "Golden Route" between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Bathing, dining, and resting are effortless at Yunaginoyu Hotel Hanajyukai. The property preserves the essence of Japan's classic hotel category while infusing a fresh, contemporary feel through its recent renewal. If Takamatsu is already on your itinerary, Hanajyukai promises a rejuvenating stay; if not, perhaps the allure of a private hinoki bath overlooking the city will entice you to explore this lesser-trodden yet captivating city in Japan.

Take care wherever you are.

ごきげんよう
Go kigen yō,
Team Yu