Kajika

I visited Kajika in early July right before the summer heat arrived.

I had it on my list for months, but it was a difficult place to access without a car. So imagine my joy when a colleague suggested a day trip to this. An immediate yes from me.

Kajika is the only onsen in the Ashio area. The area used to be a copper mine and there were tunnels, old bridges, abandoned infrastructure that painted a historic picture.

We drove on a winding path with the mountain on one side and the river below us on the other side to get to it.

If I had to pick a favourite this is hands down my favourite onsen.

The architecture made sense. Nothing felt like the architect had to make do with limitations and constraints. From the lobby to the resting area to the bathing area and the onsens themselves, everything had a through line of clean and effective design.

The indoor bath had light colored tiles and huge windows on two walls that goes from the edge of the onsen to the ceiling, giving an unobstructed view of the mountains, letting in enough light for the entire place to have an open and airy vibe but still remained anchored by the angular interior design.

The rotenburo just makes me want to rave about it nonstop. Being in the mountains afforded Kajika the privacy of being able to build the rotenburo with its back to the mountain so that it is completely open facing the opposite mountains.

No walls, no fences, no railings of any sort, just the rocky thermal waters under the blue sky and a clear view of the neighboring mountain greenery.

As I sat down in the prime spot to soak and enjoy the view, I couldn’t help but notice that the rocks seemed to be engineered to perfection as well. You can probably tell from the picture. It was between the spot between two rocks that functioned perfectly as arm rests, and the rock against your back was also sufficiently tall to lean back and rest your head on. There also happened to be just enough shade that you don’t have to be completely under the sun.

I leaned back and just gazed at the surrounding nature while daydreaming. The midday sun refracting rainbows in the waters reminded me of a brilliant cut diamond bouncing colorful light off its facets, except these rainbows ebb and flow with the waters. It was surreal. I felt like a mermaid perched on the rocks with the water around me glistening in the sun.

At one point I wondered if I died and went to heaven. Yes, I liked it that much.

The onsen waters was worth talking about specifically. At the reception the staff made a point to warn us meticulously about the waters being slippery due to the composition of the onsen. I didn’t dwell too much on it and thought “well, obviously water makes things slippery”. I was surprised when I dipped into the onsen. A few minutes in when I started running my hands against my skin I noticed they feel slippery. Almost slimy. I was still in the waters so this wasn’t the type of “slipping on the wet ground” scenario I expected. The texture is similar to how your skin feels like after skincare.

I spent nearly two hours there, almost reluctant to leave.

After the soak I sat in their resting area for a bit. I saw an old man lying on his back on the tatami floor next to the windows and I followed suit. It was comfortable and I felt like I could take a nap. I feel like this is what Japanese people do in their homes during summer.

Kajika is the perfect onsen in my book. It was a little too hot during my visit but I imagine autumn would be amazing. The air would be cooler so the warmth of the sunlight and waters would feel more welcome. The mountains would have shades of autumn foliage too making a stellar view. I’d happily visit again in autumn.

Onsen Profile
Location: 5488, Ashiomachi, Nikko, Tochigi-ken 321-1511
Day use availability: Yes
Day use time: 12:00 – 15:00 (last entry 14:30)
Day use cost: ¥1,000
Type of onsen water: Alkali simple