TOCHIGI, Dec 25 (News On Japan) - A dramatic open-air bath suspended in the air with sweeping views, alongside all-you-can-eat dining featuring nearly 100 dishes—where is the best-value destination for year-end and New Year travel?
Hotels.com has released its ranking of lesser-known Japanese prefectures offering strong cost performance for travelers. Mie Prefecture, home to Ise Grand Shrine and Shima Spain Village, placed third, followed by Miyagi Prefecture, known for Matsushima and Akiu Onsen, in second place. Topping the list was Tochigi Prefecture.
While Tochigi is widely associated with landmarks such as Kegon Falls and Nikko Toshogu Shrine, it was selected as the best value destination based on factors including average accommodation costs per night.
Aviation and travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi points to Kinugawa Onsen as a particularly strong value within the prefecture, saying that as group tours have declined and individual travel has increased in recent years, more hotels have begun offering highly cost-effective pricing.
The program “It!” visited Kinugawa Onsen Asaya, a hotel that has earned a reputation for exceptional value. Guests described returning repeatedly, with one visitor saying this was their fourth stay and that even after traveling to places such as Karuizawa and Ito, this hotel offered the best cost performance.
Accommodation at Kinugawa Onsen Asaya in December and January starts from 19,800 yen per night for a Western-style room with two meals included. Guests praised both the price and the quality, noting that the buffet offerings were consistently excellent.
Breakfast features around 60 menu options, including the hotel’s special wagyu beef curry and made-to-order omelets with selectable fillings. Dinner expands to roughly 100 Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, along with daily rotating hot pot options, while tempura and steaks are prepared in front of guests to be enjoyed fresh.
The hotel also boasts a rooftop hot spring with panoramic views of Mount Kogen. It has been ranked the top hot spring inn in eastern Japan for six consecutive years, underscoring its popularity.
Kinugawa is easily accessible from Tokyo, taking just under two hours from Asakusa via Tobu Railway’s Spacia X with no transfers required. Toriumi also highlighted that the abolition of the provisional gasoline tax has lowered fuel costs, improving the cost performance of driving trips, with Tochigi offering the added advantage of being close to Tokyo and easy to reach by car.
Beyond hot springs, Toriumi noted that Tochigi offers seasonal attractions such as strawberry picking. A strawberry farm in Oyama City was bustling with visitors on the 23rd, with staff reporting around 60 guests that day alone and reservations nearly fully booked over the New Year holidays, when daily visitors are expected to reach about 600.
As households grapple with rising prices after a challenging year, attention is turning to destinations that deliver strong value for money during the year-end and New Year travel season.
Source: FNN
