Last Updated: May 11, 2023

Manza Onsen

Bathing in the Clouds of Gunma Prefecture

“Uhhh…. Where the F@$#ing hell am I?” I asked myself aloud as the bus turned a sharp corner into yet another blanket of mist. Supposedly, the vehicle was bound for the Manza Prince Hotel but with the utter lack of visibility, I had to wonder whether the driver even knew where we were going. From what I could tell from Google Maps, we seemed to be heading in the general direction of my destination yet given the piss poor cellular mountain service, it was hard to know for sure. As I lazily gazed out the bus window, a car heading the opposite way appeared out of nowhere only to vanish again into obscurity soon after. It was then that it hit me. This wasn’t fog; we were literally driving into the rain clouds that had been trapped by the surrounding peaks. No wonder Manza Onsen is called the highest hot spring town in Japan!

Haven’t heard of Manza Onsen before? Don’t worry, it wasn’t until recently that I too discovered this amazing hidden gem. Nestled deep into the westernmost reaches of Gunma Prefecture, this secluded cluster of traditional ryokan and hotels sits at an altitude of over 1,800 meters above sea level. As described in my opening anecdote, Manza Onsen’s location is so high that it often ends up being completely whited out by low hanging storms…