Things to Do in Minakami Onsen
1 Japanese roundup
Where Japanese travelers eat and stay in Minakami Onsen, and what they tell visitors to skip, from their own comments, translated.
Where to stay1
Rules that apply anywhere in Japan39
These apply everywhere in Japan, not just here.
- Can You Share Food at a Japanese Restaurant? Ramen Answer
Usually yes, once everyone has ordered their own bowl. Top reply on a ramen-sharing row (8,048 likes): ask the staff on the spot. The shop decides.
8,048 likes
- Are Kids Allowed in Restaurants in Japan? Japanese Answer
Yes, at most places. The top Japanese reply (7,400 likes): no one is angry at crying kids, only at parents who leave them to it. Some shops post rules.
7,400 likes
- Is It Rude to Do Makeup on a Train in Japan?
Past lipstick, mostly yes. A leading Japanese answer (40,807 likes) says stop at lips; powder and brushes that hit the next rider are the problem.
41,495 likes
- Japanese people splitIs the Seishun 18 Ticket Still Worth It? What Japanese Say
Only if you ride far on back-to-back days. Japanese riders say the 3- and 5-day version suits rail fans, not workers or day-trippers (802 likes).
2,181 likes
- Can You Wear Earphones While Cycling in Japan?
Yes, if one ear stays open: one earbud or open-ear headphones are legal while you can hear traffic. Both ears sealed risks a ¥5,000 ticket (314 likes).
759 likes
Questions these roundups answer4
Every place Japanese commenters named8
All the spots mentioned in the comments across these roundups. Tap a name to open Google Maps; tap the Japanese to copy it for taxis and map apps; tap the star to build your own list. Hours and prices change — details are as of the source comments.
- Minakami Hotel JurakuMinakami Onsen, GunmaThe inn people in the thread actually stayed at: full when one guest went last year, and not luxurious but visibly trying to make guests comfortable (9 likes). Another visitor comes back every week and rates the staff, the food and the rooms. Its bakery used to be a local landmark (11 likes).MapWhy it's hereCheck rates and availability on Agoda
- Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium MatsunoiMinakami Onsen, GunmaThe big inn at the center of the redevelopment, named in the thread as the one taking over the cleared hotel sites. It reopened on 7 August 2026 under the Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium brand after a refit of the old Gensen Yu no Yado Matsunoi.MapWhy it's hereCheck rates and availability on Agoda
- Michi-no-Eki Minakami MizukikoukanMinakami, GunmaThe part of town that is busy. A near-resident wishes the video had shown the produce and souvenirs sold here (12 likes), and another visitor lists the roadside station, the bridge bungee and dam curry as proof the town is still trying (14 likes).MapWhy it's here
- Tanigawadake Ropeway (Tenjindaira)Minakami, GunmaWhat one repeat visitor comes for every year, along with sitting by the river: the ropeway up to Tenjindaira for snow in winter, enjoyable precisely because there are few people (4 likes).MapWhy it's here
- Doai StationMinakami, GunmaPopular with rail fans as Japan's "mole station", 462 steps down to a platform about 70m under the mountain. One visitor's dry note: the fame does not put money into the town (9 likes).MapWhy it's here
- DarumaNear Minakami Station, GunmaThe one restaurant near the station the thread names: seafood and tuna bowls at lunch, big portions, and pickles made by the elderly owner (5 likes).MapWhy it's here
- garbaMinakami, GunmaA baumkuchen shop up in the hills past the roadside station, named by a near-resident along with a tart shop in town (12 likes).MapWhy it's here
- Jack the Tart FantasyMinakami, GunmaThe tart shop in the same recommendation, towards the built-up side of town (12 likes). Both places, the commenter says, are covered in signed celebrity boards.MapWhy it's here
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The loudest voice on Minakami Onsen
“There were outside forces, sure, but some of it was self-inflicted. Faking the hot spring water was bad enough, but before that, the places built for group bookings looked right down on solo guests and couples. Ryokan districts with tennis courts and soccer pitches like a school club camp, you'd ring up and say it's just me, and they'd sound thoroughly put out and tell you they were full for the entire season, or grumble on your way out that one guest doesn't cover their costs. I think it was the same picture all over the country, before covid. So when those same places started saying please help us because of covid, honestly, I thought: serves you right. Hotels and ryokan that don't look after women traveling together, solo guests and elderly couples can go under for all I care. That's my honest feeling.”
外的要因もあるんだろうけど、自業自得のところもあるんだよ。温泉偽装とかはまずいが、それ以前に団体様がくるところって1人とか夫婦客をすごい見下すところがあって以前学校のクラブ活動みたいなテニスコートやサッカー施設を持ってるような旅館街なんかさ、1人ですけどありますか？って聞いたらすげー嫌そうにずーっと満室ですっていわれたりとか、帰りがけに1人で来られると採算合わない的な文句垂れられたりするところあって、全国的に同じような状況だったと思うよ。コロナの前は。それがコロナで助けてくださいって言ってるようなところ、正直ザマァ見ろって思ってる。女子旅、おひとり様、老夫婦大事にしないホテル旅館は消えてもらいたいね。正直な気持ち書いてみました。
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FAQ
- Where do these come from?
- From the comment sections of Japanese YouTube videos — food crawls, hidden-gem tours, honest reviews. We quote real comments only, show the actual like counts at the time of collection, and link back to the source video.
- How accurate are the translations?
- Each quote keeps the original Japanese alongside the English. We adapt slang so it reads naturally, but we never change the meaning or invent comments.