Shiga · Otsu · Lake Biwa · Onsen near Kyoto
Ogoto Onsen is a hot-spring town of nine inns on the west shore of Lake Biwa, in Otsu, Shiga. A JR local from Kyoto takes 19 minutes and costs ¥320, and the six inns below collect staying guests free from the station. Biwako Ryokusuitei has 57 rooms with an open-air bath; at Biwako Hanakaido, the inn’s own page says two of its open-air room baths are not hot-spring water.
What Ogoto Onsen is
Ogoto sits between the lake and the slopes of Mount Hiei, one stop north of Sakamoto, the temple town below Enryaku-ji. The inns’ cooperative counts nine inns, from Ogotoso with 10 rooms to Biwako Grand Hotel with 184.
The cooperative’s Mount Hiei page credits Saicho, founder of Enryaku-ji, with opening the spring about 1,200 years ago; treat that as the founding legend. Its history page dates the modern spa to the Taisho era (1912–1926), when water from a pond at Hōkō-ji, a Tendai temple, was analysed and found to be a radium mineral spring. From the 1990s the inns renovated one after another, adding open-air baths to rooms and roofs.
The water is an alkaline simple spring, pH 9.0, colourless and odourless. The cooperative and three inns give 36°C; Biwako Ryokusuitei’s bath page gives about 25.6°C and pH 9.07. The two official figures do not match, and neither page gives a reason.
The station was called Ogoto until 2008. That year it became Ogoto-onsen, and the cooperative dropped the kanji 雄琴 from its own name for the kana おごと.
How many people come. The cooperative’s 2024 report puts overnight visitors at 355,000 in 2023, against 415,000 in 2019. Overseas overnight guests numbered 61,893 in 2023 and 59,915 in 2024. Hong Kong and Korea lead, Asia makes up 73% (no year given), and many recent visitors come from the United States.
Getting to Ogoto Onsen in 2026
Take the JR Kosei Line, not the Biwako Line, from Kyoto Station; Ogoto-onsen is the fifth stop. JR West’s page for the 11:57 local on 24 October gives platform 3, but check the departure board for the platform. Between 11:00 and 15:00 the locals reach Ogoto-onsen at :16, :31 and :46 (JR West, Saturday 24 and Monday 26 October 2026).
| From | To Ogoto-onsen Station |
|---|---|
| Kyoto (example: 11:57, daily) | 12:16. 19 minutes, ¥320 adult, local train, no change |
| Kansai Airport (Sat 24 Oct 2026) | Haruka 26 at 13:14 to Kyoto 14:34; local 14:57, arriving 15:16. ¥4,030 with a reserved seat |
| Osaka | Special Rapid to Kyoto, then the Kosei Line local: about 30 + 20 minutes plus the change (Biwako Hanakaido’s access page) |
| Osaka, Kosei Line Special Rapid | Get off at Hieizan-Sakamoto, where Yumotokan (send your arrival time in advance) and Biwako Hanakaido pick up |
The last train back to Kyoto leaves Ogoto-onsen at 23:37 (Saturday 24 and Monday 26 October 2026).
Ogoto-onsen Station has coin lockers (at the west exit, per Biwako Ryokusuitei’s access page) but no Midori-no-madoguchi ticket office, and ICOCA cards work at the gates. From Kansai Airport, the Haruka limited express runs direct to Kyoto; tickets can be booked online before you fly. Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book.
Haruka from Kansai Airport to Kyoto, then a Kosei Line local for 19 minutes. On Saturday 24 October 2026, the 13:14 Haruka 26 and the 14:57 local reach Ogoto-onsen at 15:16.
See Haruka ticketsFor the Kyoto end, our Kyoto Station access guide shows where the JR lines and the Hachijo exit are.
Station pick-ups
All six inns below run a free pick-up from Ogoto-onsen Station for staying guests, on request rather than to a timetable. Usually you phone the inn on arrival at Ogoto-onsen Station; Yumotokan’s dog-friendly annex, Dog Villa Bettei Akai (別邸あかい), asks guests coming by train to get in touch before travelling (「必ず事前に別邸あかいまでご一報ください」), and Yumotokan needs your arrival time in advance for a Hieizan-Sakamoto pick-up. Overseas guests of Biwako Ryokusuitei can use the phone on the “Welcome to Ogoto Onsen” poster just outside the ticket gate. Biwako Ryokusuitei (a green bus), Yumotokan and Biwako Hanakaido use stop ④ on the east-exit rotary.
Where to stay: six inns compared
Six of the nine member inns are compared below from their official sites. “Hot spring” below means the inn’s page says 温泉 or 天然温泉 for that room’s bath; where a page is silent, the card says so.
| Inn | Room open-air bath and its water |
|---|---|
| Biwako Ryokusuitei | 57 of 69 rooms; the room-type pages for 37 of them say hot spring (天然温泉, 温泉配湯) |
| Satoyu Mukashibanashi Yuzanso | 66 of 101 rooms (cooperative); room page does not state the water |
| Yumotokan | Hot spring in the Karoi annex, Kotone suites and semi-suites; the standard open-air room page does not state the water |
| Biwako Hanakaido | 4 rooms with hot spring (5th floor); 2 rooms on the 4th floor not hot spring |
| Dantokan Kikunoya | 2 special rooms, 5 dog-friendly rooms and the step-free Hoshi-akari room, all with hot-spring semi-open-air baths |
| Biwako Grand Hotel / Kyo-omi | Every room in the Kyo-omi annex, hot spring (cooperative and inn) |
Ogoto Onsen inns
Six inns, from their own websites
From each official site and the cooperative, 16 October 2026; Japanese wording quoted where the water matters.
Room pages that name the water
Biwako Ryokusuitei びわこ緑水亭
By the lake, Ogoto 6-chome
57 of 69 rooms are listed with an open-air bath. Six room-type pages, covering 37 of those rooms, name the water: 天然温泉 (natural hot spring) on the Biwa-no-kaze balconies (12 rooms) and in the Ao twins (2), 温泉 supplied automatically in the Manyo (7) and Fuga (5) rooms, 温泉配湯 (hot spring piped in) for the Yuga rooms’ semi-open-air baths (5), and 温泉 piped to the baths of the six Koyu suites on the 4th floor. English-speaking staff are on site (「英語対応スタッフが常駐」).
Catch: the cypress tubs in the Fuga and Yuga rooms measure 60 × 115 cm, a size for one.
- Rooms69, of which 57 with an open-air bath
- Check-in15:00; out 10:00 (Koyu rooms 11:00)
- Pick-upFree, phone on arrival, about 7 min; green bus at stop ④
- TattoosRoom bath yes, large baths no; “free stickers available” (inn’s wording; no detail given)
Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book. Check rooms on Booking.com
Highest inn in Ogoto, 66 rooms with an open-air bath
Satoyu Mukashibanashi Yuzanso 里湯昔話 雄山荘
Hillside, Ogoto 1-chome
The inn describes itself as standing on the highest ground in Ogoto (「最も高台」), and 66 of its 101 rooms have an open-air bath (cooperative). The four Satoyama Suites (里山スイート) on the 9th and 10th floors add a living room and a veranda with deck chairs; they do not take children. The tattoo rule has an exception: overseas guests (「海外のお客様」) may use the large bath if stickers sold in the inn’s shop cover the tattoos.
Catch: the room page does not say whether the room baths use hot-spring water; ask the inn. A short flight of 7–8 stairs separates the changing room from the large bath.
- Rooms101, of which 66 with an open-air bath (cooperative)
- Check-in15:00; out 10:00
- Pick-upFree, 8:00–21:00, phone 077-578-1144
- MealsNot served in your room
Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book. Check rooms on Agoda
Rooftop open-air bath, four bath areas
Yumotokan 湯元舘
Noka, about 1.5 km from Ogoto-onsen Station
Four bathing areas, including Gesshin-no-yu, an 11th-floor open-air bath facing the lake, and two private open-air baths at ¥7,000 for 50 minutes, for staying or meal-plan guests. For hot-spring water in your room, book the Karoi annex (「全室温泉露天風呂付」), a Kotone suite or one of the three semi-suites. Staff languages: English, Chinese, Korean.
Catch: the standard “room with open-air bath” page did not say whether the water is hot spring on 16 October 2026, and pick-ups for staying guests stop at 19:00.
- Rooms71 (cooperative)
- Check-in15:00 (last 20:00); out 10:00
- Pick-upFree, 13:30–19:00; JR Ogoto-onsen, JR Hieizan-Sakamoto, Keihan Sakamoto-hieizanguchi, Cable Sakamoto. For Hieizan-Sakamoto, give your arrival time beforehand; for Keihan or Cable Sakamoto, phone before you board (about 15 min); Dog Villa Bettei Akai guests coming by train must tell the annex in advance
- TattoosNo policy on the inn’s pages (16 October 2026)
Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book. Check rooms on Booking.com
Every room faces the lake
Biwako Hanakaido びわ湖花街道
On higher ground, Ogoto 1-chome
All 43 rooms look over the lake. The hot-spring room baths are on the 5th-floor Premium Floor: a 96 m² special room, two Japanese-Western rooms and a Western room furnished by the Nakagawa woodcraft workshop. The private bath, Bidoro-no-yu, is ¥3,300 for 50 minutes, booked at the front desk on arrival only.
Catch: the two 4th-floor rooms with open-air baths are not hot-spring water, and the 5th-floor Japanese-Western rooms have no separate changing space.
- Rooms43, 4 with a hot-spring open-air bath
- Check-in15:00; out 11:00
- Pick-upFree; Ogoto-onsen (about 5 min) or Hieizan-Sakamoto (about 15 min)
- TattoosNot allowed in the large baths
Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book. Check rooms on Booking.com
Small, lakeside, dogs welcome
Dantokan Kikunoya 暖灯館 きくのや
Lakeside, Ogoto 6-chome
Sixteen rooms, all facing the lake (cooperative), with dinner served in your room for up to four. The two top-floor Ten-no-kaze rooms have a semi-open-air bath of 天然温泉, and Hoshi-akari (星あかり) is a step-free room with a hot-spring semi-open-air bath, a ramp at the entrance and handrails. Dogs are welcome: the five Mizunone rooms have a hot-spring bath for people and a separate one for the dog.
Catch: check-in starts at 15:30, and guests with dinner must arrive by 19:00. The 6th-floor private open-air bath is closed for rebuilding; the inn plans to reopen it as a step-free bath on Saturday 5 December 2026.
- Rooms16 (2 special, 5 dog rooms with bath, 3 dog rooms, 6 Japanese-modern rooms)
- Check-in15:30–21:00 (by 19:00 with dinner); out 10:00 (Ten-no-kaze and Mizunone 11:00)
- Pick-upFree, 15:00–20:30, about 5 min
- Baths15:30–24:00 and 6:00–9:00
Paid link: I may earn a commission if you book. Check rooms on Agoda
A whole wing of hot-spring room baths
Biwako Grand Hotel / Kyo-omi 琵琶湖グランドホテル・京近江
On the lakeshore, Ogoto 6-chome
The largest inn in Ogoto, with 184 rooms. In the Kyo-omi annex every room has a lake-view open-air bath of hot-spring water (「全室温泉露天風呂」). Of the two large baths, one has a lake-view open-air bath that faces the sunrise; four private baths cost extra.
Catch: check-in times and a tattoo policy were not listed on the inn’s pages on 16 October 2026. Kyo-omi is the building described as having a hot-spring open-air bath in every room.
- Rooms184 (cooperative)
- Room bathKyo-omi annex: every room, hot spring
- Pick-upFree bus, phone on arrival
- EnglishEnglish page on the official site
The other members are Ogotoso (10 rooms by Ogoto port), Kotoyu (38 rooms; a one-night stay includes free entry on both days to the Agaryanse spa, joined to it by a corridor) and Yu-no-Yado Komorebi (20 rooms, with access to Yumotokan’s baths for ¥660).
Which inn for which traveller
| If you want | Look at |
|---|---|
| Hot-spring water in your room bath, with several room types to choose from | Biwako Ryokusuitei (57 rooms with an open-air bath; the room-type pages for 37 of them state 温泉) |
| Any room in a building where every room bath is hot spring | Biwako Grand Hotel’s Kyo-omi annex |
| A step-free room with a hot-spring bath | Dantokan Kikunoya’s Hoshi-akari |
| To ride the Special Rapid from Osaka or Kyoto | Yumotokan or Biwako Hanakaido, which pick up at Hieizan-Sakamoto (Yumotokan needs your arrival time in advance) |
| To bring a dog | Dantokan Kikunoya (Mizunone and Kasho rooms); Yumotokan’s Dog Villa Bettei Akai (6 rooms, all with a hot-spring open-air bath; small dogs only, no pre-school children) |
| A large bath despite a tattoo | Yuzanso, which admits overseas guests whose tattoos are covered by stickers from its shop; otherwise a room bath |
| An evening arrival | Yuzanso (pick-up to 21:00); Kikunoya picks up to 20:30, but guests with dinner must check in by 19:00; Yumotokan’s pick-up ends at 19:00 |
New to ryokan? Our Japanese ryokan stay guide covers check-in, yukata, dinner and futons. For rooms with a private bath nearer Tokyo, see Hakone ryokan with a private onsen; for a night in a temple instead, Mount Koya, south of Osaka.
One night from Kyoto: a sample plan
Times are from JR West’s October 2026 timetable for 24–26 October. The Day 1 train and the return to Kyoto run daily; the Day 2 morning train differs on weekdays and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
| Time | Where, and how you move |
|---|---|
| Day 1, 14:12 | Kyoto Station, Kosei Line local for Katata (daily; midday locals leave every 15–30 minutes) |
| 14:31 | Ogoto-onsen Station; phone the inn for the free pick-up (about 5–7 minutes; Kikunoya picks up from 15:00) |
| From 15:00 | Check in at your inn’s check-in time (15:00 at four of the six, 15:30 at Kikunoya); the large baths and your room bath |
| About 18:00 | Dinner at the inn; the time is set at check-in (Ryokusuitei’s Biwa-no-kaze guests dine 18:00–19:30) |
| Day 2, by 10:00 | Morning bath and breakfast; check out (10:00 at most of the six inns; 11:00 at Hanakaido) |
| 10:00–10:20 | To Ogoto-onsen Station by taxi, about 5–7 minutes. Only Yuzanso lists morning bus hours (from 8:00); at the other inns, ask at the front desk. |
| 10:37 (Sat, Sun, holidays) or 10:45 (weekdays) | Ogoto-onsen, local train to Hieizan-Sakamoto (10:40 or 10:48) |
| To about 11:10 | Walk to Hiyoshi Taisha, about 20 minutes (shrine’s figure) |
| 11:10–12:10 | Hiyoshi Taisha; adults ¥500 |
| 12:10–12:30 | Walk back to Hieizan-Sakamoto, about 20 minutes |
| 12:49 | Hieizan-Sakamoto, local train to Kyoto (daily), arriving 13:05 |
Checking out of Hanakaido at 11:00? A local leaves Ogoto-onsen for Hieizan-Sakamoto at 11:30 on weekdays and at weekends (arriving 11:33); run the rest of the plan about an hour later. Between noon and 14:00, locals leave Hieizan-Sakamoto for Kyoto at :03, :16 and :49 past the hour.
Up the mountain instead: Enryaku-ji is about 40 minutes from JR Hieizan-Sakamoto via the Sakamoto Cable (temple’s figure).
Hiyoshi Taisha
About 3,000 maples; usually best mid to late November (shrine). Worship 9:00–16:00; ¥500. 20 min on foot from JR Hieizan-Sakamoto.
Sakamoto Cable
2,025 m, Japan’s longest cable car (operator). Up and down cars leave together every 30 min, 8:00–17:30 (March–November); 11 min; ¥960 one way, ¥1,830 return (from 1 April 2026).
Enryaku-ji
Head temple of the Tendai school. Todo area 9:00–16:00 all year, last entry 15:45; ¥1,000 for all three areas. The main hall, Konpon-chudo, is under a renovation begun in 2016; a viewing stage in its courtyard, open to all, is planned to stay until about December 2026.
Ukimido (Mangetsu-ji)
A hall on piles in the lake at Katata, one stop north. 8:00–17:00 (to 16:30 in December only), ¥300. Bus from JR Katata to Katata Demachi, then 5 min.
Autumn 2026. Hiyoshi Taisha expects crowds at its entrance throughout November, when parking costs ¥1,000; arriving by train saves the parking charge, though the crowds at the entrance remain. For the city, see Kyoto in November.
At Katata, the monk Genshin is held to have built Ukimido in the Heian period as a prayer for safety on the lake (Otsu tourism association); the present hall dates from 1937, after the 1934 Muroto typhoon.
Ogoto for the day: bathing without staying
The cooperative lists day bathing at five inns and asks you to phone the inn before you go. Its table gives fees including consumption tax (料金（税込）); Biwako Hanakaido adds a ¥50 bathing tax.
| Inn | Hours and adult fee |
|---|---|
| Biwako Hanakaido | 11:30–20:00 (Tuesdays 15:00–20:00); ¥2,750 + ¥50 bathing tax; towels and shampoo provided |
| Satoyu Mukashibanashi Yuzanso | 11:00–14:30, last entry 14:00; ¥2,200, bath towel included; no booking needed; closed on set days |
| Yumotokan | 11:00–21:30; ¥2,000 (cooperative) |
| Dantokan Kikunoya | 16:00–20:00; ¥1,500 (cooperative) |
| Ogotoso | 10:00–21:00; ¥800 (cooperative) |
Kikunoya plans to open its rebuilt private bath to day visitors too from 5 December 2026, with fees still to be announced. Spa Resort Ogoto Agaryanse, next to Kotoyu, is a separate day spa (日帰り温泉).
The free foot bath at Ogoto Onsen Tourism Park, 20 minutes’ walk south of the station, uses the town’s spring (9:00–18:00); the park rents e-assist bicycles at ¥1,000 for two hours. A second foot bath stands in front of the station. Both close on Wednesday 28 October 2026 for staff training.
First public bath? See our onsen etiquette guide.
Ogoto, Arima or Kinosaki for one night from Kyoto?
| Onsen town | From Kyoto (official sources) |
|---|---|
| Ogoto Onsen, Shiga | 19 min by JR local, ¥320, no change |
| Arima Onsen, Hyogo | About 70 min by the Hankyu Bus / Keihan Bus highway bus from Kyoto Station Hachijo exit (Arima tourism association) |
| Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo | 2 h 27 min on the 9:25 limited express searched, with one change at Fukuchiyama; ¥5,570 with reserved seats (JR West, Saturday 24 Oct 2026) |
At Kinosaki, guests walk between seven public bathhouses (Visit Kinosaki, the official tourism site); see our Kinosaki Onsen guide. The Ogoto plan above leaves Kyoto at 14:12 and is back at Kyoto Station at 13:05 the next day.
Questions travellers ask
How do I get to Ogoto Onsen from Kyoto?
JR Kosei Line local from Kyoto Station to Ogoto-onsen, the fifth stop: 19 minutes, ¥320 (JR West, October 2026). The Special Rapid does not stop there; on one, change at Hieizan-Sakamoto to a local for one stop. Then phone your inn on arrival: the six inns below run a free pick-up for staying guests (Bettei Akai guests get in touch before travelling).
Is Ogoto Onsen worth a night from Kyoto?
It is 19 minutes and ¥320 each way, and each of the six inns below has rooms with a private open-air or semi-open-air bath. Hiyoshi Taisha is 20 minutes’ walk from Hieizan-Sakamoto, one stop towards Kyoto; Enryaku-ji is about 40 minutes from that station via the Sakamoto Cable. Evenings are spent at the inn rather than walking between bathhouses.
Which Ogoto inns have private open-air baths with real hot-spring water?
By the inns’ own pages: Biwako Ryokusuitei (room types covering 37 rooms), Biwako Grand Hotel’s Kyo-omi annex, Yumotokan’s Karoi annex, Kotone suites and semi-suites, Biwako Hanakaido’s four 5th-floor rooms, and Kikunoya’s Ten-no-kaze, Mizunone and Hoshi-akari rooms. Hanakaido’s two 4th-floor open-air rooms are not hot-spring water; Yuzanso’s room page did not say when checked on 16 October 2026.
Can I visit Ogoto Onsen for a day without staying?
Yes. The cooperative lists day bathing at five inns, from ¥800 (Ogotoso) to ¥2,750 plus ¥50 tax (Biwako Hanakaido), as listed on 16 October 2026. Phone first. Yumotokan and Biwako Hanakaido do not arrange pick-ups for bath-only visitors (Hanakaido’s FAQ lets you ask its driver if its bus is at the station); ask the other inns when you phone.
Do the inns pick you up at the station?
Yes, free for staying guests at all six inns below. Usually you phone the inn on arrival at Ogoto-onsen Station; Yumotokan’s dog-friendly annex, Dog Villa Bettei Akai, asks guests coming by train to get in touch before travelling, and Yumotokan needs your arrival time in advance for a Hieizan-Sakamoto pick-up. Hours, where given: Yuzanso 8:00–21:00, Kikunoya 15:00–20:30, Yumotokan 13:30–19:00. Only Yuzanso listed morning hours on 16 October 2026; otherwise ask at the front desk or take a taxi.
Are tattoos allowed at Ogoto Onsen?
Not in the large baths at Biwako Hanakaido or Biwako Ryokusuitei; Ryokusuitei allows tattoos in room baths. Yuzanso admits overseas guests whose tattoos are covered by stickers from its shop. Yumotokan, Kikunoya and Biwako Grand Hotel had no policy on their pages on 16 October 2026; book a room with its own bath if a tattoo would be an issue.
Ogoto, Arima or Kinosaki for one night from Kyoto?
From Kyoto: Ogoto 19 minutes by local train (¥320); Arima about 70 minutes by highway bus (Arima tourism association); Kinosaki 2 hours 27 minutes on the 9:25 limited express searched, with one change at Fukuchiyama (¥5,570, JR West, Saturday 24 October 2026).
Guide to Kyoto
Getting to Kyoto, three key spots and where to stay in the city.
Takashima day trip
Further up the Kosei Line to Shirahige Shrine, Metasequoia Avenue and Kaizu.
Sources
- Checked 16 October 2026 — Ogoto Onsen Ryokan Cooperative / Tourism Association: inns and day bathing, spring, history, Ogoto and Mount Hiei, access, tourism park, mobility rentals, closure notice of 15 October 2026, intellectual asset report, 2024 edition (PDF; visitor figures from the table on p.3)
- Checked 16 October 2026 — JR West: Ogoto-onsen Station; station timetables for Ogoto-onsen towards Kyoto (Sunday 25 October, Monday 26 October), towards Katata, Hieizan-Sakamoto towards Kyoto (Sunday 25 October, Monday 26 October) and towards Katata; train pages for the 11:57 and 14:12 from Kyoto, the 11:45 Special Rapid, the 10:37 (Saturdays and holidays), 10:45 (weekdays) and 11:30 (Saturdays and holidays, weekdays) from Ogoto-onsen, and the 12:49 from Hieizan-Sakamoto; My Dia route and fare search (Kyoto, Kansai Airport and Kinosaki-onsen, Saturday 24 October 2026). Timetable data: JR Timetable, October 2026 edition
- Checked 16 October 2026 — inns: Biwako Ryokusuitei facilities, rooms, Koyu rooms, baths, access; Yuzanso rooms, FAQ, access, day bathing and calendar; Yumotokan rooms, baths, access, English page, Dog Villa Bettei Akai; Biwako Hanakaido premium rooms, standard rooms, baths, FAQ, access; Dantokan Kikunoya top page, rooms, baths, FAQ, access, private bath reopening (PDF); Biwako Grand Hotel official site, rooms, baths, access, English page; Kotoyu and Agaryanse Kotoyu page
- Checked 16 October 2026 — sights: Hiyoshi Taisha hours and fees, FAQ (autumn colour), access; Sakamoto Cable timetable and fares; Enryaku-ji hours and fees, access, Konpon-chudo renovation; Otsu tourism association, Ukimido (Mangetsu-ji); Arima Hot Springs Tourism Association, access from Kyoto; Visit Kinosaki, the seven bathhouses
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